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Ghostbusters Wiki
(infobox, appearances)
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Revision as of 12:12, 2 July 2020

"I love this town!"

- Winston Zeddemore; Ghostbusters

Dr.[1] Winston Zeddemore was the fourth member to join the Ghostbusters. He saw a job advertisement in the wanted ads, and replied. He was not one of the original three Ghostbusters, so in some promotional medias he isn't promoted with the rest. He appears in all major forms of Ghostbusters Franchise, however like Ray and Peter was a guest on Extreme Ghostbusters.

Personality

Out of the four, Winston is perhaps the most conventional. He is the common man of the Ghostbusters. He is a responsible dependable person, however as shown in the jail in Ghostbusters he does think for himself. His Christian background shows sometimes in ethical issues, and may be partly why he is so dependable. Winston takes over the mechanical aspect of Ecto-1, leaving Ray more time to work with Egon and build new equipment.

As a part of his employment interview, he was asked if he believed in many paranormal activities and phenomena, but he said that he'd believe anything as long as there was a steady paycheck involved. He is also a Christian and discussed the apocalypse with Ray and convinced him that judgment day might not be just a myth. According to the official Ghostbusters: The Video Game strategy guide, he is the most spiritual and religious of the Ghostbusters. Additionally, he loves New York city. Winston is something of an everyman who is generally more practical and down-to-earth than his teammates.

History

Ghostbusters

Unlike the other three Ghostbusters, Winston was not originally a university professor. Winston applied for the job late in the movie after business started to pick up. As part of the interviewing process, Janine asked him if he believed in many things paranormal, to which he said he would believe anything as long as the pay was good. Nonetheless, Winston was hired by Ray instantly; though it may have been since he was the only one who applied for the job. Before applying to the Ghostbusters, he had went to Air Force Command ECM school, and had a black belt in karate, and was a small arms expert.[2][3][4] Throughout most of the movie, Winston was merely being trained for his new job, with Egon and Ray showing him how the storage facility worked, as well as explaining the ins and outs of P.K.E. surges. He also seemed confident in his ability to use a Proton Pack. Despite being a newcomer, Winston had some very interesting theories about the supernatural. Winston actually talked with Ray about how he wondered if all these ghosts were a sign of the apocalypse, to which Ray was silent with apprehension. Winston already bore witness(before the mayor's chamber and councilmen), about having seen first-hand the unexplained, super and paranatural. Winston had a major first encounter with the supernatural when he witnessed a storm of ghosts blow off the roof of the firehouse and escape. He and his team worked their way up to Dana's apartment battled Gozer in the form of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. After the evil god was defeated, Winston vigorously exclaimed that he loved the town.

Ghostbusters II

Winstongb201

Winston as seen in Ghostbusters II

Winston lost his job as a Ghostbuster after the team was forced out of business after they were hit with a number of charges and lawsuits (including a judicial restraining order which banned the Ghostbusters from performing services as paranormal investigators and eliminators) due to the large amount of collateral damage caused by the battle with Gozer. Like the other members of his team, Winston was forced to take up another job. Winston and Ray kept their Ghostbuster uniforms and acted as birthday entertainers, singing and dancing to their classic song at parties. Unfortunately, the Ghostbusters had become all but a relic of the past and had very little success in their new jobs. Often times Winston and Ray were jeered and heckled by children they were entertaining for. Frustrated, Winston declared to Ray he was "tired of taking abuse from over-privileged 9-year-olds" and that "Ghostbusters doesn't exist." Fortune however turned around for the Ghostbusters after their judicial restraining order was rescinded during a confrontation Peter, Ray, and Egon had in a courtroom with the Scoleri Brothers. With the Ghostbusters back in business Winston managed to return to the team full time. Winston helped Ray and Egon investigate the mysterious river of slime under the city. He joined the rest of the team in the final battle against Vigo. The Mood slime which fueled "ugly" Vigo (as he called him)-reminded Winston of Jell-O, a dessert he hated.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game

WinstonTVG

Dr. Winston Zeddemore as seen in Ghostbusters: The Video Game

In between the Vigo incident and Thanksgiving 1991, Winston acquires his doctorate. He mentions that he "pretty much lived" in the museum's exhibit on ancient Egypt while working on getting it,[5] so it could be assumed his degree is in Egyptology or History.

On his day off, Winston went to go see a performance of the Aida opera. However, the Psi Energy Pulse officially cancelled his plans. After Janine delivered the message, Winston left to meet up with the other Ghostbusters at the Sedgewick Hotel. He endured four hours of traffic but made it to the hotel just in time to sight the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. During their final confrontation, Ivo Shandor mocks Winston, saying that he always thought Winston was the "slow" one of the group, much to Winston's surprise. When Shandor is destroyed, everyone flees the mausoleum. Winston carries the exorcised Mayor Mulligan outside until he regains consciousness.

Secondary Canon History

IDW Comic Series

Winston Zeddemore was born on June 17, 1945 in Michigan.[6][7] In 1978, Winston enlisted with the United States Marine Corps. He trained at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island under Staff Sergeant Adams and was repeatedly warned never to lose his temper in a fight. After six years in the service, Winston decided it wasn't his calling anymore.[8][9] He considered moving back to Michigan but decided the world was too big to go backwards. He moved somewhere new to him: New York City. He landed a construction job and loved it. A few weeks later, a new hire dropped a wrench three stories down and it almost hit Winston.[10] They had some words but Winston learned he was the foreman's nephew. He chose to quit rather than deal with the nephew. He quickly searched the classifieds and noticed an ad from the Ghostbusters. He called the number and set up an interview with Janine Melnitz. After they shook hands, Janine asked if he found the Firehouse easily enough. Winston noted he saw the sign. Janine was pleased since the guys were always worried no one would notice it. After a long day, Janine was too tired to go through Winston's resume and told him to tell her about his background. Winston barely finished listing his six years in the Marine Corps and a little construction when Janine stopped him and mused she was hearing him say he could lift a hundred pounds. Winston thought the ad said 70. Janine was pleased he was good at comprehension and recall. She had a good feeling about him but warned she had to ask him the next part and asked him not to look at her like she was crazy. Janine asked him if he believed in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness Monster, and the theory of Atlantis. Winston was kind of stunned but replied as long as there was a steady paycheck in it, he would believe anything she said. Ray hired him on the spot.

Not even half an hour later, Ray taught Winston how to empty a Trap into the Containment Unit. Next, Ray took Winston up to the roof for a brief tutorial on using the Proton Pack. In 15 minutes, he shot three pumpkins each on the first try. Winston believed people down on the street below wouldn't like pumpkin guts raining down on them. Ray assured him it was just another quirky part of the city they loved. A citizen shouted up at them to stop it. Ray yelled back it was for science. The citizen told him to eat his science. Ray replied he did so every Thanksgiving for dessert then turned back to Winston and told him he really picked up on the nuances of the pack even faster than he'd hoped and concluded he was ready for field work. Winston was bewildered and didn't think he had enough training with the weapon. Ray corrected him it was a tool. Winston was not confident he had enough training to be safe with it. Ray brought up his control of the Proton Stream and great aim then leveled with him. They were going to get even busier soon and needed him to hit the ground running. About two days later, the Ghostbusters got a call from Excelsior State University. It was Winston's first bust. As they suited up, Peter told Winston to never let the customer think the bust was a cakewalk, especially if it was, and no haggling. Egon informed Winston he added a vibration function to the P.K.E. Meter handle to direct him and the arms raised higher when an entity was in close proximity. Egon also warned him to never push two buttons at the same time. Winston asked if he would be electrocuted. Egon went with that. As Ray got into the driver's seat of Ecto-1, he told Winston he was going to fit in great. He also wanted to discuss his theories about Sasquatch migration in the Pacific Northwest and how it tied into extraterrestrial visitation patterns at a later time. Winston reluctantly agreed to it. They arrived at Excelsior State University and Ray revealed the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe was their query. Winston recalled he died in Baltimore. Ray was amused. They entered Thurman Hall and each Ghostbuster searched a floor by themselves to speed things up. Winston encountered Poe on the east side of the fourth floor. He radioed the location to everyone and noted the poetry was terrible. Poe heard him, twisted his head around, and screeched. Winston opened fire but Poe turned into a ravens and flew away from the university. The others arrived but Winston abruptly ran outside after Poe. They found the raven entities in Washington Square Park awakening a large Black Cat Ghost. Winston was surprised it was so big. Egon noted this manifestation was the kind of thing that could happen on the site of a former graveyard. He mused he would include it in an employee manual if they ever wrote one. He then asked Winston if he was okay to continue because the job wasn't going to get any easier.

Winston admitted he was afraid but stated if you ain't afraid of a dangerous situation, you're not taking it seriously enough. Winston snagged the ghost on his first try but the others forgot to join in. The ghost was free enough to stomp at them. All four barely dodged in time. Winston helped Egon up while Peter and Ray wrangled the ghost. Peter pardoned Egon for the error and noted they were all still learning. Egon asked Winston if he knew how to use a Trap. Winston replied he only knew how to empty them. Egon instructed him on the spot and Winston trapped the ghost. Egon remembered at the last second and yelled not to look in the Trap. It was too late. Winston rubbed his yes. Peter was amused and mentioned Egon did the same thing. Egon chided him. Ray held up the Trap and congratulated Winston on completing his first real bust. Winston was surprised that was it. Ray speculated if it hadn't just gotten up, they would have had a real time trying to put it down. He emphasized the important thing was he hung in there. Winston couldn't believe he trapped Poe. Peter corrected him and stated Poe flew off but since he was gone, they did their job of clearing the university. Winston recalled his earlier advice and added no haggling. Peter noted he learned fast.

Weeks after Gozer was defeated, Rebecca Morales met with Winston at his apartment to interview him for her book about the Ghostbusters. Winston was amazed she was so thorough she spoke with the Officer Carlson at the City Jail. As Winston poured her some coffee, he admitted he thought the book was going to be a quick fly-by-night gimmick to capitalize on all the news the Ghostbusters made. Rebecca confirmed it sort of was but her publisher insisted on her being as thorough as possible. Winston thought there was no interest left especially after Peter and Ray went on the talk show circuit. He asked her where she wanted to start. Rebecca stated she preferred the beginning and began with "Who is Winston Zeddemore?" Winston revealed he was born in Michigan but Rebecca stopped him and clarified she meant "how did an ex-Marine become a Ghostbuster?" Winston told her there was no such thing as an ex-Marine and he woke up one day and it wasn't his calling anymore so he started over in New York working in construction then left after a few weeks. She noticed the irony that he quit over a safety concern. Rebecca was surprised with Winston's paycheck line during his interview with Janine. Winston admitted he was kinda stunned but he still got hired on the spot. She asked how the rest of his training went. Winston called it "brief" then told her about the 15 minute lesson on the Firehouse roof.

Rebecca asked how long it was until his first case and was shocked to learn it was about two days after his hire. She decided to pause the current conversation and asked him if national fame changed the other Ghostbusters. Winston doubted it did and mused they were born into their level of weird. He continued on about his first bust. At the conclusion of his story, Rebecca admitted she thought his first bust was going to be weirder. Winston countered he saw the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe turn into a bunch of birds. Rebecca supposed so then asked if most of the calls we went on were easy. Winston told her they weren't and some were nightmares not fit for public consumption. She found that fair and thanked him for his time. She had one last question, what did he think he would be doing if he hadn't become a Ghostbuster. Winston revealed he wanted to learn more about computers but admitted he wasn't looking any further into the future than tomorrow.[11] They stood up and shook hands. One of the ravens Poe turned into was standing outside one of Winston's windows unnoticed.

In late 1989, Winston attended the Ghostbusters' trial at the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse and tried to provide moral support. Winston didn't have much faith in Louis clearing them of any wrongdoing and could tell Judge Wexler already made his decision. He stepped out into the hall and noticed two police officers with some of the Psychomagnotheric Slime. They got angry when Winston tried to warn them and went on a tirade about how the Ghostbusters were a headache to the city. One officer even suggested Winston should be brought up on charges, too. The slime absorbed the negative emotions and Mama Scoleri manifested. The officers thought it was cheap publicity stunt to garner sympathy. They pulled their guns and told Mama to freeze. Mama was amused and attacked them. Winston returned to where he parked Ecto-1 out front and remembered the police stripped the car after the others were arrested. He managed to find one Trap and returned inside. With no other choice, Winston pulled a "Venkman" and mocked Mama. She took the bait, charged and Winston trapped her. He found the other Ghostbusters. Ray told him about busting the Scoleri Brothers in the courtroom. Winston figured out the ghost he trapped was their mother, Mama Scoleri. At some point between the Vigo and Shandor incidents, Winston was awarded an honorary doctorate was in parapsychology.[12]

While in Purgatory, Winston was reunited with one of his old girlfriends, Janelle. She drowned at a young age. It took Winston several years to deal with the tragedy and open up his heart again. Their romance immediately was rekindled as they remembered what they liked the most about each other: Winston admired Janelle's unwavering optimism and Janelle liked they way Winston kissed. A week after escaping Purgatory, Winston bid farewell to Janelle as she and Jiff returned back to the other side.

After Koza'Rai attacked the Ghostbusters, Winston was the first to ally with Rachel Unglighter. He remained in the present and helped ferry civilians underground until Rachel returned with the other Ghostbusters. Winston's weapon of choice was a sledgehammer. While spying on Koza'Rai, Winston sighted them and later liberated them from their prison. Underground, Winston armed them with their gear and reassured Peter that Rachel could be trusted. It is unknown if Winston was paid his alleged overtime or Ray's request for a raise was granted.

Content with just sitting back and drinking over the Christmas holiday, Winston was excited when he was called in to help with a case involving Woodrow Wainwright Fraser III in exchange for a $10,000 bonus. Winston later found out Fraser offered the other three a total of $4 million. Outraged by their deception, Winston quit the team. However, the Ghost of Christmas Past and Ghost of Christmas Future explained what was really going on to Ray, Winston, and Egon. After the case concluded, Winston figured the $4 million deal was a ploy, as well.

During a bust at a local high school, Winston dodged falling debris thanks to a warning from a nearby substitute teacher named Tiyah Clarke. The two had instant chemistry and Tiyah soon told him about her own supernatural problems. Winston and Peter agreed to investigate her apartment and met the ghost of Ballard Wright. At Tiyah's behest, Winston asked Egon if he could make some equipment that wouldn't do so much physical damage. The Arm Mounted Proton Packs were invented. However, the equipment failed to confine Wright. Impatient with the situation, Winston spoke directly to Wright and got him to willingly disperse. Winston then spend Valentine's Day with Tiyah.

At an Independence Day Con, Winston and Peter were tasked with distracting D'Orka while Egon tried to get some help. He wasn't able to improvise fake terms as quickly as Peter was, in order to convince cosplayers to lend them their costumes. While on his own vacation, Winston was called back when the team realized Janine took Winston's Proton Pack to go on a solo unsanctioned bust at a Halloween gala. Sometime before the Infestation began, Winston became the sole user of a new piece of equipment, the Proton Pistol due to his accuracy and precision compared to the others.

After hearing Alan Crendall talk about a family curse, Winston assured him it was just a standard haunting and elected to investigate for him. Winston accepted Alan's Baklava delivery as payment. Winston took Peter along with him on the bust and they discovered the entity was Slimer. An hour or two later, Winston and Peter finally trapped Slimer. After meeting Jim Silver and challenging his claim, Winston revealed he was taking law courses in his off time just in case ghostbusting gigs ever dried up again. In light of Ray's kidnapping and new information on Idulnas, Winston strapped on a Prototype Pack.

At the Fort Wayne job, Winston helped confine Major-General Anthony Wayne and convinced that there was both no war for him to fight nor a reason for him to start a new one. Winston offered him peace in the form of a Trap. Wayne eventually relented and surrendered. As Wayne was trapped, Winston saluted him and Wayne reciprocated. But Peter ruined the moment.

During the fall, Winston and Ray went out on an early morning call to a waste treatment facility. While they were successful, Winston was punched by a fist of living sewage. After the bust, he went to recuperate at the apartment of Tiyah Clarke, whom he was still dating. With Tiyah's help, Winston got a score of 87 on his latest exam. He only had a year and a half left to go in his law studies. Winston was keen on having both a Honorary Doctorate and a Law Degree. Tiyah was hoping he was cut back on his time as a Ghostbuster or even outright stop and become a lawyer. Winston, however, accepted the inherent danger of being a Ghostbusters long ago. Before Christmas, Winston proposed to Tiyah near Shepherd's Books on Fifth Avenue. She accepted. They proceeded to the Firehouse to drop off Christmas presents before they went to Connecticut to visit Tiyah's parents. However, the ghost of Staff Sergeant Adams had other plans. He used the Ghost Kid as bait and lured the Ghostbusters to an old bust in Brooklyn. Winston was separated from the others and forced to face Adams one-on-one. He exploited Adams' temper by taunting him into hand-to-hand combat. Adams took the bait and Winston used his Trap to capture him. A few hours later, Winston and Tiyah were on the last train to Connecticut. She was apprehensive a ghost specifically targeted Winston.

Months later, in February, Winston was taken by a red demon while he was home in his apartment. He awoke in another dimension with the other Ghostbusters. Winston implored Ray and Egon to get to work on finding a way home. After successfully creating a rip in the dimensional fabric and returning home to New York, Winston was shocked to learn months passed. He borrowed Janine's phone to call Tiyah but Peter stopped him on account it be better to ease in the news of his not being dead. Winston begrudgingly admitted he was right. After the Collectors incident was resolved, Winston resumed his relationship with Tiyah but things were awkward. They went out on a picnic in Central Park near the Jagiello Grunwald Monument. Winston didn't believe quitting the Ghostbusters would take him away from the "circle of crazy" and reaffirmed he loved both his job and Tiyah.

Later in the summer, Winston answered a call from The Olive in Las Vegas. In exchange for taking on a case, they offered a free trip. Winston was assured when Ray felt the ghost they described was going to be an easy bust. Winston and Tiyah took off for a weekend vacation. After settling into their room, Tiyah found the upgraded Compact Pack. Winston came clean and told the truth. To his surprise, Tiyah was calm about the lie. Winston tracked the Vegas Ghost to the hotel's basement and gave chase after it manifested behind him. Winston pursued him to the second floor where the ghost combined meats in the kitchen and possessed the Meat Golem. With discretion out the window, the bust crashed into a banquet room and interrupted the Ivo Shandor Awards. After evacuating the attendees, Winston tried blast the golem but the Compact Pack wouldn't fire. He retreated into a hotel room and called Egon for help. After taking care of a loose wire, Winston shot a Boson Dart through the wall and blew up the Meat Golem then trapped the ghost. The Olive Manager threatened to sue the Ghostbusters but Winston went into offensive mode and offered the manager the chance to call it even or release the ghost and sue The Olive for breach of contract by withholding information on a work hazard. The manager confessed he lied about the ghost being benign and took the first choice. Winston happily left the manager's office for a massage.

During Halloween, the Ghostbusters encountered Stingy Jack and The Devil in Central Park. Since Winston wore a crucifix and/or was the truest of true believers, the Devil couldn't touch him. Jack exploited this development and jumped on top of Winston's pack. He activated Winston's Trap and let himself get captured in order to finally attain eternal rest. In the springtime, Winston and Tiyah got married at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park. The Blood Rain began to preoccupy Winston's thoughts. The idea of rivers literally running red like in the Bible alarmed him. He just wanted to keep Tiyah safe no matter what and suggested they continue with the honeymoon to Bermuda but Tiyah talked some sense into him. They were interrupted by three Talking Pigeons outside. Winston inquired if Tiyah had the Ghost Taser with her in the room. He captured one of the pigeons and took it with him to the Firehouse for further study.

As the Ghostbusters walked up to the roof of Dana's apartment, Winston trapped the Judge Ghost then was stopped by his future self. Future Winston wasn't going to say anything at first but decided to reveal Winston would be the one to deal with Tiamat and he would "figure it out when the time is right." During the Hart Island incident, Ron Alexander blasted Vigo and was tossed. Winston grabbed Ray's Slime Blower and slimed the Hart Island Ghosts protecting Vigo. Winston's idea worked out and the ghosts were freed from Vigo's control. They swarmed him and the threat ended. Back at the Firehouse, Winston asked Kylie if she found anything that could be used to deal with Tiamat. Kylie only found a general entry about appeasing deities with sacrifice. Winston armed himself with the Compact Pack while Egon and Peter used Arm Mounted Proton Packs on the possessed Ray. When that failed, they switch to Proton Packs but they still couldn't save Ray. In the basement, Tiamat emerged the victor against Gozer and remained in sole control of Ray's body. She began to punch the Containment Unit hull. With no other options left, Winston turned to Kylie's research. Winston offered his life as a sacrifice in hopes it would appease Tiamat and she would leave their plane of existence. Tiamat was intrigued and accepted. Winston ripped some live wires out a panel and ordered to Tiamat to leave Earth.

Winston electrocuted himself with the circuit box wires and died. He soon found himself outside the pearly gates of Heaven but was approached by Tiamat. She did not find his death to be a true sacrifice and preferred him to live to face the consequences of his choice. Tiamat insisted he choose another to sacrifice. Winston refused. Just as Peter injected a medical cocktail of Atropine, Adrenaline and other things into his body, Tiamat shoved Winston away from Heaven. Winston awoke and ran upstairs in a flash, realizing Tiyah was who Tiamat would go after. He hopped on Ecto-5 and took off for Tiyah's apartment across town. In the hallway leading to Tiyah's place, Tiamat gave Winston one more chance to choose a sacrifice. He refused and shot at Tiamat, who simply made herself intangible. Tiamat imitated Winston's voice and knocked on her front door. Instead of killing Tiyah, Tiamat removed a portion of her soul and erased all memory of Winston and Tiyah's relationship from the world. Winston was horrified to discover Tiyah had no idea who he was. The sacrifice was future happiness.[13] Egon, Peter, and Ray tracked Ecto-5's homing beacon and found Winston outside the apartment. After it became apparent they also didn't remember Tiyah, they concluded Tiamat induced a form of forced delusion. Peter attempted to comfort Winston but it began to rain.

Three months later, the Ghostbusters took a job at Saks Fifth Avenue. Once the Class 5 ghost was captured, Winston noticed Tiyah sitting outside the nearby Pequod's. Peter decided to set up a "chance encounter" between Winston and Tiyah by letting the captured ghost go. Winston saved Tiyah from the ghost and she invited him out for coffee sometime. The next year, Winston attempted to trap Chi-You at the Madison Square Garden but learned his bond with his thralls was too strong. Casey pounced on Winston and confirmed they had to take out the thralls first. Unable to resist Chi-You's control any longer, Casey punched Winston and released him.

Winston waited things out with Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Peter on the second floor. He examined Leonardo's sword and noted how the balance on it was perfect. Once the proximity alert was triggered, Winston urged Leonardo and his brothers to head downstairs and suit up with the Arm Mounted Proton Packs. Peter and Winston later rushed the R&D laboratory and wrangled Chi-You before he could make good on his vow to kill Ray. However, they were both wedged in the doorway. Leonardo grabbed Winston's Trap but Chi-You yanked on Winston's stream and pulled him forward. Chi-You possessed Winston and admired his warrior prowess. He deemed it worthy of a conqueror. After knocking Ray out, Chi-You transmogrified Winston's body into a bull and attacked the Turtles. Once Michelangelo doused Chi-You in positively charged Psychomagnotheric Slime, Winston wrestled with him for control. Raphael distracted Chi-You while Leonardo shocked Winston with his pack attachment. Leonardo and Raphael helped Winston to his feet. As a show of gratitude, Winston gave two USMC Sergeant patches, he kept for luck, to Leonardo and saluted him.

The Ghostbusters returned to the Firehouse from a case and discovered parallel versions of themselves let Slimer loose by accident but retrapped him. They talked. When his counterpart tried to steer the conversation back to getting home, Winston suggested it was time to show them the Interspatial Teleportation Unit in the basement. Winston revealed it didn't get much use and told them about the time they were trapped in the Collectors' Limbo. He wasn't interested in using the teleporter and being accidentally taken to a similar place. As far as he was concerned, the device could stay off perpetually.

Winston and Peter investigated the Bronx Zoo with the alternate Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler. Winston and Egon paired up and searched a part of the zoo. Peter summoned them to the Heins & LaFarge Zoo Center. Winston tackled the hypnotized Ray before he walked into Peter's Proton Stream. Ray still desired to go to the Fairy Poltergeist so Winston urged someone to trap the entity. Egon tossed out his trap and captured it. Ray returned to normal. The Ghostbusters were able to stun Proteus with Proton Grenades then briefly wrangled him. He was forced to show them the future and revealed eight at once, which knocked all the Ghostbusters to the ground. Winston was the first on his team to regain consciousness. He realized the counterpart team was gone. He ran to the basement to use the Interspatial Teleportation Unit in order to mount a rescue operation. Ananke appeared and told him they were back where they belonged and the teleportation unit would not take him to them anyway. Winston disagreed they belonged in a prison but Ananke reasoned with Winston. She asked if he was certain he knew what was going to happen next then brought up how he was trapped by ghosts and man yet it was not his fate to stay that way nor was it their fate to be. Ananke teleported away. Winston conceded to her point.

During an investigation in Staten Island, the Ghostbusters encountered the Sandman. He was forced into a dream state. Winston was trapped in a dream about his wedding to Tiyah at the Loeb Boathouse. Once Peter and Ray arrived, Winston became irate since the dream was the only place he didn't have to deal with them. The trio went through a door and found Egon in his dream. Once the Sandman revealed himself, the Ghostbusters visualized their equipment and attacked. Winston conjured the Proton Pistol. Winston, Ray, and Peter were able to break down his barrier and destroyed his hourglass totem before he could extract one of Egon's eyes. Sandman dispersed and the Ghostbusters regained consciousness. After Erland Vinter approached the Ghostbusters, paid the United Nations' $15,000 surcharge with a blank check, and asked for a consultation with them, Winston was instantly skeptical of his intentions. Winston had a guy run a background check on Vinter but didn't find anything shady about him. Winston was startled to hear Vinter wanted to buy the Ghostbusters. Vinter explained he wanted a paranormal eliminations service to work in concert with property acquisitions to clear valuable haunted land. Winston immediately noted that would be considered a fraudulent practice. Peck squashed the offer out of concern for the high volume of ghost activity in New York City and passed a deal to loan the Ghostbusters for up to two weeks a month.

In County Clare, Ray, Winston, and Peck battled a Banshee for almost an hour. Peck almost shot them twice. Winston went with Peter and Janine to the dimension inhabited by the Ghostbusters they recently met. On their return home, the others were preoccupied with a Granny Gross that used the interdimensional portal before them. Winston opened fire on it, much too close for Melanie's liking, and Peter trapped it. He was skeptical if Kaia May could still be trusted after she passed along new demands from Erland Vinter and Loftur Þorsteinsson. Melanie believed she was telling the truth, especially about wanting the Rauoskinna destroyed. Winston went on the flight to Chiloe Island and wasn't as enthusiastic as Ray with meeting the local legends like Millalobo, a half-man, half-seal demon.

The Ghostbusters went to Iceland and found Gottskalk Nikulausson's hidden tomb. Once the parallel Egon blasted the Rauoskinna out of Gottskalk's hands, Winston jumped after it. The Ghost Priests surrounded Winston and kicked at him. With the others occupied with dodging Gottskalk's attacks, Winston opened his Trap and captured every ghost. Since the Trap wasn't designed to hold that much psychokinetic energy, they ran for it and took off in their rental car. With some quick thinking, Peter untethered the book from the ghost with Slime Spritzer then Egon disrupted it further with a Proton Grenade. A day and a half later, Winston needed to take a break from the research into the Rauoskinna. He headed to the roof and found the parallel Egon studying the city-wide P.K.E. readings. Winston confided in Egon and admitted he thought the last couple of years were crazy because of the escalation of dangers they encountered. Egon shared his belief that challenges increased in order to match their capabilities and to consider otherwise would be to accept stagnation and/or irrelevance. It reminded Winston of his old commanding officer. Egon went on to share his interest in their respective team's first battle with Gozer and if it created a splintered multiverse. Winston wasn't sure anymore if he was trying to make him feel better or give him a migraine. Egon reminded him they led a more extraordinary life than most and that came with extraordinary ups and downs. Winston thanked him for the talk but Egon was oblivious.

During the midnight meeting with Loftur, Jenny cast a spell from the Rauoskinna and was covered in fire. Before Winston could douse her in positively charged Psychomagnotheric Slime, everyone except him were teleported to Hell. Winston's strong faith and cross protected him from the spell.[14] While a great deal of time passed for them, only a minute passed for Winston. Everyone returned except Loftur and Jenny. He was happy to see Egon and hugged him. The next day, he was surprised all Egon saw after he died was "math."

Winston met with Erik a few times while he gathered research for a new book about the Ghostbusters. Winston met with him again, this time at Waltz's Dining Car. Winston asked where Dan was and why Luis was present. Erik simply stated Dan was on vacation. Luis revealed the editor wanted Erik to research the Scoleri Brothers case. Winston inquired why he came. Luis insisted he liked to travel. Winston stated he wasn't part of that case as he didn't participate in digging up First Avenue. Erik cited his previous conversation with Peter. Winston clarified he went to the trial to provide moral support but wasn't in the courtroom when the bust went down. Erik brought up eyewitness statements that placed Winston at the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse but they were conflicting accounts at best. He pressed Winston to help set the record straight and stated it was something the fans were asking about. Winston caved in and told them his side of the story. Luis started the recorder. Erik found it a little convenient there was another Scoleri. Winston reminded him sometimes truth was stranger than fiction and continued with his story. Erik and Luis were stunned that's all Winston did to trap Mama. Winston emphasized not every bust was flashy. He thanked them for the pie the excused himself for another engagement he had in 20 minutes.

Peter and Winston confronted the ghost of Jonas Schultz on Coney Island while Egon and Ray investigated the sewers for the true source of the disturbance. Winston easily wrangled Jonas in a stream since it was solely focused on looking at the construct of Luna Park he manifested. Peter trapped him despite his objection. Egon and Ray discovered a pool of positively charged Psychomagnotheric Slime and tried to neutralize it but it erupted over the neighborhoods. Winston was mortified. One week later, during a meeting, Winston couldn't help but point out the irony of Peck griping about a jerk from the EPA. A couple weeks later, twin Statues of Liberty appeared in New York Harbor. Peter, Winston, and Ray investigated and took readings. Back at the Firehouse, an alternate team of Ghostbusters had arrived after they saw the news report. The two teams gathered on the second floor then the discussion moved downstairs to the basement where the teleportation unit was demonstrated. Patty Tolan couldn't believe Jillian Holtzmann just stuck her head into the open portal. Winston admitted Egon tried to experiment on himself every once in awhile. Patty asked him if he ever felt the need to hide the power tools before he went home for the day. Winston admitted he did more often that she would ever know. It was determined their dimensions were overlapping.

On the ride to Ellis Island, Patty finally realized Winston looked like her Uncle Bill except 30 or so years younger. Ray recalled they've seen familiar people and faces in their exploration of other dimensions. As Patty predicted based on the island's history, the entities were a group of Pirate Ghosts. The situation worsened when Jillian Holtzmann dispersed several and they formed a powerful single entity. Winston saw the similarity with the Megaspook a few years back but noted Death was the winning factor back then. Ray and Erin Gilbert managed to discorporate the entity with the Proton Bazooka then storing it in the Megatrap rigged to explode after it was lowered into the dimensional tear above the island. Winston went out with Peter, Patty, and Holtzmann to a call from the Bronx. They headed into the Woodlawn Cemetery and encountered the ghost of Herman Melville. The Moby Dick Ghost arrived and slimed them. Peter, Winston, and Patty were unable to wrangle the ghost but Holtzmann reappeared and lured it into an ambush by antagonizing it. Winston couldn't believe Peter knew the Free Willy reference but nothing about Melville. Holtzmann remotely activated several Traps and captured the ghost.

Winston continued with night school and neared completion at long last.[15] Winston trapped a H2 Ghost on Lexington Avenue after Peter wrangled it. Back at Ecto-1, Winston admitted he was burnt out from the extra workload. Ray agreed and wished for another big adventure like when they were manipulated by Loftur. Peter stated he needed professional help and offered his services with a discount. Ray passed. As they drove to Murray Hill for the next call, Ray reminded them again how uncoupling the two dimensions allowed some ghosts to pop through to their plane and cause a busier than usual period. Despite Peter's warning, Winston wondered aloud if the insulation between dimensions was Purgatory. Ray got wound up and got excited at the prospect of finding out. Winston and Peter were called up for a meeting to figure out the next course of action after Donatello crossed over seeking help only to be grabbed by the Collectors. Winston couldn't believe it at first. He didn't want the Turtles to be stuck in the Collectors' limbo and asked how they could help.

Over the next three weeks, Egon and Ray invented Remote Portal Access Bands and modified two Experimental Mental Communications Devices. Ray, Peter, and Winston suited up and headed through the Interspatial Teleportation Unit's portal to the Collectors' Limbo and reunited with the Turtles. Ray instructed Donatello to put on the second Mental Communications Device then go through the portal where Egon would fill him in then told the others to hold off in following. Leonardo didn't understand and looked to Winston. Winston assured him it was complicated and explained they faced the Collectors before. The Communications Devices were aimed at temporary camouflage. The Collectors would read Winston as Donatello and vice-versa. In order to slow down the Collectors even more and buy time, each Ghostbuster paired up with a Turtle and went on their on track making random hops to various dimensions. Winston and Leonardo paired up.

Winston and Leonardo crossed over into another dimension and ended up a refurbished section of sewers that resembled the Turtles' Lair. The open portal stirred up P.K.E. and attracted a ghost to their location. Winston atomized it with his Proton Pistol. Leonardo was surprised he could blow up a ghost. Winston explained it was a temporary measure in lieu of dragging along Traps on their trip. Next, they teleported into a world of unending battle. Battle Bots immediately detected them and ordered their destruction. They opened fire. Winston tackled Leonardo behind a car. Winston covered Leonardo and used his Proton Pistols to destroy several robots. Leonardo sliced the rest up. Winston quoted his First Sergeant from back when he enlisted, "when you're outgunned, discretion is the better part of me of not getting your backside shot off." They decided to seek better cover and ran into a building. Winston bet Peter was sipping cocktails on some tropical island with beautiful women while they were stuck in an insane war dimension. Leonardo confessed to Winston that their current predicament was all his fault because he didn't talk some sense into Splinter and stop him before things went too far and out of control. Winston stated it was unfortunate they had to deal with Splinter's questionable strategic decision, but told Leonardo it wasn't healthy to put the whole world on his shoulders. Leonardo wished it was easier. Winston agreed but stated they were currently in a tough situation and had to be tougher. Winston suddenly suffered neural confusion and started talking like Donatello. Likewise, Donatello started talking like Winston back at the Firehouse.

Leonardo noticed the fighting outside died down a little. Winston revealed the access band was recharged. The Frogs set their eyes on Winston and Leonardo. Thinking they were an easy mark, Punk stole Winston's Remote Portal Access Band with his tongue. Winston and Leonardo chased after him. Winston wished it was a ghost or a robot. He didn't want to shoot at Punk and risk damaging the access band. Leonardo asked Winston if he found it weird that in every dimension they went, everyone spoke English. Winston preferred to just roll with it and save himself the extra headache. They demanded the access band back but Punk presented his three brothers. Glam demanded the Proton Pack, Grunge wanted whatever else they had, and Metal wanted Leonardo's swords. Leonardo invited him to try and take them. He sliced Metal's cybernetic arm off then kicked him in the throat. He nailed Grunge with a left kick and offered his help but noticed Winston was holding his own. Winston punched out Glam with some boxing. He concluded they were poor and untrained street fighters but relied on numbers and intimidation to survive. Leonardo jokingly asked Winston if he didn't need a hand and held out Metal's arm. Winston was amused he suddenly had jokes, too. Punk quickly apologized and offered the access band for Metal's arm. Winston angrily snatched the access band back. Before he could open a breach to another dimension, Leonardo pointed out the Collectors arrived.

Winston fired his Proton Pistol at maximum power then told Leonardo to use his thrower. They failed to atomize the Collectors. Winston started to think they should surrender and wait for a chance to escape the Collectors' Limbo. Luckily, they were summoned away by Darius Dun for an inquiry. Leonardo wondered what happened. Winston revealed he had a whole speech ready that was really philosophical, was filled with triumph and tragedy and lost loves and wisdom, and it made him look really wise. Winston pointed out they got lucky and prepared to open a breach. One appeared. They arrived at a Garden Dimension, where Raphael, Ray, Michelangelo, and Peter already were. Donatello came soon after, mistakenly thinking the Collectors got them.

Winston told Peter and Ray that Tang Shen was their mother and was killed centuries ago by the Shredder, one of their father's enemies. Ray asked how he knew all that. Winston informed Ray about the neural confusion caused by the Communications Device but Ray only found it neat. He was almost totally sure Winston would be fine. Ray was more interested in Tang Shen and attempted to scan her with his P.K.E. Meter but Winston swatted it away. Peter chimed in and scolded Ray about the blatant data chasing. Tang Shen turned her attention to the Ghostbusters and thanked the Ghostbusters for being loyal friends and worthy examples of character to her children when they needed it the most. After Tang Shen warned them the enemy was closing in then disappeared, Peter opened a breach back to the Firehouse with his access band. Peter and Winston helped the Turtles fight the Collectors and snagged the green and blue Collectors while Egon and Ray fine-tuned the Trap-Gate to the Collectors' unique P.K.E. signature. It was a success and they were transported into the Containment Unit. As the Turtles prepared to leave, Winston reminded Leonardo what he said earlier about taking on the weight of the world then mused they would meet again. Winston saluted the Turtles as they stepped through the portal.

The Ghostbusters were called to investigate City Water Tunnel No. 3. Winston wondered how there could be a ghost sixty stories down. Ray pointed out it was dangerous work. They soon met an entity. Ray tried to communicate but it warned him against giving his name away so freely. Winston interpreted it as a threat and drew the Proton Pistol on him. He denied it was a threat yet and vanished. A swarm of Bat Spectral Constructs poured out of the side cavern where the ghost was held. Egon announced a spike in energy. Winston was annoyed and ran to the elevator but they got slimed. Later in the day, Winston nor Peter didn't answer a summons so Ron and Kylie went in their place. As Kylie trapped Connla, Winston was surprised to see his ghosts try to pull him out. He and Peter threw out their Traps and helped finish capturing Connla.

Peter, Winston, and Kylie responded to a call from Tai Hong Lau Restuarant. They and the owner hid behind some propped up tables while Phyllis Hasskamp threw several cooked ducks. She proclaimed "No stars!" repeatedly. Peter opened fire but Hasskamp went through the floor and the proton stream nailed a table. The owner yanked on his arm and asked him to stop damaging his restaurant but Peter insisted she moved. Winston ushered him away from Peter. Peter used himself as bait and pretended to love the food and promised to recommend Tai Hong Lau to everyone. Hasskamp took the bait and reappeared. She countered the food was uninspired, almost inedible, and not even fit for a dog then sent more food in the air with telekinesis. Winston used both Proton Pistols and wrangled her but she began to transmogrify and threatened to burn the place down. Winston yelled out for someone to trap her. Kylie did so and warned him he was going to start sounding too critical like Hasskamp if he wasn't careful. Winston countered he wasn't critical. Kylie joked Marines were known to be easygoing when things blew up. When they returned to the Firehouse, Janine was out taking a meeting with Peck. Winston reminded Peter that she did more than he he ever wanted to know about and didn't know what they would do without her then tricked Peter into going to the basement to deposit the Trap while he went to get lunch.

Peter unknowingly helped cause an overload when he deposited the Trap, during a diagnostic, just as Ron and Holtzmann secretly tested their Remote Access Teleportation Unit. Ron and Holtzmann were reprimanded, for their part in the explosion, by Egon, Ray, and Winston on the third floor. Ray admitted he understood their drive but they stole and reverse-engineered the technology then failed to check if their experiment would be compromised by any number of outside factors. Ron tried to claim he was forced to make matters into his own hands because Ray and Egon were never going to share the dimensional technology and pinned the blame on them. Winston ran up to Ron, grabbed him by the collar, and encouraged him to repeat himself. Holtzmann asked him to stop. Ron sarcastically chimed in. Winston let go and asked if she was going to claim it was all for science. Holtzmann admitted she would have abused the chance to travel the multiverse but revealed her real reason was to find more people she could identify with and make her "family" bigger. Ron asked Winston if he was buying it and if so, claimed that his reason, too. Winston told Ron to shut up. Two days later, teams of Ghostbusters, from both the prime dimension and beyond, gathered at the Warehouse.

A P.K.E. spike near the George Washington Bridge went unnoticed and a Doom Ghost manifested then enveloped the area in a purple fog. Special Agent Ortiz asked for volunteers to help her. Holtzmann enthusiastically raised her hand and added she already had a grasp on the dimensional technology Ray and Egon were going to talk about. Peter wondered if someone dumped an upper in her coffee. Winston remarked she was guilty about the accident. Melanie, Winston, Holtzmann, Rookie, Dani, and Lou drove to Fort Washington Park. They split off into two teams and swept the park. Rookie asked where Holtzmann was from. Winston wanted to say Mars but he only said the jury was still out. The ghost attacked Holtzmann, Dani, and Lou. Eventually, Melanie, Rookie, and Winston provided cover fire but the ghost vanished again. Lou and Dani yelled at Rookie for being late instead of thanking him. Winston joked Ron's personality was contagious. Holtzmann realized the fog was the ghost and broke into the Lighthouse. She activated the searchlight and fog horn. Holtzmann's theory was correct and the ghost revealed its true form after its senses were rattled. They soon trapped it.

A field team consisting of Egon Spengler, Winston Zeddemore, Alan Crendall of Dimension 50-S, Abby Yates of Dimension 80-C, Eduardo Rivera of Dimension 68-E, and Winston Zeddemore of Dimension 68-R arrived outside the gates of Helsingor Brewery in Dimension 75-B. Winston guessed the Remote Portal Access Band's randomization circuits made an error and shuffled the teams around. Eduardo remembered his father thought home brewing and ghostbusting were stupid. Winston 68-R dryly remarked both were like two peas in a pod. Winston chimed in about what they said about that in the Marine Corps. To his shock, Winston 68-R stated he was in the Air Force. Alan charged but a gust blew the gates open and him backwards. Winston joked not even fly boys from the Air Force would go in running like that. Winston 68-R countered jar heads from the Corps would. Death blocked their path into the brewery. Abby couldn't believe Death might be the ghost they were after and questioned what would happen if it was trapped then declared it couldn't be personified. Winston disagreed and reminded her he told her team that Death was trapped a backpack. Before Abby could retort, Egon tried to explain to it they were in the middle of rectifying an error. Death countered it was, too, and proposed a game of chess for the life and soul of Egon. Egon accepted but he was blocked from pulling out a chair. Death explained while Egon accepted the challenge, it was Eduardo who was chosen to be the player.

Winston asked Egon why he didn't stay outside to watch the game. Winston felt he would have wanted to if it was his soul at stake being defended by a kid they barely knew. Egon explained he didn't want to risk making Eduardo nervous. He heard laughter and turned to Abby but she denied it was her. The Fire Goblins burst out a vat of warm beer atop a Moose Ghost. Winston couldn't recall ever trapping a damn moose. Egon explained it was new but the Fire Goblins were trapped when he went on a vacation but suddenly clutched his chest in pain. Abby ran over and checked Egon. The goblins started arguing about going faster. Winston thought there was something very weird about them then called out to Abby. She confirmed Egon's pulse was still strong and nothing was visibly wrong but noticed his heart beats were far apart. She almost got hit by flames. Abby had enough and blew up the Moose Ghost with a Proton Grenade. Winston yelled at Abby. She pointed out it was expendable. Alan and Winston 68-R wrangled the Fire Goblins. Winston 68-R offered Winston a two-for-one. Winston quipped he took them anyway he could and captured them with a Trap-Gate. Alan checked his P.K.E. Meter and called the room clean aside from the Moose Ghost's particles. Winston told everyone Egon was unconscious but still alive and it was time to head outside and keep him that way.

Winston and Abby helped Egon outside as he started to regain consciousness. Eduardo declared checkmate. Death smashed the table in anger and decided he was going to reap everyone. Abby reacted quickly and trapped him. Egon blasted the Trap-Gate apart before it transported Death into the Containment Unit. He explained trapping Death was going to create a spectral bottleneck and influence a massive P.K.E. surge. He opened a portal but Death suddenly dispersed it by slicing it in half with his sickle. Unable to trap him or disperse him, Winston 68-R and Winston saw only one choice. They opened fire and wrangled Death to keep him immobile while Egon opened another portal. Egon warned them they would have a fraction of a second to escape Death once they released him. Winston joked it was a good thing they kept in shape. After all the others went through, Egon called out to them. Winston noticed his counterpart was running away faster. Winston 68-R retorted he was in better shape. Instead of returning to the prime dimension, the team was redirected by Tiamat to the Collectors' Limbo. Winston 68-R was glad they made it but soon realized they weren't back in New York City. Winston told him it was worse. Egon tried to tell Winston about detecting Tiamat's P.K.E. signature earlier in the mission but didn't want to alarm him at the time but Winston told him to save it. He was already alarmed. The 23 Ghostbusters beheld Tiamat standing before them in a towering form.

Winston 68-R took one look at her and got concerned. Winston informed him she took a piece of his life away during their last encounter. The Ghostbusters all opened fir but she easily counter attacked. Winston addressed Tiamat and asked why she broke their deal. Tiamat stipulated she was only exiled from the prime dimension, which they were not at, then countered they had themselves to blame, traveling between dimensions like gods and capturing the Collectors which sowed panic and chaos across the multiverse. With the standard method ineffectual, Winston asked Holtzmann for her Proton Glove then told her to tell everyone with a functioning Trap-Gate to switch on the random destination toggle and stand by while he distracted Tiamat. Holtzmann asked how he planned to do so. Winston charged and socked Tiamat with the Proton Glove. Seven Trap-Gates and siphoned off Tiamat's P.K.E. to random dimensions. She was reduced to a skeleton. Peter wrangled her with a single stream and asked Winston to put a bow on the situation. Egon presented him with a normal working Trap. Winston trapped her. Tiamat cursed them all as she was pulled in. Winston suggested they leave her in the limbo dimension. The Ghostbusters returned to the Warehouse in the prime dimension but Jenny sacrificed herself to stabilize the Containment Unit. Winston told Ray it was going to be okay and asked him if they could fix it. Ray remembered Tiamat's threat and Rachel's warning then shot the teleportation unit in anger.

Peter, Ray, and Winston departed in Ecto-1 in search of Egon after he was possessed by an Atlantean Priest Ghost. Winston was surprised Atlantis came up again and informed Peter it was part of one of the interview questions he got when he applied for the job. Peter was amused and declared he was a nuts like them. They tracked Egon and the ghost to Penn Station where Winston only saw a sea of potential civil suits. Peter mitigated that by pulling a fire alarm and clearing the station. Egon was exorcised but the ghost aimed to summon Poseidon to destroy Manhattan. They searched Battery Park at dawn, to Peter's annoyance. Eventually, Winston told Peter to knock it off. Peter retorted they weren't all Marines and some of them didn't know what to do at such an ungodly hour. Before Winston would reply, he sighted the ghost at the eastern side of the waterfront. The ghost was trapped but Poseidon arrived. He was placated with possession of the tablet used by the ghost for the summoning and vanished.

The Ghostbusters exited Ecto-1 with their gear and climbed out of the sinkhole. Winston asked if everyone was all right as Ray helped him up. Peter reminded everyone they had a ghost to blast first. They went into the park in search of it. The Ghostbusters engaged the ghost at the shore of the Prospect Lake. Just after Winston declared it wasn't so tough, the ghost slammed its tentacles down at them. They dodged and fired. Winston admitted he was tired and just wanted to go home and catch up on the Dodgers. Peter was taken aback by Winston's loyalties. They eventually trapped it. They returned and were perplexed with the presence of two Ecto-1 cars. Ray checked and confirmed it was still in the sinkhole. Egon detected something like a ghost on his P.K.E. Meter. Winston pointed out Starscream was behind him. Starscream ordered them to leave him alone because he only meant to speak to the "Autobot." They quickly wrangled and trapped him. Winston was curious what an Autobot was. Ectronymous Diamatron transformed into his robot form and revealed himself to the Ghostbusters.

Ectronymous introduced himself and stated he meant no harm. He was surprised they weren't intimidated. Peter quipped they got that a lot. Ectronymous admitted he wasn't planning on revealing himself but determined it was the most efficient approach. He explained he came to Earth in search of a signal native to his home planet Cybertron and the Trap was interfering with it so he requested it to be de-powered. Ray thought Ecto-1 got animated by a ghost. Winston pointed out Ectronymous already said it was an alien. Egon refused to accept that. They were at an impasse. Ectronymous activated a miniature blaster on his right wrist and shot the Trap. Starscream was released and shot at them in a rage. The Ghostbusters opened fire and wrangled him again. Starscream noticed Ectronymous' Autobot signal, called for a truce, and returned to his blue hue. Peter asked Winston if he believed him. Winston replied he did not. Peter was not convinced either and dangled a new Trap. Starscream apologized and promised he would never knowingly endanger the life of another sentient being. Ectronymous told Ray he heard Starscream can't be trusted as far as he could throw himself. Starscream overheard and called it a filthy lie. Peter cautioned him. Starscream promised he just wanted to talk to Ectronymous. They released Starscream. Ectronymous asked him what he wanted. Starscream pointed out what he thought was obvious, a new body, but admitted he thought it was humiliating to ask the Autobots for help. Ectronymous how it all happened. Peter joked it started with dying. Starscream told them about how Cybertron was destroyed by Gozer.

Starscream admitted to broadcasting the Cybertronian signal and knowing the Autobots couldn't resist investigating. Winston was suspicious of the story's validity and confirmed as much with Peter. Ray wondered if it was their place to interfere. Peter replied not without a paycheck. Lightning struck and a Kremzeek Sprite emerged from the crater. Starscream became irate and told them to kill it immediately. Peter failed to see how a little bean would be a problem. Egon confirmed it had a high-spectrum P.K.E. reading. Winston pointed out it kept saying the name of the entity that enslaved the last of the Decepticons. Peter relented and trapped the sprite. After he picked up the Trap, it blew up and Peter was knocked to the ground. He was more annoyed they lost two in one night because they cost a fortune to replace. Ectronymous thought he was crazy for agreeing to help dispel the sprite. Winston joked as soon as he wore the No-Ghost, crazy was a part of the job. It worked. Winston congratulated him. Ectronymous asked him not to talk so loud because his audio receptors were still ringing. He tried to report to Optimus Prime but realized his communicator was damaged then agreed to a quid pro quo.

Starscream phased through the Firehouse doors after the Ghostbusters returned with Ectronymous, now Ectotron, and alarmed Janine. She reached for the Proton Grenade in her drawer. Winston had her stand down. Starscream was insulted and headed upstairs. Peter elected to keep an eye on him, to Winston's surprise. Peter claimed it was not a habit and he could quit anytime. Peter went back downstairs and told Winston he put Starscream in a trap. Winston asked him why he did that. Peter replied he thought he was the first psychologist who could claim to specialize in analyzing alien robot ghosts. Egon stated he was not an alien. Peter thanked him but pointed out Starscream was sneaky and believed putting him in a Trap until Ectotron contacted his ship was for the better.

The Ghostbusters headed out on another case. Winston volunteered to go into Mr. Colchamiro's building with Peter and flush out the ghost while Ray, Egon, and Ectotron worked on modifying the Trap. Peter wondered what was wrong with waiting until they were done. Winston pointed out they worked faster with a deadline. Half an hour later, Peter started getting tired of looking around. Winston told him not to start again and insisted the signal was strong. Peter saw the circuit panel and decided to cut the power to force the ghost to appear. The panel exploded and sent Peter flying. Winston mused he really knew how to push everyone's buttons. Peter admitted it was a talent. The Electric Ghost manifested from the panel. A few minutes later, Peter and Winston retreated outside and informed the others that two Proton Streams weren't enough to hold the ghost. Ectotron knocked over a utility pole the ghost was using to draw power from and Ray successfully captured the ghost. Ray was surprised. Egon thought he could see the past. Winston told him that was called hindsight.

The Ghostbusters took a rest then relocated to the Warehouse and started scanning for Starscream. Winston worked on adapting Proton Packs for Ectotron and Optimus Prime. Ectotron wondered who would free Starscream. Winston countered the better question was why. Peter joked Ray was already dreaming of an Ecto-Semi of his own then asked Winston how things were coming along. Winston wasn't having any of it and continued welding. He suggested things would go faster if Peter pitched in. Peter quipped it wasn't even Tuesday but still couldn't believe Ray thought they would work. Ray startled Peter from behind and claimed they would work. Winston finished and both Ectotron and Optimus had their own Proton Packs. Ray invited them to test them. Ectotron went first and accidentally blew up the Ecto-Gyro. Ectotron apologized and promised to fix everything he broke. Egon revealed he got a firm fix on Starscream's P.K.E. signature. They departed for the Grosbeak Generating Station.

After the station was evacuated, Winston asked Egon what he was reading. Egon noted he was getting a second P.K.E. signature and it was high spectrum but less than a Class 7. Winston asked where it was. Thunder clapped. Egon believed it was the dark clouds suddenly manifesting above them. Starscream called out to Optimus. Starscream opened fire on the Ghostbusters for their insolence. Winston was undaunted. Starscream was soon wrangled in three Proton Streams but he called out to his master, Kremzeek who then absorbed him and went on a rant about becoming a god. Peter addressed Kremzeek and told him his name was ridiculous then told the others to power up. Ray continued and told him they didn't care too much for wannabe gods coming to their fair city and throwing their weight around, let alone a Class 5 with delusions of grandeur. Winston pointed out they blew up Gozer all over Central Park West. Egon gave the cue to fire. Kremzeek was wrangled but he managed to break the streams and knocked them off their feet. Ray came up with a plan to disperse him with the Electric Ghost until something could be built to properly trap him. The dispersal also freed the ghosts of Megatron, Shockwave, Soundwave, and Starscream.

Winston was unsure about standing around and thought they should do something to help Optimus fight Megatron. Peter agreed and admitted if he knew two robots would be fighting each other, he would have brought a camera or something. Starscream opened fire on the Ghostbusters and declared he still had unfinished business with Peter. They scattered. Soundwave and Shockwave joined in on shooting at the Ghostbusters. Peter teased Winston about keeping quiet. Winston wasn't having any of the blame and reminded Peter that Starscream's quarrel was with him then he wrangled Soundwave. Soundwave realized he was confined with a positively charged Proton Stream and could not break free. He created subservient manifestations based on Ravage, Laserbeak, and Buzzsaw, Mini-Cassette Decepticons that formerly served him in life. Winston threw out a Trap and ducked a laser. He compared it to being in a G.I. Joe cartoon. Soundwave was trapped and he cursed. Laserbeak descended onto Ray at the same time and dissipated. Ray was drenched in green ectoplasm and naturally complained. Winston yelled at him to get back to work. Winston asked if Optimus wanted help. Ectotron believed he had it covered.

Winston implored the others to think of a solution after Megatron possessed Ectotron and stated he wasn't blowing anyone up. Egon agreed on account of Ectotron being a living being but admitted the autopsy could be fascinating. Ray reminded Egon he was part of the team and didn't think Egon would try to kill most of them. Peter thanked Ray for the stirring defense then pointed to the canister of Psychomagnotheric Slime. Egon pointed out a small canister of it wouldn't be effective applied topically to the surface of such a large metal form. Ray countered they got the Statue of Liberty moving with it. Winston pointed out they used gallons of the ectoplasm. Egon believed they had to disperse it inside Ectotron. Peter voted himself out of trying to find his gas cap. Ray suggested force feeding it. Winston pointed out he was 20 feet tall. Egon noted they had one Trap left and it wasn't enough to force spectral expulsion. Peter elected to use the ectoplasm and yelled at Optimus to try to get Ectotron on his back. It worked and Megatron was trapped. Ray asked Ectotron if he was really leaving. Ectotron was unsure if Ray was asking him to stay. Winston pointed out he still owed them a few repairs first. Ectotron laughed and reaffirmed he would fix everything but wouldn't stay since there were so many things to do now that he knew ghosts existed. He revealed he wanted to explore space and look for more Cybertronian ghosts that could be saved. Ray liked the notion of ghosts in space. Peter and Winston shot down any aspirations since they had enough trouble on Earth to deal with but Egon found the thought intriguing, too.

Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime

After a surge in paranormal activity, the Ghostbusters became busy with case after case. After trapping the 9.5th entity in a row, Winston immediately noted it was getting tiring. A junior team of rookies were hired soon after.

Animated Series

Animated Winston still maintained the live action version's down-to-Earth, common sense approach to everything. But, he was in many cases also more practical than his live action counterpart.

The following is part of the animated canon universe for this character:

Primary Canon

Secondary Canon

To read more about the Animated counterpart character, please check out "Winston Zeddemore "Animated".

Trivia

  • According to Making Ghostbusters, the character's original name was Ramsey.[16]
  • In the first script Ghost Smashers, Dan Aykroyd wrote the character Ramsey with Eddie Murphy in mind.[18] [19]
  • The original concept for Winston was younger and hipper. The crew thought of a young black comedian like Eddie Murphy for the role. At one point, Gregory Hines was talked to, but the directors later decided that the crew needed a "straight man," and decided casting a fourth comedian to the film would put too much comedic light in the film. [20]
  • Until the final shooting draft, Winston had been seen in the script as a security man for the company.[21]
  • In all drafts but the final, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was conjured up by Winston.[22]
    • Winston would have revealed he roasted Stay Puft Marshmallows at his grandfather's smokehouse in North Carolina when he was a child.[23]
  • In the August 5, 1983 Draft, Winston was going to be one of the original Ghostbusters, but it was decided to have him join later to show they needed help to deal with the rising number of spooks thanks to Gozer's impending arrival.[24][25]
  • In the August 5, 1983 Draft, Winston's resume was more detailed.[26][27][28][29]
    • In the service for five years
    • Air Force Police Captain assigned to administer perimeter security at Reese Strategic Air Command base
    • Designed electronic barrier systems for Sentry Alarms
    • Ended up as V.P. Tactics and Training at Pacific Headquarters until the offices were closed down.
    • 15th Degree Black Belt in Wing Chun Boxing
    • A qualified award-winning weapons handler
  • In the August 5, 1983 Draft, Winston was slimed by Slimer instead of Peter Venkman[30]
  • At one point in the Dan Aykroyd-Harold Ramis collaborations, Winston had too many good lines so they began shifting Winston's attitude to Peter's.[31]
  • The scene in Ghostbusters Chapter 20: Keymaster where Ray and Winston are in Ecto-1 talking about end of the world was used to audition actors for the role of Winston.[32]
  • Winston's "You say yes!" line was improvised when the scene was filmed. Harold Ramis came up with it.[33][34]
  • In the July 6, 1983 draft of the first movie, the Ghostbusters became Ghostbusters International, a high rolling multinational corporation. Winston arrived at headquarters in a limo.[35]
  • In the Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular, Winston Zeddemore was in Strategic Air Command, ECM school, is a black belt in karate, and is a small-arms expert.[36] The Zeddemore's are a strict Baptist family. Winston was in the Air Force.[37] He has younger sisters and brothers but the exact number is not specified.[38]
  • Mentioned in the novelization, Winston's mother is named Lucille,[39] whom he was living with after his stint in the Air Force for a month's time, when the "help wanted" ad for the Ghostbusters came to his attention.
  • In the Ghostbusters II August 5, 1988 draft, Winston's social security number was revealed to be 322-36-7366.[40]
  • In Ghostbusters II, Winston’s mustache was shaved off, resembling his animated counterpart.
  • In the Ghostbusters II August 5, 1988 draft, Winston mentioned he was working at an airline before coming back to work with the Ghostbusters.[41]
  • In the Ghostbusters II deleted scene, Driving Miss Liberty, prior to the Ghostbusters utilizing the Statue of Liberty, Winston never visited it despite living in New York his whole life.[42]
  • In the February 27, 1989 version of the Ghostbusters II script, during the epilogue scene, Winston alludes his ancestors arrived in America against their will on a slave ship that landed at Charleston Harbor in South Carolina.[43]
  • According to the Legion miniseries, Winston has a fear of clowns.
  • In The Zeddemore Factor, Winston's first bust was at the Natural History Museum against Pterosaur Ghosts where he forgot to turn on his pack and got slimed.
  • According to the Ghost Busted (manga) from Tokyopop, Winston is said to have been in the Marines, rather than the Air Force. He still retains his old Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), M249 Light Machine Gun, and keeps it in full working order in case of an emergency that the regular Ghostbusting equipment might not be suited for arises.
  • In Ghostbusters: The Video Game, it is revealed by Winston himself that he has some degree of experience in paranormal affairs. He put himself through college working as a fortune teller on Coney Island. He claims to have "Worn a red velvet cape; it was plush."[44][45]
  • Also revealed in Ghostbusters: The Video Game is the fact Winston earned or attempted to earn a Ph.D. During their investigation at The Museum of Natural History, Winston comments "Ah, the Egypt exhibit. I practically lived here while I was working on my doctorate." Whether this occurred prior to the events in the movies, or between then and the video game, is not made clear.
  • After the Museum of (Super)Natural History Level (realistic version) level, one of the messages left on the Ghostbusters' answering machine is from Winston's Uncle Raymond who's coming to visit soon.[46]
  • At the start of the Return to the Sedgewick Level (realistic version) level, Winston reveals he pays $2000 a month for a 600 square feet walk-up (an apartment with no elevator).[47]
  • On Page Nine of Ghostbusters: The Video Game Official Game Guide of the Realistic Version and Four of the Stylized Version, Winston's Caution Box notes he is an ex-Marine.[48]
  • In the IDW Comics, Winston does not have a doctorate. This is the first instance of the ongoing series establishing it is in a continuity separate to the prime universe (the two movies and Ghostbusters: The Video Game).
  • In the IDW Comics, Winston won a trophy for baseball.[49][50]
  • On his Ghostbusters: The Board Game character card, Winston's employee ID # is listed as 111 75 0306.
  • In Ghostbusters International #3, page 6, Janine revealed the last time open interviews were held, Winston was the only applicant who showed up.[51]
  • In Chapter 14 of Ghostbusters (2016 Movie), an ad for Twinkies in present day Times Square quotes Winston's "That's a big Twinkie." line from the first movie after Egon presents his Twinkie analogy.
  • On the Dramatis Personae page of Ghostbusters International #9, Winston's bio mentions his love of baseball.
  • In Ghostbusters International #9, page 4, Winston admitted to Melanie he's been nervous about going underground since the encounter with the Ghost Train during the Vigo incident of 1989.[52]
  • On the Regular Cover of Ghostbusters Annual 2017, Winston is drawn as he appeared in Ghostbusters II without the mustache.
  • On Page 7 of Ghostbusters Annual 2017:
    • In panel 2, Winston mentions he was left out of the last book about the Ghostbusters -- making light of Winston's omission from several movie posters and the like over the decades.[53]
    • In panel 2, the books in Winston's backpack are about Egyptology - a nod to his doctorate in that field in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions).
    • Winston is wearing his staple T-shirt inspired by the Forces of Good from The Real Ghostbusters episode "Night Game"
    • In panel 2, Winston is eating a slice of blueberry pie. Incidentally, blueberry fudge cake is a favorite of Winston's animated counterpart.
  • On Page 8 of Ghostbusters Annual 2017, in panel 3, Erik notes the fans have asked - a nod to a long standing mystery of where Winston went after he appeared at the beginning of the court case in Ghostbusters II.
  • On page 2 of Ghostbusters: Funko Universe, Winston wears his green collar shirt seen in Volume 1 of the ongoing series.
  • Winston appears on Cover B and C of Ghostbusters 101 #6.
  • Page 18 of Ghostbusters 101 #6:
  • In the Dramatis Personae of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #1, Winston's bio now mentions he has an honorary doctorate was in parapsychology and he's almost done with his law studies in night school. The "soft spot for kids" is nod to helping out Alan Crendall in Volume 1 Issue #1.
  • On page 12 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #1, Winston is wearing a two tone striped T-shirt commonly worn by the animated Winston on The Real Ghostbusters.
  • On page 2 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #2, Winston and Leonardo teleport into the Turtle Lair from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 animated series. Leonardo's look is based on that series' design.
  • On page 3 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #2:
    • In panel 3, Leonardo and Winston run from the boulder from Indiana Jones' "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and appear in the art style is based on Tin Tin.[54]
    • In panel 5, Leonardo and Winston are on the run from Galaga and Galaxian, both classic Namco arcade games.
  • On page 15 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #2, in the battle world, Winston now has two Proton Pistols instead of one.
  • On page 16 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #2, Winston alludes to seeing the first Terminator movie then never liking robots after it.
  • On page 17 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #2, Winston mentions Bond Girls, the title for the actress who stars in a given 007 movie.
  • On page 19 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #3, Winston reveals he took boxing in his childhood.
  • On page 11 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #4, Peter referred to meeting classmates from Winston's law studies at night school and joked Michelangelo would hardly stand out among them.
  • On page 27 of Ghostbusters Annual 2018:
    • In panel 2, Winston's mechanic suit is visually based on his animated counterpart's uniform.
      • He used this suit in Volume 1 #13.
    • In panel 4, in Winston's locker are:
      • A baseball cap with the logo of Good's Baseball Team from "Night Game".
      • A baseball and catcher's mitt, a nod to his love of the sport.
  • Winston was mentioned in Tiamat's bio in the 34th Crossing Over Virtual Trading Card, released on June 14, 2018.[55]
  • Winston was mentioned in the Fire Goblin's bio in the 44th Crossing Over Virtual Trading Card, released on July 18, 2018.[56]
  • On Cover A of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #5, Winston is featured.
  • On August 7, 2018, Tom Waltz posted Crossing Over Virtual Trading Card #49, Winston Zeddemore. [57]
    • It mentions Winston's honorary doctorate in Parapsychology but also reveals his Juris Doctor is in progress and he has a Bachelor of the Arts degree.[58]
  • On Cover RI of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #7, Winston is featured.
  • Winston appers on Cover RI of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #8.
  • Winston appears on the IDW Convention Variant cover of 35th Anniversary: Ghostbusters.
  • On page 6 of 35th Anniversary: Ghostbusters, Winston refers to his job interview with Janine in the first movie in Chapter 14 "Welcome Aboard.
  • On page 7 of 35th Anniversary: Ghostbusters , in panel 2, Winston's key chain is a nod to the Jaguars baseball team from The Real Ghostbusters episode "Night Game".
  • On page 11 of 35th Anniversary: Ghostbusters, Winston mentions he loved Greek myth in the third grade.[59]
  • Winston appears on Cover B, Cover RI-A, Cover RI-C, Fan Expo Dallas Cover, and SDCC Cover of Transformers/Ghostbusters Issue #1.
  • On page 6 of Transformers/Ghostbusters Issue #1, Shockwave's "what did you do?" mirrors Winston's line in the first movie.
  • On page 14 of Transformers/Ghostbusters Issue #1, Winston mentions the Los Angeles Dodgers. Incidentally, it was founded in Brooklyn before being moved to Los Angeles before the 1958 season.
  • Winston appears on Cover A and RI of Transformers/Ghostbusters Issue #2.
  • Winston appears on Cover B and RI of Transformers/Ghostbusters Issue #3.
  • Winston appears on Cover B of Transformers/Ghostbusters Issue #4.
  • Winston appears on Cover B and RI of Transformers/Ghostbusters Issue #5.
  • On page 5 of Transformers/Ghostbusters Issue #5, Winston mentions the G.I. Joe cartoons and its use of lasers instead of bullets.
  • In the Quickbooks "Happy Business: Ghostbusters Payroll Taxes" online spot, released on December 27, 2019, Winston is listed on Janine's payroll and is paid $1,170.48 by direct deposit. He was originally omitted but was later added.
  • Winston appears on Cover A, B, and RI of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1.
  • On Cover A of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1 there is:
    • The scene of Winston driving in Chapter 20.
    • The scene of Winston right before he declares, "I love his town!" at the end of Chapter 28.
  • On Cover B of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, there is:
    • The scene of Winston holding the Traps Ray hands him after he is hired in Chapter 14 appears in a photo.
    • The Post-It has Janine's interview questions about UFOs, Astral Projection, Mental Telepathy, ESP, Clairvoyance, Spirit Photography, Telekinetic movement, Full trans-mediums, Loch Ness Monster, and the theory of Atlantis.
    • There is a photo of Winston firing his Particle Thrower in Cover A.
    • There is a photo of Ray and Winston pulling up to Fort Deterrming appears in a photo.
    • On the bottom left side, there is a Second Dan Black Belt in Karate. In the final shooting script for Ghostbusters and on page 136 of Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular, Winston's resume listed him as a black belt in karate.
    • Winston's file lists his middle name Ramsey. The middle name was revealed in Volume 2 Issue #13, page 9, but the wedding priest.
    • Winston's Employee I.D. is revealed to be 171945.
    • A military record references his enlistment with the U.S. Marine Corps in the IDW canon. It reveals he won the title of Rifle Expert which would have required a combined score of 305-350 at a weapons qualification event.
    • The employee file lists Winston's birthday as June 17, 1945. It is derived from Ernie Hudson's birthday, December 17, 1945.
    • There is photo of Winston on the file folder which is a stock promo photo from the first movie.
    • The employee file shows Winston's listed phone number is 555-5007.
    • The employee files shows Winston's start date is October 22, 1984 and his first review was slated for January 26, 1985.
    • The employee file has Winston's pay grade listed as $11,500, mentioned by Winston in Chapter 27: Stay Puft Man before they cross streams.
    • Winston's emergency contact is his father, Edward Lee Zeddemore. Edward Zeddemore was the name of Winston's father in The Real Ghostbusters and "Lee" was the middle name of Roscoe Lee Browne, the voice of Edward Zeddemore.
    • Winston's resume reveals his apartment address is 235 B West 146th Street in Harlem.
    • A U.S. Marine Corps' Enlisted Dress eagle, globe and anchor was seen in solicits of the cover but in the final version is a Sergeant E-5 chevron. He gave two chevrons to Leonardo at the end of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 1 Issue #4.
  • In the Dramatis Personae of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1:
    • Winston's biography mentions his Marine Corps background in this canon and his religious foundation.
    • Ray's biography mention when he quickly hired Winston in the first movie.
  • On page 3 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, in panel 3, the baseball paraphernalia on the shelf refers to Winston's love of the sport.
  • On page 4 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, in panel 1, behind Winston is the standard flag of the U.S. Marine Corps and pennant flags for the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants.
  • On page 4 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, Winston reveals he was born in Michigan.
  • On page 4 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, Winston's correction about there being no such thing as an ex-Marine is a nod the the Once a Marine, Always a Marine motto.
  • On page 5 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, in panel 3, behind Winston on the column is Luis Delgado's 15 easter egg.
  • On page 6 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, the scene takes place in Chapter 14: Welcome Aboard between when Winston looks up at the No-Ghost sign outside and when Janine asks the question about what he believes in.
  • On page 6 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, Winston reveals he was in the Marine Corps for 6 years.
  • On page 7 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, in panel 5, Winston alludes to when he was shown how to empty a trap in Chapter 14.
  • On page 7 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, in panel 5, it more evident the coffee mug Winston gave to Rebecca is a 1980 GOP mug with the Republican elephant.

Quotes

  • "Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES!"
  • "I hate Jell-O."
  • "Just once I wouldn't mind running with all those fools AWAY from the trouble!"

Appearances

Primary Canon Appearances

Secondary Canon Appearances







References

  1. GBTVGReferenceWinstonZeddemoreRV03.jpg
  2. 08/5/1983 Script, p.29 via Spook Central
  3. 10/7/1983 Script, p.56 via Spook Central
  4. Mueller, Richard (August 1985). Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular, p. 136. Tor Books, New York NY USA, ISBN 0812585984. Ray says: "Very impressive. Strategic Air Force Command ECM school... black belt in karate... small-arms expert... as far as I'm concerned, Mr. Zeddemore, you're hired."
  5. GBTVGReferenceWinstonZeddemoreRV03.jpg
  6. Employee File (2020). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1" (2020) (Comic Cover B). Employee File reads: "June 17, 1945."
  7. Winston Zeddemore (2020). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1" (2020) (Comic p.4). Winston Zeddemore says: "All right, well... I was actually born in Michigan back in - -"
  8. Winston Zeddemore (2020). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1" (2020) (Comic p.6). Winston Zeddemore says: "Did six years in the Corps - - er, the Marines."
  9. Winston Zeddemore (2020). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1" (2020) (Comic p.4). Winston Zeddemore says: "Second, I left the Corps because... well... I woke up one day and it just wasn't my calling anymore."
  10. Winston Zeddemore (2020). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1" (2020) (Comic p.5). Winston Zeddemore says: "Fella came on a few weeks in who was I'm gonna say, a little lax abut safety. Dropped a wrench from three stories up and almost hit me, you know?"
  11. Winston Zeddemore (2020). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1" (2020) (Comic p.20). Winston Zeddemore says: "I want to learn more about computers. Wave of the future and all that."
  12. Dramatis Personae (2017). IDW Comics- "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #1" (2017) (Comic Dramatis Personae). Dramatis Personae reads: "Honorary doctorate in parapsychology."
  13. TomWaltz Tweet 8/7/18Virtual Trading Card reads: "He has been willing to sacrifice his life for the world on more than one occasion, and, while dealing with the chaos goddess TIAMAT, wound up sacrificing future happiness instead."
  14. erikburnham Tweet 12/2/16 Erik Burnham says: "Winston's faith and cross protected him from the Devil. His absence here is related as he has the strongest faith among the Ghostbusters."
  15. Dramatis Personae (2017). IDW Comics- "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #1" (2017) (Comic Dramatis Personae). Dramatis Personae reads: "In night school for law (but he's almost done!)."
  16. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 9. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Harold Ramis says: "Stantz and Venkman and Ramsey -- the character we changed to Winston -- were all essentially the same. That was fairly representative of Dan's writing at the time. He was very much concerned with story and structure and effects, but he would sort of stay on the surface of his characters."
  17. Priest (2014). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #13" (2014) (Comic p.9). Priest says: "Tiyah, do you take Winston Ramsey Zeddemore as your husband, to live together in marriage?"
  18. Entertainment Weekly ""Ghostbusters: An Oral History" Dan Aykroyd quote 11/7/14
  19. Labrecque, Jeff (2014). "Ghostbusters: An Oral History". Entertainment Weekly.
  20. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 99 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Michael Gross says: "I think the original concept for Winston's character was younger and hipper. At one point, we were talking with Gregory Hines about playing the part. We also considered getting a young, black comedian -- somebody like Eddie Murphy. But in retrospect, it's probably just as well we didn't. It would have been just too much. As it is, there is a nice balance among the four characters. Winston is the moderate character against which the other three can play."
  21. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 99 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Until the final shooting script, Winston had been seen in the script as a security man for the company. When it became apparent that the Ghostbusters had no real need for a security man, he became instead a full-fledged -- if not altogether convinced -- Ghostbuster."
  22. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 184 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "In all of the drafts but the final one, it is Winston - not Stantz - who inadvertently conjures up the Stay-Puft marshmallow man."
  23. Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1983). Ghostbusters (First Draft August 5, 1983) (Script p. 129). Winston says: "The Stay Puft-Marshmallow Man! He was on all the packages we used to buy when I was a kid in North Carolina. We used to roast Stay-Puft marshmallows on my grandpa's smokehouse fire.""
  24. August 5, 1983 Draft of Ghostbusters via Spook Central
  25. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 54 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads says: "The inclusion of Winston was in clear response to a perceived notion on the part of the filmmakers that the team needed to embrace a fourth member who could serve as the on-screen voice of the viewing public -- a no-nonsense professional, with a major streak of skepticism when it came to the avowed objectives of his employers. On further reflection, however, it was decided to delay Winston's introduction until after the Ghostbusters' first big score when, conceivably, they could really begin to need some augmentation."
  26. Page 29 of August 5, 1983 Draft of Ghostbusters via Spook Central
  27. Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1983). Ghostbusters (First Draft August 5, 1983) (Script p. 29). Winston says: "5 years, U.S. Air Force Air Police. I mustered out as Captain, assigned to administer perimeter security at Reese Strategic Air Command base... from there I designed electronic barrier systems for Sentry Alarms and I ended up as V.P. Tactics and Training at their Pacific Headquarters... until they closed the offices there.""
  28. Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1983). Ghostbusters (First Draft August 5, 1983) (Script p. 29). Winston says: "I have a 15th degree black belt in Wing Chun boxing and I am a qualified, award-winning weapons handler.""
  29. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 54 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "In the July and August drafts, Dana's appearance at the firehall is preceded by a scene in which Winston Zeddemore -- armed with enough references to nail down a job as security chief for the White House -- presents himself in reply to a trifling 'help wanted' ad for a guard."
  30. Page 51 of August 5, 1983 Draft of Ghostbusters via Spook Central
  31. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 54 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Harold Ramis says: "As writers, we'd never done a black character. Nor had we ever written women very well. The Writers Guild sends out letters about this regularly -- 'let's see more women and more minorities.' So when we wrote Winston, I think we had our own little reverse backlash going. We bent over backwards to make Winston's character good -- and in doing so, we made him the best character in the movie. We looked at it and said: 'Jesus! He's got all the good lines.' At the same time, everybody was saying Bill's character was a little weak. So, little by little, we started shifting Winston's attitude to Bill's character -- which made perfect sense-- and we also ended up delaying Winston's introduction until much later in the film."
  32. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 129 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Joe Medjuck: "This was one of the few scenes in the film that didn't have any big laughs in it, but we always liked it because it offered a possible explanation as to why the city was suddenly being plagued with ghosts. Also, it was a good scene for Winston -- in fact, this was the scene we used to audition actors for the role of Winston."
  33. Josh Gad YouTube "Who Ya Gonna Zoom? | Reunited Apart GHOSTBUSTERS Edition" 13:31-13:38 6/15/2020 Ernie Hudson says: "Well, it happened, I think it was improv'ed in the moment. And I'm not sure if it was Danny or Bill's suggestion."'
  34. Josh Gad YouTube "Who Ya Gonna Zoom? | Reunited Apart GHOSTBUSTERS Edition" 13:40-13:42 6/15/2020 Dan Aykroyd says: "Th-that's a Ramis I think."'
  35. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 203 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Alternate endings in earlier drafts included scenes within the towering glass and chrome headquarters of Ghostbusters International - now a high-rolling multinational corporation "recognized everywhere as the first line of defense against interdimensional trespassers." The July draft even attempted to wrap up the romantic loose ends. Venkman and Dana set up housekeeping, Spengler and Janine are married, and Stantz returns to Fort Detmerring for spiritual renewal."
  36. Mueller, Richard (August 1985). Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular, p. 136. Tor Books, New York NY USA, ISBN 0812585984. Ray says: "Very impressive. Strategic Air Force Command ECM school... black belt in karate... small-arms expert... as far as I'm concerned, Mr. Zeddemore, you're hired."
  37. Mueller, Richard (August 1985). Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular, p. 172. Tor Books, New York NY USA, ISBN 0812585984.
  38. Mueller, Richard (August 1985). Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular, p. 173. Tor Books, New York NY USA, ISBN 0812585984.
  39. Mueller, Richard (August 1985). Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular, p. 124. Tor Books, New York NY USA, ISBN 0812585984.
  40. Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1988). Ghostbusters II (August 5, 1988 Draft) (Script p. 45). Winston says: "Yeah, 322-36-7366."
  41. Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1988). Ghostbusters II (August 5, 1988 Draft) (Script p. 103). Winston says: "I can't believe I gave up a good, safe job with the airlines to come back to this."
  42. Winston Zeddemore (2014). Ghostbusters 1 & 2 Gift Set (2014), Ghostbusters II, Driving Miss Liberty (1989) (DVD ts. 00:01-00:04). Columbia Pictures. Winston says: "I lived in New York my whole life and never visted the Statue of Liberty."
  43. 2/27/89 Script, Page 109 via Spook Central
  44. GBTVGReferenceWinstonZeddemoreRV01.jpg
  45. GBTVGReferenceWinstonZeddemoreRV02.jpg
  46. Uncle Raymond; After Museum of (Super)Natural History, Firehouse 2nd Floor Answering Machine Message 11 of 11 (2009). Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions) - Firehouse (2009) (PC/PS3/Xbox 360). Terminal Reality. Uncle Raymond says: "Hey, Winston. It's your Uncle Raymond. I'm coming to town and I want to see you. Break out the food. Turn on the TV. I'll call you later."
  47. GBTVGReferenceWinstonZeddemoreRV04.jpg
  48. Bueno, Fernando (2009). Ghostbusters: The Video Game Official Game Guide, p. 9 (Realistic Version) and 4 (Stylized Version). Prima Games, Roseville CA USA, ISBN 2008930552.
  49. Special Agent Melanie Ortiz (2013). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #4" (2013) (Comic p.13). Melanie says: "There was a trophy at the Firehouse."
  50. Winston Zeddemore (2013). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #4" (2013) (Comic p.14). Winston says: "Baseball. I played baseball and that catch was perfect."
  51. Janine Melnitz (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #3" (2016) (Comic p.6). Janine Melnitz says: "Last time we tried open interviews, it was just Winston who showed up."
  52. Winston Zeddemore (2016). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters International #9" (2016) (Comic p.4). Winston Zeddemore says: "Been twitchy about goin' underground ever since I got run over by a Ghost Train."
  53. Winston Zeddemore (2017). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Annual 2017" (2017) (Comic p.7). Winston says: "Hell, the last time someone wrote a book about the Ghostbusters, I don't think I was even mentioned."
  54. Dapperpomade Tweet 11/15/17
  55. TomWaltz Tweet 6/14/18
  56. TomWaltz Tweet 7/18/18
  57. TomWaltz Tweet 8/7/18
  58. TomWaltz Tweet 8/7/18Virtual Trading Card reads: "DEGREES: Ph.D in parapsychology (honorary), BA, Juris Doctor (in progress)."
  59. Winston Zeddemore (2019). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: Ghostbusters" (2019) (Comic p.11). Winston Zeddemore says: "I loved Greek myths in third grade."
  60. Narrator (2016). Insight Editions- "Tobin's Spirit Guide" (2016) (Book p.51). Paragraph reads: "Our colleague Winston Zeddemore had set the Manitou's captives free while Dr. Venkman was possessed, leavining the entity with no other victims to possess."
  61. Narrator (2016). Insight Editions- "Tobin's Spirit Guide" (2016) (Book p.75). Paragraph reads: "Our colleague, Winston Zeddemore, a former Marine, was instrumental in our plan to trap this particular entity before it could unleash another pandemic."


Gallery

Overall


Primary Canon

Secondary Canon

Non Canon

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