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Rowan North[1][2] is the main antagonist of the Ghostbusters in the 2016 movie.

History[]

Primary Canon[]

Rowan North was a loner who got bullied his entire life.[3] He won The American Physical Society's J.J. Sakurai Prize on April 6, 2000 for his "work on M-Theory, its connection to eleven dimensional super gravity at low energies and the compactifying of its extradimensions." He earned a Bachelors of Science in Physics from Stanford University and, a few years later, a Doctor of Science in Physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology on June 6, 2007. He briefly worked as a teacher and won an award from the American Association of Physics Teachers. Rowan won the Hughes Medal on November 29, 2013 for "pioneering development of inkjet printing processes for organic semiconductor devices and dramatic improvement of their functioning and efficiency." Rowan came to believe that he was a genius who could see things that no one else did.[4] At some point, Rowan turned to the paranormal field and fashioned it as his method of revenge. He began working at The Mercado Hotel as a maintenance man but found little to no respite from the disrespect heaped on by the subject he hated most; humanity. Rowan worked out an arrangement such that he could live in the hotel's basement. His obsession with the supernatural and hatred towards humanity only grew, Rowan sought to bully those who mistreated him throughout his personal life. Eventually, he made contact with equally vengeful beings amongst ghosts by creating Ghost Portal Mirror technology, based on the science and theories found in Ghosts from Our Past: Both Literally and Figuratively: The Study of the Paranormal. Rowan discovered that the departed he partnered up with were of similar opinion that the world was a trash pile in desperate need of cleaning up.[5] He sought to achieve their shared goal of revenge by bringing about a series of catastrophic paranormal activities on a mass scale, which he oddly termed the "Fourth Cataclysm," after which Rowan and the ghosts would cleanse the world.[6] Rowan determined that the Mercado sat on an intersection of Ley Lines and constructed a Barrier Compromising Master Machine in the boiler room to break down the barrier between the World of the Living and the World of the Dead. This would generate a Portal once he charged the lines with his Hyper-Ionization Devices. Rowan fashioned the devices as miniature cyclotrons and used a chromium alloy for the hulls of each device.[7][8] The devices were essentially the antithesis of Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates' research; these energized spectral entities on a nuclear, paramolecular level.[9] He also began studying the history of places located on the lines, like the Aldridge Mansion Museum and Gertrude Aldridge.

Rowan went to the Aldridge Mansion Museum and hid a Hyper-Ionization Device under a dresser. It charged the Ley Line that the building resided on, ionizing the ghost of Gertrude Aldridge. He went to the Seward Street Subway Station next. He walked up to the MTA booth. Patty Tolan looked forward and was startled but continued laughing with a smile. She asked him how he was doing. Rowan told her they would always ignore her because they were walking sewage, concerned only with their own trivial matters.[10] Rowan promised Patty that laborers, such as herself, would be among the last led to the butchery when the Fourth Cataclysm began.[11] He advised her to make the most of her extra time. Patty remarked he was just a bundle of joy and told him to have a good day with his crazy ass. She wondered what train he was taking. Patty watched the security monitors and saw Rowan going on the tracks. She sighed and reached for a flashlight. Patty stepped down onto the tracks with a Streamlight E-Spot Firebox Flashlight Lantern. She mumbled that a fine bathroom upstairs at Starbucks existed if he had to go so badly. A glass bottle clinked, and Patty turned to look. Rowan ran across undetected by her. A Hyper-Ionization Device exploded atop a panel, and she encountered the Electrocuted Ghost. Rowan peered out from his hiding place. The ghost growled then contorted its head at Patty. Patty was naturally confused and scared, and Rowan found it exquisite.

After the Seward Street Subway Station, Rowan returned to the Mercado for his shift. He went over his checklist of places to visit and turned a corner in a hallway on the second floor by Room 2208. Rowan went back to the boiler room in the basement and talked to his reflection in a full-length mirror. He reminded himself he was bullied his entire life, and now he would become the bully. He assured himself to trust in his abilities, and the universe would bend before his will. A co-worker hailed him from a walkie-talkie and informed him of a biblically badly clogged toilet in 1843. Rowan confirmed he heard him and replied that nothing would make him happier. The co-worker was not amused and told him to attend to it. Rowan repeated to himself that the universe would bend before his will. He repeated his mission to charge the lines, create the vortex, and break the barrier. A green hand thudded against one of the mirrors from the inside.

Rowan turned down the hall near 2208. Mrs. Potter opened her door and got his attention. Rowan recognized her and asked how he could help her. She turned to the green Ectoplasm dripping down her doorway's frame and wanted to know what it was. Rowan pretended to inspect it. He lied and told her it was nothing more than some leakage from the hotel's air conditioning. She told him it touched her skin, giving her a rash, and asked him if it looked alright. She turned her back to him. Earl, a small magenta-colored entity, peered out from her back. Rowan confessed he saw some redness. She asked if it was very bad. Rowan told her it was not, assuring her that whoever was responsible for the leak would be flogged within an inch of their life and then left on the street to die like a pig. Mrs. Potter was taken aback, denying that she had asked for such. Rowan rescinded the promise, instead stating that he would send up some cream.

Rowan returned to the boiler room. The ghosts in the mirrors groaned. Rowan stated he knew everyone was anxious, but he stressed patience, then he asked who thought it would be funny to put Earl in Potter's back. He expressed concern about the guests' increasing complaints. He did not want to give away any spoilers before the "big show." Rowan left the room. As crowds gathered outside and in the lobby of Stonebrook Theatre for Rock Revenge Fest NYC XIV, Rowan posed as a metal enthusiast. A Metal Head, excited for the show, declared that Ozzy Osbourne rocked and high-fived Rowan. Rowan agreed. He flicked his wrist and groaned. Rowan made small talk as he walked inside and made a horns gesture to a woman. Rowan made his way to the Wardrobe Room, planted a Hyper-Ionization Device on a table, and then left. Mayhem manifested soon after. Rowan changed and went to a diner that he frequented. A TV inside the diner played the NY1 coverage of the Ghostbusters being interviewed outside Stonebrook after they trapped Mayhem. Two waitresses debated about whose turn it was to be Rowan's server. One waitress stated she had him yesterday.[12] A busboy cleared the booth behind Rowan. Rowan repeated to himself to "Charge the lines. Create the vortex. Break the barrier." He told the Ghostbusters to enjoy their fun while they could, because soon, they would be bowing down before him. Rowan continued drawing a creepy version of the No-Ghost logo amid papers with many equations written on them.

The Ghostbusters took note of all the recent ghost sightings. Erin grabbed a map of the city and marked off all the locations: a wailing spirit sighted at 6th and 26th, a spectral polar bear seen on 63rd and 5th and Park Avenue and 5th, a weeping wall in the thrift store at Chelsea at 10th Avenue and 18th, the Aldridge Mansion in Upper West Side by 70 and 72nd, the Seward Street Subway Station in the Upper East Side near 78 and 76th, and Stonebrook in downtown near Lafayette and E. Houston Street. Erin connected them all with two straight lines into a big "X." She and Abby realized they were two Ley Lines. Holtzmann confirmed her discovery with an identical map of the city in the "Ley Lines: of North America" book. Erin realized Rowan was using his Hyper-Ionization devices to charge the Ley lines and create a vortex. Abby pointed out if he got one of his machines on the intersection point and it was big enough, he would be able to rip a hole right through the barrier. Abby reported their discovery to Agent Hawkins and Agent Rorke, as the others learned the intersection point was the location of the Mercado. Patty recognized Rowan in the employee photo on the hotel's website. Erin remarked it was always the sad, pale ones. Abby rallied everyone to gear up for the Mercado. They entered the Mercado and asked Vanessa The Desk Clerk where the janitor was. The desk clerk knew whom they were talking about and told them to take the stairs down and get him out.

The Ghostbusters took stairs down to the boiler room, powered on their throwers, and headed inside. The Barrier Compromising Master Machine was in the center of the room and activated. Mirrors were strewn about the room. Ghosts had their palms up against the glass from the other side. They growled at the Ghostbusters. Abby spotted Rowan in a corner and ordered him to stop and shut it down. Rowan, from a crouching position, turned to them and stood. He walked out a little towards them with his hands behind his back. Abby thought it was great he found himself a little hobby, and that on-paper, flooding New York City with ghosts seemed like a great idea. However, they liked the world the way it was. Rowan assumed they must have been afforded the basic dignity and respect of a human being, which he had been denied. Abby did not think so and noted that people mocked them pretty much all the time. Rowan stated he was a genius who could see things that no one else did, and his reward for it was scorn and mockery. Rowan was comforted by the fact that he was not the only one seeking revenge. Rowan revealed millions of souls behind the mirrors, cast aside, who saw the world as it truly was, like garbage that needed to be cleaned up. He added that the ghosts mainly were men, then continued explaining how an army of the undead would return to pester the living after the barriers were destroyed. Erin didn't think "pester" sounded too distressing. Rowan clarified that they would pester the living with unspeakable pain and torment, children would be pestered limb from limb in front of their parents, the parents would be pestered in half and pestered in half again, then pestered into the ground until their bloody, pulpy bodies were nothing but meat. Erin admitted that was a different definition than what she was thinking. Holtzmann offered up the word "apocalypse."

Rowan was ready to destroy the barriers. Abby yelled at him to stop. She tried to show she understood people could be terrible but tried to appeal to him, listing the terrific things in the world, but she could only think of soup. She asked Patty. Patty shot back there was salad. Rowan turned back to the master machine. Abby yelled at him to stop and informed him the police were already on their way and he was going to jail. Rowan told them goodbye, then grabbed hold of two pylons and electrocuted himself to death. His body dropped to the floor, face first. Holtzmann commented that it was a weird tactic. Patty was sure he was dead. Abby asked Holtzmann to shut the machine down. Holtzmann jogged over to where they found Rowan. Abby and Erin pressed her to hurry, and the electricity powered down. The ghosts vanished from the mirrors.

Erin asked if they were alright. Holtzmann believed so, except for Rowan. Erin was relieved it was over. Abby yelled out into the corridor for the police. Holtzmann admitted it was never good to see the smart ones go bad. Patty remarked it smelled like burned bologna and regrets. The police conducted their investigation and took statements. Patty gave hers. She described Rowan as an employee of the hotel dressed in a Captain Kirk-type outfit. Erin asked Abby what was bothering her. Abby had a feeling his technology was not that different from their technology, utilizing the same science. Erin agreed it was strange. Holtzmann walked over to them and presented a copy of Ghosts from Our Past. They were mortified. Abby was oddly pleased she was right about how there would be people who loved their work. Erin wondered why she was so flattered that that weird little sociopath bought their book. Jennifer Lynch, Hawkins, and Rorke thanked the Ghostbusters but staged a fake arrest and painted them, publicly, as frauds and the incident as another stunt.

Abby walked across the lab to the restroom. There was a knock on the door. She stopped, turned, and walked back to the door. Thinking it was Patty and Holtzmann, she called to them and asked if they had lost their keys. Abby opened the door, but there was no one outside. The light outside flickered off. She closed the door, locked it, then walked to the restroom, slammed the door, and pulled the deadbolt. She rested against the door. There was a knock, and Abby asked who was out there. The doorknob rattled. Then the sink's pipe rattled. Abby slowly walked over. There was a green glow down the sink, and Abby heard Rowan's voice saying hello. A green streak flew into Abby's face, and she fell on her back. She continued to hear Rowan's voice. Rowan explained that his devices energized spectral entities on a nuclear, paramolecular level. It was the reverse of her research and aimed to bring down the paranormal barrier. Abby walked to the mirror. Rowan chuckled and apologized. He admitted the Ectoplasm dripping out of her orifices looked nastier than he intended and laughed. He implored her to enjoy herself, and Abby vomited Ectoplasm all over the restroom. Ectoplasm passed under the door. The phone at Kevin's desk rang and went to the answering machine message. It was Erin, pleading for someone to pick the phone up or call her as soon as possible. She relayed her discovery that Rowan killed himself as the next step in his plan.

Jillian Holtzmann and Patty returned to headquarters with sandwiches. Holtzmann walked towards the restroom. She called out to Abby then sang to her to get her sandwich. She tapped the restroom door and was about to knock, but it opened. Abby greeted Holtzmann by her first name, and Holtzmann asked her if she was okay. Abby replied that she was fine and walked to the lab. Holtzmann was puzzled. Abby picked up tubing from a pile, put it back down, and picked up a pipe. She declared that she would use it to make a proton shotgun, or swing it around and break stuff. Abby attacked the Proton Packs mounted on the wall. Holtzmann dashed over and grabbed the pipe. Abby shoved Holtzmann across the floor, then threw the pipe. Patty dived to the booth. Abby walked over and picked Holtzmann off the floor by her throat. The window was shattered as Abby walked Holtzmann through it and dangled her outside. Patty charged, and Abby dropped Holtzmann, but Patty shoved her to the ground and grabbed Holtzmann's right arm just in time. Abby leaped onto Patty's back but got shoved into the wall. Abby stood back up. Patty held her back by pressing against her head. Abby pushed her hand aside and ended up on her back on the window frame. Holtzmann pleaded for some help. Abby's head twisted around like in "Exorcist" and faced Holtzmann. Holtzmann and Patty naturally freaked out. Abby's head twisted back to its original position and said, "Boo." Patty screamed. Abby stood up. Patty referred to her as a hellion and tried to vanquish her. Abby stopped in mid-air, then they tussled again. Patty pulled up Holtzmann back inside, and all three fell to the floor. Patty slapped Abby in the face. Rowan's ghost vacated Abby and flew out the window. Abby felt the slap and believed it was going to leave a mark. Patty quoted "Exorcist" with her own twist and slapped Abby again. She realized Abby was back. They heard Kevin outside asking for a Proton Pack and declaring he was born to be a Ghostbuster, and nothing was going to stop him. Rowan possessed Kevin, thanked them for the "upgrade," then sat on the motorcycle. He hoped Kevin knew how to drive. He revved the engine, laughed, performed a wheelie, and departed. He drove down Henry Street, passing by Fung Choi Hair Salon at 45 Henry Street, then continued toward 40 Henry Street.

Still in Kevin's body, Rowan drove on 7th Avenue, past West 57th Street, and then passed by the Park Central Hotel at 870 7th Avenue. He walked downstairs to the Mercado Hotel's boiler room, where two police officers were stationed at the doors to the room. One of them, named Tyson, noticed Kevin and told him to stop, claiming that nobody had ordered a Clark Kent strippergram. Rowan processed and realized the officer's joke because of Kevin's glasses and handsomeness, then laughed. Officer Tyson laughed, too. Rowan punched Tyson out, then grabbed the other cop by the throat, lifted him in the air, and dropped him to the ground. Rowan realized he should have worked out more when he was alive. Rowan kicked the doors open, then tore down the caution tape and picked up parts. Rowan reconnected the parts to his machinery then reactivated the Barrier Compromising Master Machine as he hummed. The machine activated, and electricity crackled. Ghosts reappeared in the Ghost Mirror Portals. He smiled and hummed. The mirrors shattered, and the ghosts flew out. A Portal began to manifest. Ghosts flooded into Manhattan.

Police and soldiers took positions outside the Mercado Hotel and cocked their guns. Rowan/Kevin descended on the hotel marquee outside the Mercado. Agent Rorke wondered who the flying beefcake was. Rowan greeted them and wanted to see them dance as Bee Gees' "You Should Be Dancing" played. Rorke told Hawkins to use their Government Proton Gun Vehicle. Hawkins realized it wasn't working. Rowan started dancing. The agents, soldiers, and police lost control of their faculties and were forced to mimic his movements and dance moves. Rowan thought it was going to be fun. He spotted the Ghostbusters running past the NYPD station towards the totel. The police, soldiers, and agents were left immobilized. Rowan clicked his tongue and remarked women were always late. He guessed they couldn't decide which dirty jumpsuit to wear. He decided to provide a proper New York welcome. He unleashed blue P.K.E. from his hands then welcomed them to the glory days of New York City. He told them to have fun and laughed. The area transformed and looked like how it did in bygone eras then the Ring Leader Ghost and Times Square Battle Ghosts took up a position between the Ghostbusters and the Mercado. Even Rowan was impressed by the Ghostbusters' fighting prowess. He returned to the hotel lobby. The Ghostbusters defeated the ghosts and entered the hotel.

A slow tune played as a piano glided by, missed them, and crashed into a pillar. Rowan cursed for missing them. Abby exclaimed Kevin's name. Rowan was surprised Kevin was his name and thought it would have been "Chet" or something more Australian. He admitted he was enjoying the body, and for the first time in his life, he didn't have to "suck it in." He noticed there were five of them now. Erin was confused. She saw that there was a middle-aged man in a bathrobe standing next to them. She asked him who he was. He introduced himself as Frank and explained he had just come down to get some ice. Abby told him to get out of the hotel. Frank ran outside and screamed. Patty suggested they should have warned him about what was outside. Rowan invited the Ghostbusters to take a seat, and chairs glided to them. Holtzmann took him up on the offer. The chair was yanked away, and she fell on her butt. Rowan laughed. Holtzmann admitted she appreciated the joke because it was a classic. The chairs glided away to Abby's left. Abby told Rowan it was time for him to hop out of Kevin's body, admitting that they like Kevin, despite his many, many frustrating quirks. Holtzmann added that he had just started figuring out the phones. Rowan levitated and asked if it was "a little too Peter Pan." He decided to embrace it, then realized Kevin was making him feel stupider by the second. He exited Kevin's body, and Kevin fell down to the lobby. Abby and Erin "broke" his fall and wound up on their backs.

Abby ordered for nobody to let Rowan escape. They traded insults with Rowan as they blasted at him. Patty shot the hotel. Holtzmann reckoned she broke it. Abby wanted to switch gears and take Kevin to safety. He was still unconscious, and Erin and Abby had a hard time dragging him out. Abby ordered Rowan to show himself. Rowan asked her what form she preferred he take. Patty took the lead and wanted something nice and cute, like a friendly little ghost. Rowan appeared as the Ghostbusters' logo and asked her if it was what she wanted. The No sign morphed into a little red bow tie and landed on Rowan. Patty had no issues and thanked him for being reasonable. Rowan admitted it worked for him. Rowan's form became sinister and started greatly expanding in size, and Patty stipulated that she wanted "cute." The Ghostbusters became very concerned. Rowan grinned and raised his left arm, then made a shoving motion with both arms. They were sent flying outside by a flood of green energy, and the shockwave knocked the police, agents, and soldiers on their backs. Rowan laughed from inside. The windows shattered, floor by floor, and Abby yelled at everyone to run. Rowan burst out of the hotel, spotted the Ghostbusters, and marched after them. Erin shot the side of a building. A billboard exploded and fried the left side of Rowan; he roared and looked around.

The Ghostbusters hid down a street alley. Patty stated that Rowan was not keeping up with what they had agreed. Rowan stepped on a taxi and flattened it. Patty wondered what part of "small and friendly" he had not understood. Civilians ran away as Rowan punched at a building. He roared and punched a roof. Abby prioritized the need to reverse the portal, but it would require an insane amount of energy. They returned to the portal and crossed the streams into it. Elsewhere, Rowan looked at a car. The Ghostbusters fell on their backs from the recoil, and Rowan tossed the car over his shoulder. Abby realized the portal was too powerful, and they did not have enough power to reverse it. Ecto-1 returned, and Patty asked about the roof rack equipment. Holtzmann theorized that if they could get the reactors super-critical inside the vortex, the beta radiation could reverse the polarity. Erin realized it would cause a total protonic reversal. Abby equated the plan to turning the portal into a giant ghost trap, calling Patty a genius.

They tricked Slimer into driving right into the Portal and blasted the silver canisters. The Portal turned red, and red streams of energy pulled in all the ghosts around the city. Even Rowan was pulled back, but he was strong enough to resist and held onto some buildings.[13] Erin did not want to let the portal close with Rowan still in New York. Abby ordered everyone to loosen Rowan's grip. They shot his "crotch." He winced and clutched at it, and Patty asked if that was where she wanted them to shoot. Rowan tripped on a fire truck as he was pulled forward. Rowan reached for the Ghostbusters as he fell to the ground. Abby told them to dodge Rowan, pushing Patty aside. Rowan grabbed Abby as he was pulled into the portal. Erin tied a fire truck winch around her waist and dived into the portal. Erin, Rowan, and Abby drifted through The Divide as Rowan grinned evilly. Erin fired her thrower at his left arm. Rowan winced and released Abby. As Abby spiraled, Erin closed the gap and grabbed her. Rowan plunged into the end of the divide and vanished.

Secondary Canon[]

Ghostbusters Activision Video Game (2016)[]

Rowan appears as the boss of the the Limbo Level in Ghostbusters Activision Video Game (2016), as well as the final boss of the game.

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Containment Unit[]

Note that this is copied directly from the game, including misspellings and incorrect grammar.

Rowan the Destroyer
The girls sent his back side packing into Limbo, but he's back and his super angry. Rowan is not the kind of guy you take home to dinner, but honestly he wouldn't come come even if you asked. He's his own man... a giant ghost man.

Personality[]

Having been mistreated his whole life because of his unique personality, Rowan North held a deep resentment towards all of mankind: seeing them, as they go about their day to day lives with little to no care for anything at all or anyone in particular, as a stream of sewer waste concerned only with their own blasé trivialities. Rowan put on the false front of an affable demeanor to pass off as normal in regular society. In truth however, beneath the surface lay a vehemently misanthropic individual with a barely contained enmity for all of said rotten world that denied him basic human decency. At the core of this professed hatred is a very inquisitive intellect, one which incorporated theories found in Erin and Abby's book into practical application. North boasted having a genius mind during initial confrontation with the Ghostbusters; along with an exemplary disenchantment with his fellow man for all their scorn and mockery as he put it.

While this lack of love for humanity was matched only by an infatuation with the ethereal. He still shows some respect to a select few amongst his fellow man, such as blue collar workers much like himself; as was the case when he first met Patty Tolan in the subway. Rowan has an obsessive fixation on all things supernatural, preferring the company of ghosts over that of humanity so much so that he would execute himself in order to become a powerful ghost in order to lay waste to the civilization he so vehemently despised.

Rowan displayed traits of a meticulous planner having done an intricate study of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority's transit system to map out Ley Line patterns through which he should place his devices to break the metaphysical barriers with.

Rowan also possesses a grim sense of humor, accommodating all things macabre and fitting to his hatred of man and all their works in general.

Classification[]

Secondary Canon[]

Ghostbuster's Handbook[]

Rowan the Destroyer was a Class 7 metaspecter.[14]

Powers[]

As a ghost, Rowan displayed the power of flight, possession, telekinesis, transforming a localized area, shape shifting, size alteration and super strength.

Quotes[]

  • "Charge the lines. Create the vortex. Break the barrier."
  • "Oh, is this what you want? Something more familiar?"

Trivia[]

  • At one point during scripting, Rowan's goal was to summon a dark god named Anduk.[15]
  • At another point during scripting, Rowan was a real estate developer.[16]
  • At one point, the villain was the ghost of a murderer who was hit by a powerful electrical storm during his execution by electric chair.[17] He would summon the ghost of famous dead criminals and alien poltergeists.[18]
  • On July 7, 2015, it was reported Neil Casey was cast as a villain named Rowan.[19]
  • Paul Feig commented Rowan was the ultimate loner.[20][21][22][23]
  • According to Rowan's framed accolades, seen briefly in Chapter 5:
    • Rowan won The American Physical Society's J.J. Sakurai Prize on April 6, 2000 for his "work on M-Theory, its connection to eleven dimensional super gravity at low energies and the compactifying of its extradimensions."
      • In reality, the winner of the Sakurai Prize in 2000 was Curtis Callan "for his classic formulation of the renormalization group, his contributions to instanton physics and to the theory of monopoles and strings."
    • Rowan was a physics teacher as implied by the America Association of Physics Teachers
    • Rowan won The Hughes Medal on November 29, 2013 for "pioneering development of inkjet printing processes for organic semiconductor devices and dramatic improvement of their functioning and efficiency."
      • In reality, the winner of The Hughes Medal in 2013 was Henning Sirringhaus for the same accomplishment.
    • Rowan did his undergraduate studies at Stanford University (also known as The Leland Stanford Junior University) and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Physics.
    • Rowan did his graduate studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and graduated with a Doctor of Science in Physics on June 6, 2007.
  • MIT consultant Janet Conrad wrote a string theory paper on Feynman ghost diagrams for Rowan North's room. She intended it as also a bit of a jab at disciplines - one protagonist, Erin, is a neutrino theorist and the antagonist, Rowan, is a string theorist. It can be seen posted up above his desk phone.[24]
  • Rowan's last name was originally Elgin.[25]
  • On February 14, 2016, photos of Mattel's 6" inch figures revealed Rowan's ghost form.[26]
  • On February 15, 2016, "Pixel Dan" Eardley posted a 2 minute 10 second video of a Mattel representative talking about merchandise at the Toy Fair 2016. If you collected all 4 6" Ghostbusters, you can build Rowan, revealed to be the new bad guy in the movie.[27]
  • On April 7, 2016, it was reported the FUNKO press release released on April 6 indicated Rowan was "a convicted murderer who turns into a ghost after his execution is hit by a supercharged electrical storm. This gives him the power to raise an army of other ghosts."[28]
  • Rowan's line about the ghosts being "mostly dudes" was ad-libbed by Neil Casey.[29]
  • When the Ghostbusters enter the Mercado, Rowan tries to throw a piano at them. It plays the variation of the Ghostbusters theme first heard in the first trailer for the movie.
  • Rowan was surprised "Kevin" was Kevin's name.
    • In the theatrical edition, Rowan admits he thought Kevin seemed like like a "Chet".[30]
    • In the extended edition, Rowan assumed Kevin would have a more 'Australian' name like "Jack-O" or "Dave-O" or "Rob-O".[31]
  • Rowan mentions Peter Pan before he leave's Kevin's body.
  • During pre-visualization, the effects team used the Icon Ghost from The Real Ghostbusters as a place holder and planned for the design to evolve as work went on.[32]
  • The No Ghost logo form Rowan first manifests as was done with traditional hand drawn animation.[33]
  • According to a featurette in the bonus features, Rowan, in his giant form, is based on The Walking Ghost from the intro of The Real Ghostbusters.
  • Like Ivo Shandor, Rowan planned to start a ghost apocalypse. In his ghost form, unlike Gozer, Rowan asked the Ghostbusters to choose a form for him to take on, and then warped the choice. When Ray thought about the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, it took on its form. When Patty suggested a cute form, Rowan turned into the ghost resembling the No Ghost symbol, until he grew into a giant, fanged version wearing a bowtie.
  • In order to interact with Rowan's ghost form, the MPC visual effects team modeled the Mercado Hotel to a high level of detail.
    • For instance, when Rowan grows and bursts out of the hotel, the team used their proprietary rigid body destruction tool Kali. The challenge was compensating for Rowan's high speeds in relation to the speeds of the broken pieces of the hotel.[34]
    • The MPC team worked on Rowan's muscle and fat system first so that it looked like he had the appropriate amount of mass. Next, they covered Rowan in a cloth like a person wearing a white sheet. They had to manipulate the simulation settings in order to make the cloth look as gigantic and heavy to help make Rowan feel monstrous on screen.[35]
  • MPC did about 250 visual effects shots including work on Rowan's ghost form.[36]
  • The shot of Rowan's foot crushing the car resembles a similar shot when Lady Liberty's foot crushed a police car in Ghostbusters II.
  • A real crushed taxi cab prop was taken to the 53 State Exchange Place Building at the corner of Congress Street and Exchange Street in Boston for the filming of the scene when Rowan steps on the cab. The cab is on Congress, and the Ghostbusters hides down a little side alley named Quaker Lane directly across the street.[37]
  • In the hidden scene Rowan's Manifesto, Rowan says his last name "North" for the only known time in the movie or any of the deleted and alternate scenes.
  • In the alternate extended scene Soups & Salad, Rowan revealed:
    • He was rejected by Poughkeepsie Junior High School's Class of 1996 Most Likely to Succeed, Megan Dundry.[38]
    • He hates soup and hates salad even more.[39]
  • In the Tor Books Ghostbusters Novelization:
    • On page 73, Rowan's home town is Middlebury, Ohio.[40]
    • On page 74, Rowan asked Julia Roberts to prom through a selfie video.[41]
    • On page 217, Rowan asked Angelina Beltrano to an after-football-game dance in the gym after 4 years of secretly admiring her and was beat to a pulp by her boyfriend.[42][43]
    • On page 218, Rowan's parents laughed and mocked him for getting beat up. Rowan's father later died of a heart attack and he left his mother to fend for herself after he started attending MIT.[44]
    • On page 218, Rowan went into advanced physics after a Professor Gupta took an interest in him at MIT.[45]
    • On page 218 and 219, Rowan heard of the Best Reads on the Quad interview with Abby. He watched the clips then found the print-on-demand publisher and bribed the janitor for a copy of Ghosts From Our Past.[46][47]
  • On page 20 of Ghostbusters International #11, pages from Rowan's copy of "Ghosts From Our Past" are posted up in panel 7 under Ray Stantz:
    • The drawing of giant Rowan grabbing people opposite of the 'Open the Barrier' page
    • The close up drawing of Rowan's face opposite of 'The Fourth Cataclysm' page
  • In Ghostbusters Annual 2017, on page 43, in panel 5, on the left above the microwave is a drawing of Rowan's ghost form from the 2016 movie. Dan Schoening drew it before the movie came out in theaters.
  • On page 20 of Ghostbusters 101 #1, in panel 3, there is Rowan's sketch of the Ghostbusters' No Ghost logo below the blue faux cover of Kemp's Spectral Field Guide.
    • Under "The Witness of the Stars" and the Ley Lines: of North America map are two drawings from Rowan's cork board in Chapter 5 of the Extended Edition 2016 movie.
  • On page 20 of Ghostbusters 101 #1, to the right of the flier is the photographs of the Rivera Ballroom and staff of the Mercado Hotel from the company website seen in the 2016 movie when Patty identified Rowan.
  • On page 3 of Ghostbusters: Answer The Call Issue #2, Abby alludes to when Rowan possessed her.
  • Rowan North appears on the IDW Convention Variant Cover of Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: Answer The Call Ghostbusters in both human and ghost form.

Appearances[]

Primary Canon[]

Secondary Canon[]

References[]

  1. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 5 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 00:29:07). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "Well done, Rowan."
  2. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Deleted/Alternate Scenes; (Deleted Scene): Rowan's Manifesto (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 0:00:01-0:00:02). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "Hello, my name is Rowan North."
  3. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 5 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 00:29:12-00:29:24). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "You have been bullied your entire life. Now you will be the bully. Trust in your abilities, and the universe shall bend before your will."
  4. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 12 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 1:22:35-1:22:40). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "Then you must've been afforded the basic dignity and respect of a human being,which I have been denied."
  5. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 12 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 1:22:54-1:23:06). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "Luckily, I am not the only one seeking revenge. Behind these are millions of souls, souls which have been cast aside. Souls who see the world as it truly is, as garbage. Garbage that needs to be cleaned up."
  6. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 8 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 00:49:25-00:49:28). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "This world cannot be cleansed fast enough."
  7. Erin Gilbert (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 7 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 00:43:42-00:43:44). Sony Pictures. Erin Gilbert says: "It's like it was part of a miniature cyclotron."
  8. Jillian Holtzmann (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 7 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 00:43:44-00:43:47). Sony Pictures. Jillian Holtzmann says: "And they used a chromium alloy for the hull."
  9. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 13 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 1:30:53-1:31:02). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "My devices energized spectral entities on a nuclear, paramolecular level. Sound familiar? It's the reverse of your research."
  10. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 4 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 00:27:03-00:27:09). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "They'll always ignore you. They are walking sewage, concerned only with their own trivial matters."
  11. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 4 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 00:27:11-00:27:16). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "When the Fourth Cataclysm begins, laborers, such as yourself, will be among the last led to the butchery."
  12. Waitress 1 (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 9 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 1:04:46-1:04:47). Sony Pictures. Waitress #1 says: "Nope. I had him yesterday."
  13. Erin Gilbert (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 15 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 1:55:18-1:55:21). Sony Pictures. Erin Gilbert says: "He's too strong. We can't let the portal close with him still here."
  14. Narrator (2016). Simon & Schuster- "Ghostbuster's Handbook" (2016) (Book p.7). Page reads: "Columbia's loss became the Ghostbusters' gain, as Erin became instrumental in the battle to save New York City from Rowan the Destroyer, a Class VII metaspecter (see page 74)."
  15. Katie Dippold (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition - Writer & Director Commentary (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 01:25:36-01:25:42). Sony Pictures. Katie Dippold says: "We had, uh, I remember there was Anduk the dark god he was trying to bring back. And we switched it to him just wanting to bring back himself."
  16. Paul Feig (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition - Writer & Director Commentary (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 01:25:43-01:25:44). Sony Pictures. Paul Feig says: "And then at one point he was a real estate developer."
  17. Greene, James, Jr., (2022). A Convenient Parallel Dimension: How Ghostbusters Slimed Us Forever, p. 202. Lyons Press, Essex, CT USA, ISBN 9781493048243. Paul Feig says: "Our villain ghost is an executed murderer, a Ted (Kaczynski) type (think Peter Dinklage) who has left behind a manifesto of how he wants to change and destroy the world. When his electrocution is hit by a supercharged electrical storm, he is turned into a powerful ghosts able to rouse other villainous spirits from the ghost world to carry out the ever expanding plans of his manifesto."
  18. Greene, James, Jr., (2022). A Convenient Parallel Dimension: How Ghostbusters Slimed Us Forever, p. 203. Lyons Press, Essex, CT USA, ISBN 9781493048243. Line reads: "For the villain, he imagined a figure who could resurrect famous deceased criminals and "ghost aliens" from other planets."
  19. Deadline "'Ghostbusters' Reboot Finds Its Bad Guy: Neil Casey" 7/7/15
  20. EMPIRE Online "Paul Feig talks Ghostbusters Big Bad" 4/28/16 Paul Feig says: "Rowan is the ultimate loner, a regular New Yorker whose goal is to bring some things back to this world. He wants to trap ghosts, but for a different purpose..."
  21. EMPIRE Online "Empire Podcast: Ghostbusters Spoiler Special with Paul Feig" 09:01-09:26 7/27/16 Paul Feig says: "I needed to kind of reconcile because I'm not a believer in the paranormal so I needed to kind of reconcile a science reason so I just like the idea Rowan is almost like a homegrown terrorist, this loner terrorist but instead of using a bomb or something terrible, he's figured out he's going to bring back his own army of the undead by energizing them with this nuclear science that he's playing with that's similar with our -- the Ghostbusters because he's read their book."
  22. EMPIRE Online "Empire Podcast: Ghostbusters Spoiler Special with Paul Feig" 09:27-09:39 7/27/16 Paul Feig says: "But um I just like the idea of "God's angry man" sort of walking around. The guy who walks among us who actually can pull something off. That's much scarier to me that y'know, the gods open the heavens."
  23. EMPIRE Online "Empire Podcast: Ghostbusters Spoiler Special with Paul Feig" 09:52-09:59 7/27/16 Paul Feig says: "To me, here's this guy who you know been knocked around whose super smart and he's going to take it out on the world."
  24. Wired "The MIT Physicists Who Infused Ghostbusters With Real Science" 7/11/16 Line reads: "With Winslow now on parental leave, the production asked Conrad to create physics papers and grant applications to use as props on the character’s desks—something she did in almost absurd detail. Wiig’s character got a paper on neutrinos, formatted in the style of real-world journal Physical Review Letters. (There’s an even deeper homage as well: on the paper, Gilbert’s coauthor is one G.F. Siegal—the name of Lindley Winslow’s new baby.) Meanwhile, an antagonist named Rowan North got a string theory paper on Feynman ghost diagrams, which offered the opportunity for a little interdisciplinary ribbing. “Of course we made the woman a neutrino theorist and the bad guy a string theorist,” Conrad says."
  25. "Ghosts of Ghostbusters" featurette (12:00 mark)
  26. Toy Ark "Toy Fair 2016 – Mattel Ghostbusters 2016" 2/14/16
  27. "Pixel Dan" Eardley YouTube "Mattel Ghostbusters 2016 New Action Figures Product Walkthrough at Toy Fair" 2/15/16
  28. Bloody Disgusting "Interesting New Detail On the 'Ghostbusters' Logo Spook, Rowan" 4/7/16
  29. ET Online "Paul Feig on Moving Past the 'Ghostbusters' Backlash, Sequels, and Why He Decided Not to Cross the Streams" 10/11/16 Paul Feig says: "That actually was an ad-lib by Neil. I remember when he did it, we were just, like, "Oh my god, that's the funniest thing we've ever heard." We never wanted to wallow in it, but at the same time, we were so surrounded by it that you just kind of had to point it out and have fun with it. We knew it wasn't going to go away. We knew it was always going to be something hanging over us. And it wasn't done in a revengeful way! It was just a funny way to play with it!"
  30. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Theatrical Edition; Chapter 15 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 1:34:00-1:34:02). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "He seemed more like a Chet to me."
  31. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 15 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 1:48:54-1:48:58). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "Thought it'd be something more Australian like "Jack-O" or "Dave-O" or "Rob-O"."
  32. Moviefone Youtube "Ghostbusters (2016) Bonus Feature | Rowan's Ghost" 00:11-00:43 9/23/16 Peter Travers says: "When we were doing the previz and we were trying to figure out what form Rowan should take, we said, 'Okay, let's just make him look like the character from the Ghostbusters cartoon.' So like let's just do that for now then Rowan will evolve and we'll see where it becomes but it turns out that was a precursor to what he eventually became. The story evolves to the point where we were drawing a parallel to the logo. All throughout the movie, Rowan is seeing that logo design so it's a great way to almost close that loop."
  33. Moviefone Youtube "Ghostbusters (2016) Bonus Feature | Rowan's Ghost" 00:56-01:04 9/23/16 Peter Travers says: "We actually hired a traditional animator and it's hand drawn animation fora couple of shots anyway of him in the logo and kind of popping out of the logo."
  34. fxguide "Who you gonna call? Call Illoura, MPC, SPI, & Zero VFX" 8/10/16 Line reads: "The Mercado needed to be modelled to a high level of detail because the giant Rowan ghost grows to his monster size within the building and eventually breaks his way out. For this effect we used MPC's proprietary rigid body destruction tool Kali. The challenge was that Rowan's actions were intentionally exaggerated to give him a more cartoony feel since he evolves form a 2D character into 3D. Therefore the physically based rigid body simulations of the destruction would not work well with the character's non-physically accurate motion. More specifically, Rowan would move rather fast for his size, causing the broken sections of the building to travel at extreme velocities. This meant that we needed to compensate in the simulation to try and get more realistic speeds on the broken building pieces even in cases where Rowan was moving quickly."
  35. fxguide "Who you gonna call? Call Illoura, MPC, SPI, & Zero VFX" 8/10/16 Line reads: "Firstly, we did a lot of work on his muscle and fat system in order to try and make it look like he had the appropriate amount of mass. Secondly, we covered Rowan in a cloth as if he were a gigantic ghost in a sheet. The simulation of this cloth proved very challenging because we found that most out of the box simulation solutions made him look as if he were 8 feet tall rather than hundreds of feet tall. This required us to manipulate the simulation settings to try and make the cloth feel gigantic and heavy. In the end, the wrinkle details and how they moved, proved to be our best tool in making him feel monstrous."
  36. fxguide "Who you gonna call? Call Illoura, MPC, SPI, & Zero VFX" 8/10/16 Line reads: "MPC completed approximately 250 shots for Ghostbusters. One of our biggest challenges was trying to sell the scale of the final monster form of Rowan."
  37. Spook Central Shot on Site "Return of Shot on Site Summer - Ghostbusters 2016 Locations, Part 8 (Movie Rundown)" 7/22/18
  38. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Deleted/Alternate Scenes; (Deleted Scene): Soups & Salad (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 0:01:15-0:01:30). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "And yes, when I reign my hellfire upon this world, Poughkeepsie Junior High School's Class of 1996 Most Likely to Succeed or should I say Most likely to Decease Megan Dundry will be among the first to perish!"
  39. Rowan North (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Deleted/Alternate Scenes; (Deleted Scene): Soups & Salad (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 0:02:51-0:02:54). Sony Pictures. Rowan North says: "The only thing I hate more than soup is salad."
  40. Narrator (2016). Tor Books- "Ghostbusters Novelization (Holder)" (2016) (Book p.73). Line reads: "All through middle school, he had prayed for an ending to the bullying, the beatings, and the shame of his public torture. Although the little Ohio town of Middlebury had been started by Quakers, there was no brotherly love anywhere in sight."
  41. Narrator (2016). Tor Books- "Ghostbusters Novelization (Holder)" (2016) (Book p.74). Line reads: "And Julia Roberts had ignored his selfie video inviting her to prom."
  42. Narrator (2016). Tor Books- "Ghostbusters Novelization (Holder)" (2016) (Book p.217). Line reads: "He remembered Angelina Beltrano, the vivacious, curvaceous Latin pixie who had burst into giggles when, after four years of loving her from afar in high school, he had finally asking her, stammering, sweaty-palmed, to go to an after-the-football game dance in the gym with him."
  43. Narrator (2016). Tor Books- "Ghostbusters Novelization (Holder)" (2016) (Book p.217). Line reads: "Her boyfriend heard about it within minutes and had dragged Rowan under the bleachers and beaten him to a pulp."
  44. Narrator (2016). Tor Books- "Ghostbusters Novelization (Holder)" (2016) (Book p.218). Line reads: "Then his father had chuckled at the sight of him, and his mother, unable to maintain a straight face, turned back for the kitchen. He hadn't shed a single tear when he learned his father had died of a heart attack. And he'd left his mother to fend for herself when he'd gotten accepted to MIT."
  45. Narrator (2016). Tor Books- "Ghostbusters Novelization (Holder)" (2016) (Book p.218). Line reads: "At MIT, he had focused solely, obsessively on his studies, and his dedication paid off when Professor Gupta took an interest in him and encouraged him to pursue a career in advanced physics."
  46. Narrator (2016). Tor Books- "Ghostbusters Novelization (Holder)" (2016) (Book p.218). Line reads: "One evening as he was hiding in his dorm room bunk bed, browsing the Internet, he came across a post on a physics site that mentioned a "hilarious" TV interview on the University of Michigan station about the science of the paranormal."
  47. Narrator (2016). Tor Books- "Ghostbusters Novelization (Holder)" (2016) (Book p.218-219). Line reads: "His face flushing and his ears turning red, he jotted down the title of their book, and with considerable effort and no small expense acquired a rare copy under the table from the its print-on-demand publisher---actually it was from a janitor, and it was passed to him through a crack in the warehouse door."
  48. Erin Gilbert (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Extended Edition; Chapter 11 (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 1:11:28-1:11:33). Sony Pictures. Erin Gilbert says: "Um, we believe that someone is creating a device that attracts and amplifies paranormal activity ."
  49. Shaffer, Andrew (2016). Ghosts From Our Past: Both Literally & Figuratively: The Study of the Paranormal, p. 166. Three Rivers Press, New York NY USA, ISBN 9781101906002.Line reads: "We never intended for Spectral Field Theory-and, specifically, our critiques of conjuring-to be used by some deranged bellhop in an attempt to bring about the end of the world. SCREW YOU, ROWAN ."
  50. Abby Yates (2016). Ghostbusters (2016 Movie) Deleted/Alternate Scenes; (Deleted Scene): Where Are You? (2016) (Blu-Ray ts. 0:00:13-0:00:15). Sony Pictures. Abby Yates says: "Rowan's got Kevin, and we need your help."
  51. Erin Gilbert (2017). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 101 #4" (2017) (Comic p.14). Erin Gilbert says: "Well, a lot of, um, psychokinetic matter was sucked away when we sealed off Rowan's breach."
  52. Erin Gilbert (2017). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 101 #4" (2017) (Comic p.17). Erin Gilbert says: "So, okay, there was a breach on our world that was opened by this, um... he wasn't a great guy."
  53. Erin Gilbert (2017). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 101 #5" (2017) (Comic p.12). Erin Gilbert says: "You... we wrote a book so comprehensive even a creepy bellhop person could follow the science in it and build from that."
  54. Erin Gilbert (2017). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 101 #5" (2017) (Comic p.12). Erin Gilbert says: "And if we don't help sort this out, everything Rowan wanted - a world overrun by ghosts - that could happen: so we are not going to feel sorry for ourselves just because there's a multiverse filled with a bunch of people with similar expertise."
  55. 80-C Biography (2018). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #3" (2018) (Comic Dramatis Personae p.2). Line reads: "Three scientists, a historian/MTA worker, and a would-be actor/would-be office manager united to stop the apocalypse put in motion by a deranged loner."


Gallery[]

Primary Canon[]

Collages and Edits[]

Behind the Scenes[]

Secondary Canon[]

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