Jack Hardemeyer

Jack Hardemeyer
Occupation:	Former Mayor's Assistant PCOC Liaison
Appeared In:	Ghostbusters II Real Ghostbusters Starring in Ghostbusters II Ghost Busted IDW Comics
Played By:	Kurt Fuller

Jack Hardemeyer was Mayor Lenny's assistant in the 1989 film Ghostbusters II. Until the Mayor finally got fed up with him and promptly fired him for throwing the Ghostbusters into a psychiatric hospital and not looking out for the Mayor's best interests during the Vigo incident. He is also the secondary antagonist of Ghostbusters II.

History

Primary Canon History

At some point between 1984 and 1989, Mayor Lenny appointed Jack Hardemeyer to be his principal aide. In late 1989, after an airing of "The World of the Psychic," Peter Venkman saw Mayor Lenny and his procession moving through the WKRR-TV Studio. Peter attempted to go say hello but he was stopped by Jack. Jack taunted Peter by looking around for ghosts then warned him to stay away from the Mayor. Jack didn't want the Mayor to be associated with two-bit frauds and publicity hounds just as he was about to start his run for Governor the next year. Peter took his rudeness as opportunity to fire back how officials such as him are supposed to lie and figuratively kiss voters' butts.

At the Ghostbusters' trial, Jack made a brief appearance. He asked the Prosecutor to put them away for a very long time, but the latter didn't think that would be too hard with the list of charges. Jack then gloated in front of Peter and left the courtroom. However, due to the manifestation of the Scoleri Brothers, all charges on the Ghostbusters were dropped and their preexisting judicial restraining order was rescinded with the case dismissed. With the Ghostbusters back in business, Jack was left in disbelief after their commercial came on his office television set.

On New Years Eve of 1989, Mayor Lenny and Jack were pulled from a party at Gracie Mansion to speak in private with the Ghostbusters. Jack didn't believe any of their claims about Vigo and the Psychomagnotheric Slime. After the mayor refused to help and left the room, the Ghostbusters mused that they should go to the press. Alarmed by this, Jack asked them if they would consider telling some of people downtown about the slime. This caused him to overstep his authority and he had the Ghostbusters wrongly committed to Parkview Psychiatric Hospital in order to protect the Mayor's interests. Jack then lied to the Psychiatric Doctor that he was issuing orders on behalf of Mayor Lenny and wanted him to keep them under strict observation for the next several days because he thought they were seriously disturbed and potentially dangerous.

As the new year approached, the city was plunged into chaos from a massive spike in paranormal activity. As a result of Jack's actions, the ghosts in New York City freely rampaged without intervention from the Ghostbusters. Moreover, Jack himself was unable to effectively coordinate relief. The Public Works Official handed him a file and stated there was a shell around the Manhattan Museum of Art and they could not make a dent in it. When Jack sarcastically asked if he tried dynamite yet, the official stated they tried everything. When Mayor Lenny arrived at New York City Hall and resigned himself to calling the Ghostbusters for help, Jack believed there had to be another way. This caused Mayor Lenny to reveal that he had spent an hour last night in his bedroom talking to Fiorello La Guardia, a former mayor who had been dead for 40 years. When he asked where the Ghostbusters were, Jack, now panicking, told him they were not available. When asked for a clarification on why "they're not available," Jack was forced to admit that he had them committed to the Parkview Psychiatric Hospital. Upon hearing this, Mayor Lenny was outraged by this abuse of power and proceeded to fire Jack, giving him three minutes to clear out. When Jack quibbled about the upcoming election, the mayor ordered Harry to promptly remove him from city hall. Later, Jack was last seen in better spirits, singing along with carolers at the vigil outside the Manhattan Museum of Art.

Secondary Canon History

Ghost Busted

Jack was once the youngest state prosecutor in New York history and parlayed that into his position as the Mayor's aid. He dreamed of becoming Mayor even. After the Vigo incident, Jack was "blackballed everywhere, from here to Hoboken" and now homeless since being fired. Jack broke into a condemned Shandor Property and made a deal with the building's resident ghosts to get rid of their shared enemies, the Ghostbusters. Providing schematics of the Proton Packs and with technical assistance from the ghost of Professor Harold Teplitz, Jack creates an electron-powered variant of the Ghostbusters' proton-powered equipment designed to stun and contain living souls, leaving the human body comatose.

Arming the ghosts with the electron equipment, Jack led his allies to the capture of Ray and Egon while they are out on routine cases, then lured Peter and Winston to an ambush. While Peter was captured, Winston managed to escape in his own car and followed Jack back to the building hideout. Using his own collection of firearms to destroy the electron packs, Winston managed to rescue the other three Ghostbusters, and the whole team proceeded to capture the ghosts. During the mayhem, Jack decided to cut his losses and ran away unnoticed. He was last seen in a soup kitchen, groaning about being served split pea soup... again.

IDW Comics

After being fired by Mayor Lenny, Hardemeyer was hired by the B.U.F.O. along with Walter Peck. News of the hire was featured on "The Pacific Monthly" Issue #15. A copy was framed and is up in Peck's Paranormal Contracts Oversight Commission office. Hardemeyer was also on Peck's speed dial.

Jack began working for the Commission as liaison to the New Ghostbusters. Peck had problems to solve in the wake of the Ghostbusters' disappearance, mainly securing alternate paranormal contractors, convincing City Hall of the wisdom of his judgement, and maintaining some measure of control. Tying a merchandising deal would cover all those bases. Peck brought Jack in to serve as interim PCOC liaison. Peck allegedly warned Jack not to get carried away and gave carte blance to cut whatever deals he could. Jack called in a lot of favors to get merchandising deals secured. His primary duty was to help coordinate the New Ghostbusters' caseload.

Jack showed up on Monday and his first act was a photo shoot. Going off research, Jack made the team wear coveralls with shorts. Janine heavily objected but Jack reminded her it was covered in the contract she signed with Peck. He was already thinking of taking them on the talk show circuit. To add insult to injury, Jack also had the regular coveralls and the rest of the original team's personal effects put in storage. Janine further objected to wearing the new coveralls out in public but Jack implored them to take care of Gareth Dibello. After the team captured Dibello, Jack was ecstatic to discover three talk shows in a bidding war over the first exclusive interview with them. Janine, however, directed him to their scratched up legs. Not quite understanding, Janine made it clear she would go on the talk shows and out him as a sexist ratbag if he didn't get the regular coveralls back. Jack proposed putting Ron Alexander in shorts as well but Janine simply pulled harder on his tie, cutting off his circulation. Jack agreed to Janine's request and promised to have them back the next day.

Jack continued with procuring lucrative contracts. He was in talks with making the New Ghostbusters spokespeople for Yummy Yummy Snack Cakes and set up a meeting the next week with toy people. He was intrigued with news of a Grendel coming to kill Janine and wanted to make an event of it but the team managed to dodge telling him the place and time the Grendel would manifest. Jack still insisted Janine be outfitted with something flashy in the inevitability the battle would attract media coverage. He wondered off in thought and mused the New Ghostbusters should appear in local talk shows.

Later in the summer, Jack secured a deal for the Ghostbusters to sponsor army boots and thought the slogan "They're not just for your mother anymore!" was a real winner. Peck called Jack into his office and abruptly told him to cancel all deals made because the Ghostbusters were back in control of their brand and merchandising. Since Janine was back to coordinating with PCOC, Jack was no longer needed either and was fired. Jack realized he was being used the whole time despite being kindred spirits and friends with Peck. Peck admitted they weren't friends and only shared a hatred for Peter Venkman. Jack informed Peck he would be hearing from Jack's lawyer and stormed out.

Personality

Jack's role was similar to Walter Peck's in the first movie in that he was a skeptic who threatened and antagonized the Ghostbusters with legal and political power. As with Peck, Jack had received his comeuppance by film's end, in the form of an embarrassing and somewhat public loss of face. Similarly, he also had a patronizing first encounter with Dr. Peter Venkman. He was last seen in better spirits celebrating the new year among the crowd outside the Manhattan Museum of Art.

Trivia

• In the November 27, 1988 draft:
  • On page 111, the Mayor and Jack Hardemeyer arrive outside the museum.
  • On page 112, the Mayor learns people are trapped inside. Hardemeyer wants to call news stations for the PR. Ray tells them they have to act by midnight or city gets sucked into the tenth level of hell.
    • In the movie, the Mayor and Hardemeyer aren't present. The tenth level of hell line is spoken by the Mayor earlier before he fires Hardemeyer at New York City Hall. This also becomes an alternate scene.
  • On page 113, Hardemeyer pounds the slime shell to prove his point but he gets sucked in. The Mayor takes that in then asks the Ghostbusters what they need. They confer in a diner.
  • On page 128, Jack staggers out of the museum feeling great.
• In the February 27, 1989 draft version of the Ghostbusters II script, Jack was sucked into the slime shell surrounding the Manhattan Museum of Art.
• In the Ghostbusters II deleted scene Peter's Concern, Jack suggests using the rescue of Oscar as a photo op for Mayor Lenny.
• In the Ghostbusters II deleted scene Jack Buys It, Peter gives Jack the nickname "Mr. Hard-On".
• Jack Hardemeyer is the central antagonist in a sub-plot that runs through the collection of stories in the Ghost Busted manga.
• In the Ghost Busted manga, Jack wears contact lenses and owned a scooter.

Appearances

Primary Canon Appearances

• Ghostbusters II
  • Chapter 02: "World of the Psychic"
  • Chapter 10: Their Day in Court
  • Chapter 12: Two in the Box
  • Chapter 19: Scaring the Straights
  • Chapter 21: Tenth Level of Hell
  • Chapter 28: World is Safe Again

Expanded Universe

• Ghostbusters II
  • Deleted Scenes
    • He Had Me by the Throat
    • Peter's Concern
    • Can You Get Into That Museum
    • Jack Buys It
    • Statue of Liberty Back in Place

Secondary Canon Appearances

• Real Ghostbusters Starring in Ghostbusters II
  • Part 1
  • Part 3
    • Deleted pages for Part 3

• Ghost Busted
  • Chapter 2
  • Chapter 3
  • Chapter 4
  • Chapter 5
  • Chapter 6

• IDW Comics
  • Ongoing Series
    • Volume 2
      • Issue #2
      • Issue #3
      • Issue #5

Gallery

Primary Canon Images

Secondary Canon Images

NOW Comics images provided by Ectocontainment (Fan Site) and NOW Comics Deleted pages images provided by Alex Newborn (Original Source: James Van Hise).

Jack Hardemeyer as depicted in NOW Comics The Real Ghostbusters starring in Ghostbusters II part 1.

Jack Hardemeyer as depicted in NOW Comics The Real Ghostbusters starring in Ghostbusters II part 3.

Jack Hardemeyer as depicted in NOW Comics The Real Ghostbusters starring in Ghostbusters II part 3 (Deleted Pages).

As seen in Ghost Busted (manga) Chapter 2

As seen in Ghost Busted (manga) Chapter 3

As seen in Ghost Busted (manga) Chapter 4

As seen in Ghost Busted (manga) Chapter 5

As seen in Ghost Busted (manga) Chapter 6

As seen in Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #2

As seen in Volume 2 Issue #2

As seen in Volume 2 Issue #2

As seen in Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #3

As seen in Volume 2 Issue #3

As seen in Volume 2 Issue #3

As seen in Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #5

As seen in Volume 2 Issue #5

As seen in Volume 2 Issue #5

As seen in Volume 2 Issue #5

As seen in Volume 2 Issue #5

As seen in Volume 2 Issue #5

Behind the Scenes Images

Storyboard (Credit: William Forsche and Spook Central)