Season: 2, Episode 17 (DVD/EC #74)
Title: Captain Steel Saves The Day
Originally aired: September 17, 1987
Written By: Michael Reaves & Steve Perry
Reviewed: May 11, 2016
Watch It: Volume 3, Disc 2
Synopsis: Through paranormal means, Ray’s favorite comic book character, Captain Steel, comes to life, and crosses paths with the Ghostbusters. When the evil Doctor Destructo also comes to life, a hero team-up may be the only way to save the world.
You’ll Need A Reference: The title generally refers to (super) heroes saving the day. When the Ghostbusters were growing up Mighty Mouse (a super man like mouse) was on during the 1950s to the 1980s. The third lyric:
“Here I come to save the day!”
Location: Firehouse Interior. Room: Garage Bay
Quote: “A failure of the Storage Facility? Are the ghosts escaping?” – Egon
- Quote: “Gozer’s back, right?” – Winston
- Quote: “A Class V ecto alert?” – Winston
- Quote: “Worse then Gozer?” – Janine
You’ll Need A Reference: Ray is clearly upset (not over Gozer though) and it could be a good guess to think either the Containment Unit could have somehow failed. Or Gozer the Gozerian from GHOSTBUSTERS™ (and mentioned previously in The Real Ghostbusters) could also somehow be back. However..
It Just Popped In There: Perhaps in the moment Egon wasn’t being rational. The Ecto-Containment Unit has fail safes going back to the earliest episodes. If something was wrong, they’d hear the alarm(s) and at some point flashing lights. Ghosts were escaping, either their equipment would detect them and/or they’d also see them. As for an “ecto alert” Janine would most likely let them know if they had received a call.
Quote: “Egon, Captain Steel is my hero. He’s a reason I became a Ghostbuster. To battle the forces of darkness.” – Ray
Quote: “Oh sure, Moby Dick was just a big fish. Fettuccines was just an opera.”
You’ll Need A Reference: Moby-Dick or The Whale is a novel written by Herman Melville and published in 1851. It wasn’t highly regarded throughout the 19th Century. It would become one of the great American novels.
You’ll Need A Reference: If people think of fettuccine, its probably because of the known Italian pasta. It’ll also can refer to opera and today charitable organizations. Ray might have also thought of Broque Opera Company’s ”The Ring of the Fettuccines” which had performances in New York in February 1981.
Related article: Opera History In One Quick and Cheerful Performance (NY Times – February 6, 1981)
Also, related to a Ghostbusters movie to come within two years Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) referred to the positive painting of the Ghostbusters has been painted by “one of the Fettuccines.”
Location: Apartment Interior. Room: Studio
Quote: “Wait, he can’t do that. I won’t let Dr. Destructo do that.” – Captain Steel
Quote: “Of course I can. He just said so. You have no right to interfere in our battles.” – Dr. Destructo
Quote: “Right, what are you talking, right. I created you guys. Not to mention Delta city, police commissioner Grady, and the whole nine yards.” – Len Wolfman
You’ll Need A Reference: Len Wolfman is an homage to comic book writers, Len Wein and Marv Wolfman.
Quote: “You can’t do this Steel, its against the Comics Code.” – Dr. Destructo
You’ll Need A Reference: In 1954 the Comics Code Authority was founded by the Comics Magazine Association of America. It was an alternative to then government regulation.
Location: Apartment Interior. Room: Studio (With The Real Ghostbusters)
Sorry, I Missed It: When Ray is sitting at Len Wolfman’s art desk parts of his Neutrona Wand are the wrong color.
Quote: “What can I say? It wasn’t selling anymore. Kids are too hip nowadays to believe in a do gooder like Captain Steel.” – Len Wolfman
Quote: (To Winston) “Next, we’ll be busting the Tooth Fairy.” – Peter
You’ll Need A Reference: Buster is a Tooth Fairy that once befriended The Real Ghostbusters.
Location: Police Precent Interior
Quote: “Yeah, I think I saw you in Macy’s parade.” – Older Police Officer
You’ll Need A Reference: Macy’s, one of America’s department stores had has a parade during Thanksgiving in NYC since 1924.
Location: Manhattan Streets
Quote: “Look, up in the sky.” – Ray
You’ll Need A Reference: One of the classic Superman quotes when people see Superman (also known as the man of steel) up in the sky.
It Just Popped In There: Up to this point it isn’t clear that Captain Steel or Dr. Destructo are exactly ghosts. Yeah, they are too real. We also don’t know what else Len Wolfman told The Real Ghostbusters. Comic book characters coming to life is strange and something The Real Ghostbusters would look into.
Quote: “Surender, in the name of justice.” – Captain Steel
Quote: “Captain Steel you got it all wrong. We’re on your side.” – Ray
Quote: “That’s what they all say.” – Captain Steel
Tobin’s Spirit Guide (Ok, Spengs’ Superhero Guide): Captain Steel is obviously strong, can fly, and like supermen (and women) from that one green planet has the ability to shoot “heat rays” from his eyes.
It’s Technical/It Just Popped In There: As Captain Steel isn’t real, his heat rays didn’t seem to harm the Neutron Wands. Also if Peter’s attempt to capture Captain Steel wasn’t successful, why did the others make the same mistake?
Location: Apartment Interior. Room: Studio
You’ll Need A Reference: Dr. Destructo has a similar look to an evil Transformer, Megatron. Both The Real Ghostbusters and Transformers were 1980s cartoons. If Dr. Destructo sounds that familiar. Its because Frank Welker voiced Megatron along with Ray Stantz, Slimer, and other characters throughout his career. Including one that dealt with mysteries.
Location: Manhattan Air Space
Tobin’s Spirit Guide (Ok, Spengs’ Superhero Guide): Dr. Destructo has a type of suit that houses a small, but powerful energy weapon. When fired at Captain Steel it can bend around him like a rope. Dr. Destructo also has fists that seem to be powered by thrusters once they’re “released” towards Captain Steel. Once the target is reached, they return to Dr. Destructo.
It’s Technical: With The Real Ghostbusters about to need a box of band-aids, Egon tells the others to cross the streams (yup like in Ghostbusters) at the river. The energy from the streams sends a wall of water skywards, protecting The Real Ghostbusters.
Quote: “How did you know crossing the streams would do that?” – Winston
Quote: “I didn’t. I figured it couldn’t hurt.” – Egon
Location: Manhattan Streets (After Captain Steel was defeated)
Quote: “I can’t believe it. The world’s mightiest superhero, gone.” – Ray
Quote: (To Captain Steel) “See, member in good standing of the official Captain Steel Junior Crimestoppers Club.” – Ray
Quote: “Well, why didn’t you say so before?” – Captain Steel
Quote: “We got to find him (Dr. Destructo) before he unleashes whatever fiendish plan he’s concocting.” – Captain Steel
Quote: “I love it when you say stuff like that.” – Ray
Location: Firehouse Interior. Room: Janine’s Desk
Quote: “I’m Dr. Destructo. You are my prisoner.” – Dr. Destructo
Quote: “Dr. Venkman won’t like this. He hates to pay me overtime.” – Janine
Location: Manhattan Streets (With ECTO-1)
Sorry, I Missed It: The passenger side door of Ecto-1. Its “no ghost” logo isn’t drawn well. Its also backwards. Considering the animation was done in Asia, the logo could be the international equivalent.
Tobin’s Spirit Guide (Ok, Spengs’ Superhero Guide): To keep a low profile (when not physically fighting crime) Captain Steel is Kurt Clint, mild mannered public accountant for a greater metropolitan ad agency.
It Just Popped In There: Where have I heard something like that before? 😉
Quote: “All he did was change his clothes and put on a pair of glasses. Some disguise.” – Peter
Location: Firehouse Exterior (Surrounded By A Forcefield!)
• Quote: “Dr. Destructo has taken over our HQ.” – Ray
• Quote: “He could adapt the Power Grid to run his evil devices.” – Egon
• Quote: “This is serious Peter, if Destructo disconnects the power..
• Quote: “Don’t tell me. I remember the last time it happened.” – Peter
You’ll Need A Reference: As I’m not reviewing episodes in order, I don’t know without looking into it when it last happened. It certainly happened in early episodes. We know the first time it happened. “It’s a sign alright.” – Janine Melnitz
Quote: “Where does he put the suit?” – Peter
Location: Firehouse Interior – Basement – Ecto-Containment Unit
It’s Technical: (To Janine) “Quiet. I’ve almost finished connecting the power source to my mental neutralizer.” – Dr. Destructo.
• Quote: “Imagine my excitement.” – Janine
• Quote: “So what’s it gonna do?” – Janine
• Quote: It will turn every man, woman, and child on Earth into mindless zombies under my control.” – Dr. Destructo
• Quote: “You ought to work in television programming.” – Janine
Location: Apartment Interior. Room: Studio
Its Technical: Nucleonic energy is powering the forcefield. This quasi-tronic nuclear inverter should weaken the forcefield.
Location: Firehouse Interior – Basement – Ecto-Containment Unit
It Just Popped In There: I realize time is of the essence, was it really necessary for Peter to fire a confinement stream at the basement door to “open” it?
Quote: “Even you aren’t fast enough to stop me Steel.” – Dr. Destructo
It’s Technical: By pushing a button on a Ecto-Containment panel Ray is able to open the ECU’s trap door without releasing any ghosts. Causing a vacuum to pull just Destructo towards it.
It Just Popped In There: It’s a good thing despite Dr. Destructo’s modifications, that function still works!
Location: Apartment Interior. (Night) Room: Studio
Quote: “Hey, how’d you guys like to be the heroes of my next series?” – Len Wolfman
Although three out of the four The Real Ghostbusters declined the offer, The Real Ghostbusters did have their own comic series. (Ghostbusters Firehouse)
Ecto-Containment 
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