List of Crap #75: Top 50 Ghosts Countdown

[Johnny Unusual]

 

Number 25

The Ghost of Christmas Present

(31 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #3 Quantum Vagina)

The Ghost of Christmas Present was the third of the four spirits (after the visitations by Jacob Marley and The Ghost of Christmas Past) that haunted the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, in order to prompt him to repent. When he first appeared before Scrooge, he invited him to "come in and know me better, man." According reports, the Ghost of Christmas Present appeared to Scrooge as "a jolly giant" with dark brown curls. He wears a fur-lined green robe and on his head a holly wreath set with shining icicles. He carries a large torch, made to resemble a cornucopia, and appears accompanied by a great feast. He stated that he had "more than eighteen hundred" brothers and later revealed the ability to change his size to fit into any space. He also bears a scabbard with no sword in it, a representation of peace on Earth and good will toward men.

The spirit transported Scrooge around the city, showing him scenes of festivity and also deprivation that were happening as they watched, sprinkling a little warmth from his torch as he travels. Amongst the visits are Scrooge's nephew, and the family of his clerk, Bob Cratchit.

The spirit also shared a vision of Tiny Tim's crutch, carefully preserved by the fireplace. Scrooge asked if Tim will die. The Ghost first stated that "If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die" (i.e., Tim's illness is not incurable, but the Cratchits lack the funds for Tim to receive proper treatment, courtesy of Scrooge's miserliness), then – quick to use Scrooge's past unkind comments toward two charitable solicitors against him – suggested he "had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." Scrooge was disgusted at his own words and was concerned for Tiny Tim and his family.

The spirit finally revealed to Scrooge two emaciated children, subhuman in appearance and loathsome to behold, clinging to his robes, and named the boy as Ignorance and the girl as Want. The spirit warned Scrooge, "Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased". The spirit once again quoted Scrooge, who asked if the grotesque children have "no refuge, no resource," and the spirit retorted with more of Scrooge's unkind words, "Are there no prisons, no workhouses?", filling Scrooge with self-loathing.

The Ghost of Christmas Present, having already aged, revealed that he will only exist on Earth for a single year's Christmas holiday. He finally disappears at the stroke of midnight on Twelfth Night, and left Scrooge to face the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, as it approaches "like a mist along the ground".

Though you may see a ghost of Christmas Present, it is never the same ghost, merely a brother of the ghosts from the years prior.   

Malevolence
1/10
He's a bit sassy, but he's a cool guy to party with, even when he tries to teach you a lesson.

Spookiness
1/10
Dude, he looks like an old school Father Christmas with the edge removed.

[Johnny Unusual]

Number 24

Sam Wheat

(33 points on 4 of 12 lists. Top Vote #7 Cole Stratton)

Sam Wheat, a banker, and Molly Jensen, a talented potter, were a loving couple who move into a New York City apartment. At work, Sam discovered a major discrepancy in a couple of bank accounts (too much money) and confided in his good friend and colleague Carl Bruner (Tony Goldwyn). Carl offered to investigate the matter, but Sam decided to investigate himself. Later that night, Sam and Molly were attacked by armed thug Willie Lopez (Rick Aviles) and Sam was killed by a gunshot during a struggle with Willie.

Sam's ghost arose from his dead body, which lay next to the distraught Molly. He gradually realized that he was a ghost whose presence could not be seen or heard. One day, Sam was alone at the apartment (testing his ability to walk through doors) when Willie came in, looking for something. Sam was unable to stop the killer but spooked Molly's cat, Floyd, causing Willie to get scratched and flee. Sam followed the killer to his place in Brooklyn and heard that he would return to Molly's house. He also met Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg), a local con artist posing as a medium and realized she could hear him (not see him), although Oda Mae had been faking her abilities until then. He persuaded Oda Mae to tell Molly that she is in danger, but Molly was disbelieving and Carl later convinced Molly that Oda Mae was a fraud preying on her grief.

 Molly talked to the police about her concerns but they confirmed that Oda Mae was a known con artist with a lengthy record whereas Willie Lopez had none. Sam discovered that Carl was involved in a money laundering scheme at the bank and that the attack was an attempt by Carl to acquire Sam's security codes, so he could transfer the money from the many accounts to one at another bank. He learned how to move solid objects by willpower from an aggressive New York City subway poltergeist he met in the subway. He persuaded Oda Mae to thwart Carl's money laundering scheme. Following his instructions, Oda Mae impersonated the owner of Carl's fake bank account, closed the account, and reluctantly gave its $4 million contents to a homeless shelter. Carl, due to transfer the money to a correspondent bank overseas, became desperate when he found the account closed and empty. Sam taunted him in the deserted office by moving objects and making accusations appear on his computer screen, typing MURDERER, then his name (SAM), making it repeat.

Carl visited Molly and declared to Sam that he would kill Molly unless the money is returned that evening. He and Willie then go to Oda Mae's apartment to find her. Sam managed to get there first and warned Oda Mae and her two sisters, who quickly escaped and took refuge in a neighbor's apartment. Sam uses his powers to separate and distract Carl and Willie, who are ransacking Oda Mae's apartment in search of the money. Horrified by the experience, Willie fled and was killed in a traffic accident. Willie's ghost arose, saw his body, and was told by Sam that he's dead. A group of howling demons emerged from shadows of ordinary things and pulled a screaming Willie into the shadows, while Sam watched in horror.  Afterwards, Sam and Oda Mae returned to Molly's apartment to warn her about Carl, but she refused to let her in and broke down in grief. Sam finally convinced her that Oda Mae was genuine and he was truly present as a ghost by having her push a penny underneath the front door and Sam levitating it in front of Molly.

Astonished, Molly lets Ode Mae inside and while waiting for the police, Sam uses Oda Mae's body to share a final dance with Molly. Carl arrived, prepared to murder Molly and Oda Mae, but they fled. Sam was left momentarily weakened, as possession wipes a ghost out. In the storage room, Carl managed to get a hold of Oda Mae and threatened to kill her, but Molly came to her aid and held Carl off long enough for Oda Mae to escape his grasp. Carl grabbed Molly and held her at gunpoint for the money but was unsuccessful and as Sam recovered, he was able to disarm Carl and attack him. As Carl attempted to flee through a plate glass window, he flung a scaffolding hook in Sam's direction which swang back and partially shattered the glass in the upper part of the window; the window slid down and killed Carl as he climbed out. Carl became a ghost himself, much to his astonishment and to Sam's grief. Sam then watched in silence as the shadowy demons arrived to drag a screaming Carl away into the darkness. As Sam went to Oda Mae and Molly and asked if they are all right, Molly suddenly realized that she could hear him. A heavenly light filled the room and Sam became fully visible to both Molly and Oda Mae. Sam looked behind him and saw hundreds of people, presumably angels, in a portal to Heaven. His task was completed and he could move on. Sam said an emotional farewell to Molly, thanked Oda Mae for her help, and departed to the afterlife.

Malevolence
2/10
He's did attack some bad guys, though they only died because they were dumb.

Spookiness
1/10
Unless by spooky, you mean sexy.  Then he's a solid 8.

[Johnny Unusual]

Number 23

The Vanishing Hitchhiker

(35 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #4 Raven)

The Vanishing Hitchhiker (AKA the ghostly hitchhiker, the disappearing hitchhiker, the phantom hitchhiker or simply the hitchhiker) story is an urban legend in which people traveling by vehicle meet with or are accompanied by a hitchhiker who subsequently vanishes without explanation, often from a moving vehicle. Vanishing hitchhikers have been reported for centuries and the story is found across the world, with many variants.

A common variation of the above involves the vanishing hitchhiker departing as would a normal passenger, having left some item in the car, or having borrowed a garment for protection against alleged cold (whether or not the weather conditions reflect this claim). The vanishing hitchhiker can also leave some form of information that allegedly encourages the motorist to make subsequent contact.

In such tellings, the garment borrowed is often subsequently found draped over a gravestone in a local cemetery. In this and in the instance of "imparted information", the unsuspecting motorist subsequently makes contact with the family of a deceased person and finds that their passenger fits the description of a family member killed in some unexpected way (usually a car accident) and that the driver's encounter with the vanishing hitchhiker occurred on the anniversary of their death.

Not all vanishing hitchhiker reports involved allegedly recurring ghosts. One popular variant in Hawaii involves the goddess Pele, traveling the roads incognito and rewarding kind travelers. Other variants include hitchhikers who utter prophecies (typically of pending catastrophe or other evils) before vanishing.

Paranormal researcher Michael Goss in his book The Evidence for Phantom Hitch-Hikers discovered that many reports of vanishing hitch-hikers turn out to be based on folklore and hearsay stories. Goss also examined some cases and attributed them to a hallucination.


 Malevolence
1/10
There are very few cases of spectral hitchhiker hurting anyone.

Spookiness
1/10
Not really, though after the fact they jump up a few points.

[Tripe]

There are a couple of examples of this trope really close to one another (page count wise anyway) in the bible. One of them features Mary's boychild himself.

[Johnny Unusual]

Number 22

Deadman

(36 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #1 Johnny Unusual)

Deadman is a ghost, formerly a circus trapeze artist named Boston Brand who performed under the name Deadman, a stage persona including a red costume and white corpse makeup. Brand also basically ran the circus, and while he was a just man, he was also known for his surly attitude and short temper.  When Brand is murdered during a trapeze performance by a mysterious assailant known only as the Hook (in fact his last words were "Gee, from up here it almost looks like that guy with the hook for a hand has a gun..."), his spirit is given the power to possess any living being by a Hindu goddess named Rama Kushna (a corruption of Rama-Krishna), in order to search for his murderer and obtain justice.  He comes to believe that his assassin was hired by someone else in the circus, since his bad attitude had made him many potential enemies and began to investigate them one by one by possessing them or people around them.

As a ghost, Deadman had the powers of intangibility, invisibility, and flight. He was also able to possess any sentient being. The people he possessed retained no memory of the experience. As a living human, he was an Olympic level athlete well-trained in acrobatics and a former boxer.


 Malevolence
5/10
He’s a just man, but he has a short temper and is generally grouchy.

Spookiness
4/10
He does have a bit of a spooky look to him.  That said, very few people can actually see him, so it’s not that big a deal.

[Johnny Unusual]

 

Number 21

The Stewart Family

(38 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #10 George Harrison)

The Stewarts are a family of ghosts living in a remote country house in the British Crown Dependency of Jersey.  The mother, Grace was a devout catholic and her two children, Anne and Nicholas, suffered from xeroderma pigmentosa which made them very photosensitive.  The Stewarts were long unaware that they were ghosts, a fact that was revealed to them after a group of people moved into the house and the children started to see them. For some reason, Grace was unable to see the houses new residents for the longest time and had difficulty understanding what was happening, believing they might be ghosts or demons.  She left the house to find a priest to exorcise the ghosts and ran into her husband, who was declared in killed in the second world war.  She brought him home, but he was distant.  Eventually, Grace saw an old woman and became convinced she is a ghost.  However, she finally learned the truth from her servants (also ghosts) that the family had died 50 years prior at Grace’s hands after a psychotic breakdown.  Angry at the fact, she scared away the living residents of the house and vowed not to let anyone else have the house.


 Malevolence
5/10
Not evil, but very territorial and based on her vow, probably will aggressively haunt anyone who tries to take the house.

Spookiness
5/10
It’s the damned British accents and speaking only in whispers.

[Johnny Unusual]

Oh, and you know, spoiler alert.

That's it for tonight!  (or for most people, morning).  I'll post more tomorrow morning (tonight).

[Darth Geek]

Number 26

Zero

presents, Zero had to light the way because of the thick fog, using his Jack O’Lantern nose. 

I've watched this movie soooo many times. But it wasn't until I got the BluRay that I actually noticed is nose was supposed to be a jak-o-lantern.

[Tripe]

One popular variant in Hawaii involves the goddess Pele, traveling the roads incognito and rewarding kind travelers.

I want to find a collection of this version, sounds fascinating.

[Johnny Unusual]

 

Number 20

The Grady Twins

(38 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #5 SicGirl)

The Grady twins were the daughters of Charles Grady, former caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. The twins appear to young Danny Torrance to serve as a macabre warning of exactly what happens over the winter - people go crazy and people die.  They apparently were killed by their father at the hotel and are now looking for people to play with.

 Malevolence
1/10
Dude, they just want to play with you.  Is your heart so twisted as to misconstrue an invitation to a game as some kind of threat.

Spookiness
1/10
Aw, aren’t they the sweetest?  And they even finish each other’s sentences.  At the same time!

[Johnny Unusual]

 

Number 19

Santi

(39 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #5 George Harrison)

Santi is the ghost of a young boy in an orphanage in Spain in the middle of nowhere during World War II.  Santi was murdered by the orphanage’s caretaker Jacinto who was trying to opening a safe of gold.  Santi later haunts another boy named Carlos and tries to warn him many people will die.

When the residents of the school are all forced to leave when they fear that fascists are coming, the attempt to leave is thwarted by Jacinto, who kills many of the orphans in an explosion.  He then locks up the boys in their dormitory and holds everyone hostage while he looks for the gold.  Eventually, Jacinto is killed by the surviving children and Santi, who drowns him.

Malevolence
5/10
He does want revenge, but mostly he’s trying to warn Carlos and stop bad things from happening

Spookiness
8/10
It’s the flowing wound that really sells it.

[Johnny Unusual]

 

Number 18

LeChuck

(41 points on 2 of 12 lists. Top Vote #1 Pak Man)

An undead pirate captain, LeChuck is obsessed with pursuing the affections of Elaine Marley, and exacting revenge upon Guybrush Threepwood, who is responsible for consistently thwarting his plans. LeChuck is not limited to one incarnation; he has become has a ghost, a zombie and a demon among other forms. While sometimes gullible and naïve, LeChuck is a powerful and intelligent villain, making extensive use of voodoo magic in his megalomaniacal plans.

A ghost pirate captain of a ship of undead pirates, LeChuck had been in a brief but unsuccessful relationship with Elaine Marley, the governor of Mêlée Island. After Elaine spurned his advances, LeChuck made an effort to impress the governor by sailing off in pursuit of the secret of Monkey Island. The exhibition ultimately cost LeChuck his life, but he returned as a ghost and began to terrorise the Caribbean, operating out of Monkey Island. Having scared most of the pirates in the Caribbean into staying in port, LeChuck began to plan kidnapping Elaine and forcing her to marry him. Upon learning of Guybrush Threepwood, a new pirate-in-training on Mêlée Island who could cause problems to his plan, LeChuck traveled to Mêlée Island to personally dispose of Guybrush, disguising himself as the island's sheriff. LeChuck confronted Guybrush, tied him to a weight and pushed him into the harbour waters. Leaving Guybrush for dead, LeChuck and his crew raided the island and kidnapped Elaine, and took her to their Monkey Island hideout. Guybrush survived, however, and having become smitten by the governor himself, mounted a rescue mission to Monkey Island. Guybrush was unable to reach Elaine in time, as LeChuck's ship returned to Mêlée Island for the wedding. Nevertheless, Guybrush gate crashed the wedding, intent on killing LeChuck using an anti-ghost potion based on a voodoo root. Infuriated, LeChuck attacked Guybrush, but his spirit form was destroyed when he was sprayed with root beer.

LeChuck returns in many different forms, including a zombie, a demon and a human.

Malevolence
8/10
He’s pretty villainous

Spookiness
4/10
I guess he’s kind of spooky, but he’s far more silly.

[Johnny Unusual]

Number 17

Boo

(42 points on 4 of 12 lists. Top Vote #9 Quantum Vagina)

Boos (AKA Boo Diddleys) are ghosts common to the Mushroom Kingdom.  They are named after the onomatopoeia of the sound that one might make when trying to frighten someone ("boo!"), whereas their Japanese name comes from the verb 'tereru' (照れる), meaning 'to be shy'.

A Boo's most common pattern of attack is to sneak up on a victim from behind while they are facing away from them; however, they hide their faces (thus turning 'invisible') if looked at, hence the connotations of their Japanese name. Being ghosts, they are usually invincible, and unable to be defeated without certain items or conditions.

It has been implied that Boos may have been other living species before they became boos, but this has not been made clear. There are also sub-species of Boo based on other species; for example undead Shy Guys become "Boo Guys" while undead Lakitus become "Fishin' Boo"s.

Malevolence
8/10
They will try to kill you, but the second you look at them they freeze.  They are, in essence, Weeping Angels.

Spookiness
1/10
Yeah, they’ll try to get you, but they are cute.

[Johnny Unusual]

Number 16

The Woman in Black

(44points on 4 of 12 lists. Top Vote #3 Tripe)

Jennet Humfrye (AKA The Woman in Black) is a ghost who haunts Eel Marsh House in England.  She was an unmarried and pregnant woman disowned by her wealthy family. Her married sister, Alice Drablow, offered to adopt Jennet’s child, on condition that Jennet not see him.

At her wits' end, Jennet agreed, but found it hard to stay away. So, she started stalking the child. Eventually, she came to Eel Marsh House, but was still not allowed to acknowledge that she is Nathaniel's mother.

Jennet decided to abduct her son from her sister. But before she could, he was drowned in an accident on the marshes in a pony and trap. She watched it happen from the nursery window of Eel Marsh House.

Jennet died of heart failure twelve years after her son, Nathanial Drablow.

Years later, solicitor Arthur Kipps visits for the funeral of Alice Drablow.  At the funeral, he and some children saw Jennet’s ghost (though he didn’t realize it was a ghost) dressed in black.  Kipps stayed in Eel Marsh House and experienced various disturbances and strange noises, including a child’s scream.  Kipps later learned of the Woman in Black’s history and the news that seeing her means a death of a child in the family, which later comes true for him.

 Malevolence
9/10
The Woman in Black has become so bitter that she just wants to cause misery.

Spookiness
8/10
She really is a foreboding presence.  Try not to cross her path at all costs.

[Johnny Unusual]

 

Number 15

The Winchester Mystery House

(45points on 3 of 12 lists. Top Vote #8 Johnny Unusual)

The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion in Northern California, once the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester. The property and mansion have been claimed to be haunted—including by Winchester herself—since construction commenced in 1884. Under Winchester's day-to-day guidance, its "from-the-ground-up" construction proceeded around the clock, without interruption, until her death on September 5, 1922, at which time work immediately ceased. The cost for such constant building has been estimated at about US $5.5 million (equivalent to over $75 million in 2012). It now serves as a tourist attraction.

The Boston Medium told Winchester, supposedly by way of her late husband, that she had to leave her home in New Haven and travel West, where she must continuously build a home for herself and the spirits of people who had fallen victim to Winchester rifles. Winchester left her New Haven home and headed for California. In 1884 she purchased an unfinished farmhouse in Santa Clara Valley, and began building her mansion. Carpenters were hired and worked on the house day and night until it became a seven story mansion.

The June 1937 issue of Modern Mechanix relates the story from then-current accounts:

"Winchester and the baby girl died suddenly and Mrs Winchester, stunned by the tragedy, fell into a coma so serious that physicians despaired of her life. Finally she recovered and, at a friend’s suggestion, visited a medium. During a séance, according to those familiar with her story, she received a communication from her dead husband in which he said: 'Sarah dear, if our house had not been finished, I would still be with you. I urge you now to build a home, but never let it be finished, for then you will live.' "

In fact, her daughter died in 1866 and her husband in 1881, neither suddenly.

In a Discovery Channel account, "She believed her only chance of a normal life was to build a house, and keep building it. If the house was never finished, no ghost could settle into it. The house contains many features that were utilized to trap or confuse spirits. There are doors that are small or lead nowhere and windows that look into other parts of the house. The mansion may be huge but there are only two mirrors in the whole place. This is because Sarah believed that ghosts were afraid of their own reflection."

Winchester inherited more than $20.5 million upon her husband's death. She also received nearly fifty percent ownership of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, giving her an income of roughly $1,000 per day, equivalent to about $30,000 a day in 2012. These inheritances gave her a tremendous amount of wealth to fund the ongoing construction.


 Malevolence
?/10
It really is hard to say, but you got to assume high considering that almost all the ghosts died violent deaths

Spookiness
9/10
It’s like Aaron Spelling’s house, but built on the blood of those who fell to bullets, rather than 38 year olds playing 17 year olds.  The latter is actually more unsettling.