Nervous Nelly [1] (also known as Nelly-Ann Pittman-Smythe-Bose) is the ghost of an animal rights extremist.
History[]
Nelly-Ann Pittman-Smythe-Bose was deemed radical and extreme by her animal rights colleagues and peers and got cast out of every legitimate animal rights group she tried to join.[2] She often ranted about the supposed stupidity of humanity and had a difficult time interacting with other people. Nelly dated Peter Venkman but the relationship came to an end and she tried, unsuccessfully, to cut his head off.[3] Over time, she came fanatical and started mailing letter bombs to zookeepers' homes to protest animals being caged against their will. Nelly was blown up by one of her own explosives and died.[4] Her "essence" tapped into a spiritual force attracted to her unfinished vengeance. It advised her to possess a red panda at the Central Park Zoo then provided her with power.[5] The ghost of Nervous Nelly convinced a group of ghosts to help her in exchange for giving them a second chance at life. She didn't tell them helping her involved possessing animals or having to kill anyone.[6]
Just after midnight, one night, Nervous Nelly addressed the animals in the Central Park Zoo exhibits and told them they shouldn't be locked away for man's amusement. The Animal Possessors took each animal for a host. In the late afternoon, the next day, they made their presence known and issued their varying demands. Thirty minutes later, Egon and the Extreme Ghostbusters followed a P.K.E. spike to a red panda. Eduardo mistook it for a cat and reached. They were unaware Nelly had possessed the panda. She snapped and warned Eduardo not to touch her. Egon cautioned Eduardo but he didn't think a little red panda wouldn't cause them any problems. All the possessed animals escaped the zoo. Ten minutes later, Kylie asked Eduardo if he ever got tired of being wrong. Eduardo wondered how one panda released all the animals. Roland reminded everyone not to hurt the hosts. Kylie agreed and had no idea what exposure to proton energy would do to them. Roland advised everyone to talk only. Eduardo was annoyed asked him if he looked like Dr. Dolittle. Egon inquired about the polar bear. Kylie recalled the zoo's website said his name was Gus and he was a transplant from the Toledo Zoo. Eduardo thought being from Toledo was just cause to be busted. Gus talked back and claimed he was Gary and was from Queens. Eduardo didn't think that was something to brag about. The panda told Gary he didn't have to answer to them. She claimed they were many people she met in life - selfish and spiteful people who locked up her poor friends for their own amusement. She evidently disliked people for thinking they were smarter than the animals when they couldn't tie their leather shoes. The wording struck a chord with Egon.
Nelly and the animals gathered at the formers' old watering hole, the Nut House, to party. Egon called up Peter to verify his hunch the red panda was possessed by Nelly. Peter remembered her. Egon asked if she was ever interested in ghosts. He recalled she knew how to put them away and directed him to the Nut House. Kylie peeked inside and confirmed the ghost were inside. Egon called out Nelly, who was atop a chandelier. She admitted she died a stupid death but no one was willing to accept her righteous cause nor was anyone willing to do what was needed to stop the cruelty against animals. She revealed what happened after she died then transmogrified the possessed animals and directed them to kill the Ghostbusters. Egon reminded everyone to aim for Nelly. She proved too agile and dodged the Proton Streams. Gary refused to kill anyone and mentioned that wasn't part of the deal. Kylie inquired what he meant by a "deal." Gary explained if the possessors helped Nelly, they would get a second chance at life. Eduardo got an idea. He took his Proton Pack off and talked to Nelly. He declared she was right about man's inhumanity and lack of empathy. He wondered how people would feel if they had to spend their lives locked up in cages. She agreed. Eduardo then asked how people would feel if a ghost took possession of their bodies against their will then changed into a raging monster. Kylie snagged Nelly with a Proton Stream. Eduardo persuaded her to make things right if she cared about the animals. Nelly left the red panda's body and all the possessors left their host bodies, too. Egon asked Eduardo how he knew that would work but instead of answering, Eduardo pointed out there was now a bar full of wild animals to deal with.
Trivia[]
- On page 1 of Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: Extreme Ghostbusters, Nelly quotes:
- "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow" from Matthew 6:28.
- "Where the deer and antelope play" from "Home on the Range".
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ Peter Venkman (2019). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: Extreme Ghostbusters" (2019) (Comic p.10). Peter Venkman says: "Oh, you mean "Nervous Nelly!" Nelly-Ann Pittman-Smythe-Bose."
- ↑ Egon Spengler (2019). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: Extreme Ghostbusters" (2019) (Comic p.12). Egon Spengler says: "Your views were so radical and extreme that you were cast out of every legitimate animal rights group on the face of this planet! And probably some illegitimate ones, too!"
- ↑ Egon Spengler (2019). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: Extreme Ghostbusters" (2019) (Comic p.10). Egon Spengler says: "What was the name of that woman who tried to cut your head off several years ago?"
- ↑ Egon Spengler (2019). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: Extreme Ghostbusters" (2019) (Comic p.12). Egon Spengler says: "If I had a dollar for every time you've used the "leather shoes" dig - you're also a fanatic who tried to mail letter bombs to zookeepers' homes."
- ↑ Nervous Nelly (2019). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: Extreme Ghostbusters" (2019) (Comic p.13). Nervous Nelly says: "After death, my "essence" tapped into a reservoir of spiritual force. Attracted to my plight of unfinished vengeance, this force directed me to occupy this "vessel." And it provided me with unimaginable power!"
- ↑ Gary (2019). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: Extreme Ghostbusters" (2019) (Comic p.15). Gary says: "This nut offered me one more go at life if I helped. But "help" is one thing. "Capital offense" is a different animal. Metaphorically speaking, of course. And not of nothing, she conveniently left out the part where I had to psychically inhabit the body of a polar bear."
Gallery[]
