Ghost Zone

The Ghost Zone is a fictional dimension from the Nickelodeon animated television series "Danny Phantom". The Ghost Zone is a realm in where in which metaphors are literal reality. Highlighted in season 3, the very fabric of the Ghost Zone coexists with the physical world; their mutual and dual existences is interlinked; they are the proverbial 'flip-side-of-the-coin' to each other. The 'Ghost Zone' is a dimension composed of variations of ectoplasm where 'ghosts' exist and through naturally occurring portals can cross-over into the human world, hoping to make a scene or take over mankind.

The titular character, Danny Phantom, a.k.a. Danny Fenton, was involved in an accident in his parent's Basement/Laboratory. Danny's parents, Jack and Maddie Fenton's construction of a 'Ghost portal', an artificial gateway into the 'ghost zone', where-in Danny, standing inside his parents 'ghost portal' when it activated, is infused with ectoplasm all the way down to Danny's molecular level--the end result is Danny's is rendered with a variety of 'ghost powers'.

The Ghost Zone

Essentially the home of all full ghost characters on the show, the Ghost Zone is a dimensional realm--its very physical presence, material-wise; all of the solids, liquids and gases, are all composed entirely out of various forms and substances, all of which is collectively known as "ectoplasm"--which is in itself not only physical, (jelly, foam, gel or goo or more solid forms); but also ethereal--energy (Energy (spirituality), Energy (psychological) or Psychic energy). Ectoplasm has quintessence-esque properties; the animating principal of quintessence is able to animate inanimate objects.

The Ghost Zone as a dimension in time-space fluidic phase as portals can naturally form--portals between the Earth and the Ghost Zone, portals to other dimensions, and portals through time and space. The Ghost Zone features a wide variety of locations, all of them accessible through unusual doors that usually have something to do with what's through them. On more powerful levels, Ectoplasm itself can warp the fabric of time and space creating tears or portals between Earth and the Ghost Zone.

A ghost portal is necessary to enter or exit the Ghost Zone. So far, four of the known portals are artificial; one created by the Fentons, one created by Vlad Masters, the small prototype portal that the three were involved with in their University days (though this one was never definitely shown to work), and the mirror to Sidney Poindexter's Casper High from the 50's (Although Danny broke it). However, there are also many other naturally created portals around the world, space, and the other planets as well, which may open and close up at any given time (The Infi-Map can be used to spot one). These natural portals apparently may ignore time as well, transporting people who go through them to different time periods. Some ghosts, like Wulf and Dark Danny, have also been able to create temporary ghost portals at will.

The Ghost Zone features many different locations shown as islands floating in space. These areas differ on their own, or due to other ghost's powers. Such as a black and white version of Casper High stuck in the 50's, or a medieval island kingdom in which time does not advance, and technology doesn't work. A property that appears to remain mostly constant is that living people who enter Ghost Zone are intangible to everything that the Ghost Zone presents as physical to ghosts.

In "Fright Night", you can see a Ghost Zone map created by Danny, Tucker, and Sam during "Prisoners of Love" and "Fanning the Flames" (the latter which the trio mentioned they are charting out a map of the Ghost Zone). As the map indicates, it's a work in progress. It is revealed in "Livin' Large" that the Earth and the Ghost Zone share a dimensionally symbiotic bond, which goes so far that if the Ghost Zone is destroyed, Earth will be destroyed in the process as well, and vice versa.

Known and Named Locations

These are the known locations revealed throughout "Danny Phantom".
* Skulker's Lair: A floating jungle-filled 'island,' home to rogue ghost hunter Skulker. Danny and Valerie once had to traverse through it while handcuffed together as Skulker gave hunt to the both of them in "Life Lessons".
* The SplitZone (Black and White 1950's Zone): An entirely black and white world of the 1950s located in apparently the Ghost Zone's version of Casper High, holding students of that time period. It was the "home" of Sidney Poindexter. First seen in "Splitting Images". This was the first part of the Ghost Zone seen.
* Walker's Prison: The prison where Walker places the ghosts he arrested in jail. Danny was once sentenced to 1,000 years in prison for accidentally bringing into an object from the mortal world in "Prisoners of Love".
* Klemper's Realm: Mentioned in "Fright Night" and not really shown. It is probably the frozen, snowy wasteland shown in "Fanning the Flames" that indicates that it is his home.
* Pariah's Keep: The castle of the once great Pariah Dark, where he rests for all eternity, along with his servant, Fright Knight. Pariah Dark was once briefly awakened in "Reign Storm" accidentally by Vlad Plasimus, but with him, Danny, and a wide range of ghosts, they managed to return him back to his sleep. Fright Knight was revived for a short time during "Fright Night", and again in "Reign Storm" where he agreed to work for Vlad under unknown circumstances .
* Clockwork's Headquarters: A giant Clocktower, the home to Clockwork, first shown in "The Ultimate Enemy", it is a place unaffected by time. The lair also contains the Fenton Thermos that is storing Dark Danny.
* Ghost Writer's Manor: Home to the Ghost Writer, the mansion is literally filled with books, resembling that of a library. First shown in "The Fright Before Christmas".
* Technus' Home: While never shown, Technus in "Secret Weapons" once came out the doorway of presumably his own home. As shown he`s bathing in a bath tub, that proves it. Danny "acidentally" helped Skulker by hitting him (Technus) back in. It seemed that at the time that Skulker had stolen Technus' towel.
* Aragon's Kingdom: A kingdom governed by Prince Aragon; it is a lair forever stuck in the medieval ages until "Beauty Marked" when Aragon's sister Dora rebelled and altered the kingdom so time can flow regularly.
* Storage Room: A part of the Ghost Zone where various objects and items end up--mostly from the mortal realm as seen in "Prisoners of Love". It is possible that any ghost that is sucked into the Fenton Thermos and then released into the Ghost Zone ends up here automatically, though the Box Ghost could have meant the whole Zone when he said all the ghosts ended up 'here' when they were released.
* Realm of The Far Frozen (Frostbite's City): Similar to Antarctica, Frostbite and his yeti-ghost people live in a freezing cold area. They are also a warrior race and skilled with medicines and technology. This and Clockwork's home are the only realms in the Ghost Zone where Danny is actually welcome.
* Observants High Council Tribunal Headquarters: Apparent home of the Observants where they watch over Earth and commence judgment on ghosts who proceed to do massive amounts of damage towards it.
* Warehouse: Presumably The Box ghost's home, filled with boxes which he at times uses as his personal weapons.
* Pandora's Lair: Home to Pandora and to other Greek myths it is also the home of Pandora's Box itself to which Pandora has sworn to keep the evils inside locked up.
* Natural Ghost Portals: In "Infinite Realms", there were also natural ghost portals in the Ghost Zone that lead to random locations and time periods. Among those seen are:
** The Bermuda Triangle
** Prehistoric Earth
** The House of a Little Boy in 1942
** Salem, Massachusetts (during the Salem Witchcraft Trials)
** The Roman Empire
** A Buddhist temple
** Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (when the Wright Brothers flew their first plane)
** The rings of Saturn
** Antarctica
* "'Other places seen in "Infinite Realms" that Danny, Sam and Tucker bypassed when testing again the Infimap.

Ghosts

Ecto-sapians (ghosts) are spectral, trans-morphic, quasi-plasmoid entities (like the phase-shifting lifeform Flubber in the Disney movie Flubber) capable of going in-between the Ghost Zone and Earth through portals that open and close at various times and in various places.

The more well-known ecto-sapians, entities of a paranormal nature, are the "manifestation(s) of ectoplasmic energy and post-human consciousness" of beings that were formally Proto-sapians/Bio-sapians (humans and animals)--i.e. Sidney Poindexter and "Cujo" the Ghost Dog/Dog-Ghost--hence they can be called echoes, shadows or ghosts of their former selves. Ghost can appearantly have children together.

The less known ecto-sapians, (i.e. Clockwork or the Observants), are entities of a supernatural nature and weren't from earth originally, but some are reminiscent of Anthropomorphic Personification (human-like) in nature and were perhaps once known as or were the inspiration for ancient nature spirits/gods and characters recorded in mythology and folklore; entities like:
* Clockwork the master and overseer of time (whose appearance is reminiscent of Chronos/Khronos and/or Father Time).
* Pandora (who is famous in Greek Mythology for Pandora's Box). Along with Pandora; Medusa, Argus Panoptes, Cerberus and Centaurs, minotaurs, unicorns, Hydra, Pegasus and Cyclops, which are all seen in "Boxed Up Fury".
* Undergrowth - a plant 'ghost' who is a corrupted embodiment of Mother Nature/Flora/the Environment.
* Vortex - a 'ghost' who is a corrupted embodiment of the Earth's atmosphere/the weather.
* Wulf - a 'ghost' whose physical appearance is that of a Werewolf - a monster of medieval European folklore.
* Nocturne - the 'ghost' of sleep and dreams who is remaniscent of Hypnos (sleep), Morpheus (dreams) and Phobetor (nightmares). Nocturne's physical appearance links him as an embodiment of the night.
* The Fright Knight - a 'ghost' with the appearance of a medieval knight who is also known as "The Spirit of Halloween"; the Fright Knight's main power is contained within his sword "The Soul Shredder" which when it cuts it victim will send then into an alternate pocket dimension were the victim's worst fears and nightmares come true.

There are at least three known weaknesses that all ghosts share:
* Ectoplasm and Ectoplasmic Energy - Some of the weaponry designed and built by ghost hunters, like the senior Fentons, utilise Ectoplasm and Ectoplasmic energy against ghosts (see: Fenton Ecto-Weaponry.) Then again, ghosts themselves are made of ectoplasm and ectoplasmic energy, and tend to use both for their abilities as well.
* Blood Blossoms - seen in "Infinite Realms", Blood Blossoms are blood-red flowers with anti-supernatural properties and were used by John Fenton Nightingale (an ancestor of the modern Fentons.) Blood Blossoms were used to great effect against witches and ghosts/spirits when in their presence--rendering them not only powerless, but would have ghosts and familiar spirits withering in agony until the flowers were removed. Vlad referred to them as "a primitive Spectre Deflector"-- (which are only effective on physical contact). Blood Blossoms are also edible, they are seen as an excellent garnish in sandwiches. Once Blood Blossoms have been ingested (chewed, swallowed and deposited in the stomach) it can no-longer affect a ghost. Blood Blossoms are to the supernatural as Kryptonite is to Superman - but while Superman was spared from the effects of Kryptonite when it was locked up in a lead container - a ghost/spirit/witch is safe from Blood Blossoms if the flowers are simply consumed by a normal human/animal.
* Ectoranium - The "unique anti-ghost element... (its) negative effects can only be felt by ghosts." Unlike Blood Blossoms, ghosts can merely be in the presence of ectoranium and feel no effects--its only when they come into physical contact with ectoranium that they are shocked by the opposing energies--which is why it is known as the "anti-ghost element"--so no ghost can touch it; Ghosts can phase themselves through ectoranium--but they cannot touch it or phase it through solid matter (as seen and mentioned only in "Phantom Planet".)

Artifacts of the Ghost Zone

Artifacts that potentially originate from within the Ghost Zone that hold particular powers or abilities.

The Soul Shredder

The weapon of The Fright Knight, it is both his greatest power and one main weakness. When The Soul Shredder cuts someone, they are teleported to an alternate dimension where their greatest fears become real. To banish the Fright Knight, one must sheathe his sword into a pumpkin.

The Ghostly Skeleton Key

An artifact of the Ghost Zone, this Ghostly Skeleton Key is empowered as a universal key which can open up any door, travel to any realm, and free any prisoner. It is also the only key which can open the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep, which keeps Pariah Dark imprisoned within.

The "Ring of Rage" and the "Crown of Fire"

The Ring of Rage and the Crown of Fire, which give the bearer tremendous if not unlimited ability and potential power. The Ring of Rage can only be used in conjunction with the Crown of Fire. Once used by King of Ghosts, Pariah Dark, to conquer the Ghost Zone and the Earth. Seen only in "Reign Storm".

arcophagus of Forever Sleep

A spectral-powered Sarcophagus of unknown origins, this artifact was used by a group of ancient ghosts to imprison Pariah Dark. The only known key for it is The Ghostly Skeleton Key (above) and its power to render its victim into "Forever Sleep" is only effective when the victim is trapped within and the lid is closed and locked.

The Reality Gauntlet

The Reality Gauntlet is a glove that covers the hand and arm to the elbow. The gauntlet is used by the character known as Freakshow. More obviously based on the Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity Gems (the most powerful ancient objects in the Marvel Comics Universe), the Reality Gauntlet is powered by a triangular gem which acts as the power source and three other gems. This artifact uses "spectral power" to weave and reweave the fabric of reality. It only appeared in "Reality Trip" where Freakshow sought after it and it's powers, ultimately forcing Danny and his friends to collect all three gems in exchange for their family's life. They do so and Danny is confronted in a final showdown with a reality-controlling Freakshow, eventually fooling him and destroying the gauntlet.

The Gems

* The first gem is the Gem of Life, a square ruby. This gem allows the wearer to control the power of life and death, and potentially give life to a lifeless object, or possibly take life away from the living. Examples range from Freakshow turning train cars into robots or bringing a space shuttle come to life because a little boy touched it and dropped it on the shuttle.
* The second gem is the Gem of Form, a diamond-shaped topaz. This gem gives the wearer of the gauntlet the power over all things in that, like alchemy, they may turn one thing into the form of anything else. For example, in the final confrontation, the fire blast almost kills Danny, but Freakshow recreates him with the Gem of Form and Life. Another example is turning Gothapalooza into a Teddy Bear Land.
* The third gem is the Gem of Fantasy, a circular sapphire. This gem allows the wearer to make their wishes come true; that is, they can change reality into fantasy, and fantasy into reality. For example, three geeks had transformed into supervillains according to their costumes.
* The final gem is a triangular ruby that is actually the gauntlet's power source.

When the gems are pressed in a certain order, their powers fuse together, giving the wearer total control over all reality. In the initial fight with Freakshow, Danny, Tucker Foley, and Sam Manson accidentally set off this sequence, giving the gauntlet control of all reality. To prevent this power from being abused, the gauntlet has a built-in safety mechanism: whoever touches one of the gems while it is in the gauntlet can teleport the gem out of the gauntlet by simply wishing it away. With the gem out of the gauntlet, the gauntlet loses the power that the gem supplied. The gem's power can be activated by mere touch outside of the gauntlet, but it is only when they are in the gauntlet that they can be properly controlled, and only when they are in the gauntlet can they rewrite reality. When used by hand they seem to burn the hand of the user.

Crystal Ball Ring

Seen only in "Beauty Marked", this ring allowed Princess Dorathea to infiltrate Casper High while remain undetectable to Danny's Ghost Sense but also allowed her to communicate with her brother, Prince Aragon, while she was on Earth and her brother was in the Ghost Zone.

The Infi-map

The Infi-map is a complete map of all the locations of all natural and man-made ghost portals within the Ghost Zone--as well as serve as an address book/map "for a bazillion ghosts". The map itself resembles a scroll. It makes its first appearance in the episode "Infinite Realms" when Frostbite offers to let Danny and his friends use it to lead them home. Apart from being a complete map of the Ghost Zone, the map has the unique ability to transport its user(s) to any specific portal or location on the map. The map activates itself when the user(s) say where it is they want to go to. The Infi-map will immediately "fly" to the portal while the user(s) hang on to one end of the map. At the end of the episode, the map goes back to the care of Frostbite and his race.

In "Phantom Planet", Vlad steals the Map from Frostbite and uses it to travel to the rings of Saturn and his satellite within an instantaneously, however, it is retrieved by Danny, Sam and Tucker for Frostbite--but instead it was later used to help track down ghosts to help him save the planet from the "Disasteroid".

Pandora's Box

Prior to the events in "Boxed Up Fury", a long time ago in ancient Greek times, an ecto-sapien called Pandora, seeing that both the Earthly Realm and the Ghostly Realm were plagued with forces of 'malevolence' and 'evil', wished to seal it all away and so used her powers to craft a 'box' (with a "spew" and "reverse" switch) that would keep it all contained and make both the Earth and the Ghost Zone better places to live and exist in. Pandora and her 'Pandora's Box' would come to be remembered in Greek Mythology.

In "Boxed Up Fury", the Box Ghost, desperate to gain the attention and the fear of the bioplasmic people of the Earth and the ectoplasmic denziens of the Ghost Zone, sneaked into Pandora's lair and steals her historically famous Box. Upon opening Pandora's Box, the Box Ghost unwittingly absorbs portions of the Box's powers, slowly becoming stronger in terms of power and more dark in terms of actually being evil, character-wise and his color scheme changed from blue to an angry red. Every malice he releases, he increases in strength and malevolence. Only through trickery from Danny's side did Pandora act in time to stop Box Ghost and retrieve her box back.

Government and Law

In past times, it seemed the entire zone was once in a monarchy state ruled under the iron fist of King Pariah Dark, powered by the Ring of Rage and Crown of Fire. However his harsh rules caused the ghosts of that time to rebel and place him in forever sleep for all eternity, removing his crown and ring.

In present time, it seems each of the ghost lairs goes by their own set of rules, yet they all obey general laws that are passed throughout, seeing as law enforcer Walker and his enforcers don't seem to be limited on where they can arrest law breaking ghosts.

There is one law that all ghosts adhere to without question: to never fight during Christmas.