Ivo Shandor

"I have chosen. I am the Destructor. I am the Architect. I will pave over your fields to start anew. I will fill your seas with concrete and stone. I will pierce your world with girders of steel and panes of glass. I will crush your world under the weight of my cities. I will smother your creation under my own!"

- Words of Ivo Shandor.

Ivo Shandor is the founder of the Cult of Gozer and the main antagonist of Ghostbusters: The Video Game (though his name and biography was originally mentioned in the movie Ghostbusters).

According to the Ghostbusters, he is the designer of 55 Central Park West, using unusual materials such as cold-riveted beams with cores of pure selenium, magnesium-tungsten alloys and gold-plated bolts. Shandor designed the building in a fashion similar to the telescopes NASA uses to identify dead pulsars in deep space. After his death, he became a traveling ghostly being that, after the failure of his god's attempt to take over the material realm, he decides to take action himself. He takes possession of Mayor Jock Mulligan in a plot to become a god himself. The Ghostbusters end up in a great battle with him of which he then was defeated and forced back into his realm.

Lifetime
Shandor is stated as the architect for the building at 55 Central Park West, an apartment building that is described as "Spook Central". The first mention of the unusual nature of the building comes in a scene featuring Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore. Stantz examined the building's blueprints and described the roof as having been "fabricated with a magnesium-tungsten alloy." Stantz goes on to note that the building has "cold-riveted girders with cores of pure selenium". Egon Spengler further describes the building's "roof cap" as "exactly like the kind of telemetry tracker NASA uses to identify dead pulsars in deep space.".

When Peter Venkman remarks "they don't build 'em like they used to," Stantz retorts "the architect was either a certified genius or an authentic wacko." Stantz describes the skyscraper as a superconductive antenna for "pulling in and concentrating spiritual turbulence."

Ray was the Ghostbuster who noted the building's architect was an "I. Shandor," as he looked over the blueprints while in jail for environmental violations related to the Ghostbusters' business. Immediately, Spengler recognized the name as one he had seen in Tobin's Spirit Guide. Spengler went on to explain Shandor's background. Shandor, described as an architect and doctor by trade, decided that, after World War I, society was too sick to survive. He, and his 1,000 plus purported followers composing the Cult of Gozer, worshiped the ancient Sumerian god and performed rituals on the roof of 55 Central Park West, bizarre rituals intended to bring about the end of the world. As a medical doctor, Shandor is said in the film to have performed a lot of "unnecessary surgery". Ivo Shandor is said to have started his secret society, the Gozer Worshippers, as early as in 1920.

It is revealed in the Ghostbusters: The Video Game that Ivo Shandor, his architecture firm (and his cult) were involved in renovations of existing buildings and construction of new structures in the late 1800s to early 1900s. These public works and projects sparked controversy and a lot of people thought the work was unnecessary. On Shandor's Island, Egon notes Shandor's public architectural style ranged from Federal to Art Deco but his personal tastes obviously leaned toward the Gozerian.

There were 4 places which served as Mandala: a magic that was supposed to focus spirit energy and empower Gozer, when he entered our world. Three of these places were the library, the museum and the Sedgewick Hotel, which Shandor assigned his 3 most loyal followers to guard upon passing away. The fourth was Shandor Island, a place where he and his cult conducted many paranormal experiments, including the capture of a Sloar and the creation of Mood Slime.

It also was revealed that Ivo Shandor used Black Slime he extracted from the Sloar in order to boost the power of himself, as well as his minions, making the cult's existence possible even after their deaths. The Shandor Foundation which is named after Ivo Shandor himself, took control of his remaining estate and holdings.

Ghost of Ivo Shandor
Apparently, Ivo Shandor became a powerful being after his death and was able to travel to other dimensions. Hidden deep in the Central Park, the secret cult cemetery become a new home to him and his minions. There Ivo Shandor awaited the coming of Gozer. In 1984, Gozer's time had finally come, and the god attempted to pass through the 55 Central Park West to our world. However, Gozer's efforts were ultimately stopped by the Ghostbusters, who destroyed the portal while the god's full form was never complete, banishing him back to whence he came. Ivo Shandor and the Gozer Worshippers had no choice but to find new means to bring forth Gozer.

In 1991, Shandor's last living descendant, Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn was at the museum studying Gozer when her presence there triggered the Mandala, unleashing a Psi Energy Pulse, a powerful psychokinetic wave, that unleashed hundreds of new ghosts around the city and allowed Gozer to return in his destructor form (Stay Puft Marshmallow Man). However, while it was completely manifested in our realm, it was much weaker than before, as it probably still required more power to achieve it's full potential. Gozer attempted to kidnap Ilyssa as a sacrifice to himself, but the Sumerian god is defeated again, this time being destroyed by the Rookie.

Frustrated by Gozer's failure at the hands of the Ghostbusters twice, the spirit of Shandor decided to become a god himself. Possessing the body of Mayor Jock Mulligan, Shandor assigned the Ghostbusters to work with Walter Peck to both keep them from figuring out his plan, and use Peck as a scapegoat while he used the Mandala to increase his power while merging the real world and the spirit world. However, the Ghostbusters discover the correlation between the the sites of the ghost appearances and the symbol they found, realizing they were nodes of the mandala.

One by one, Shandor's most loyal followers who served as the node guardians: Azetlor, the Chairman, and the Spider Witch, were defeated and three of the four nodes were deactivated, leaving only the node on his island hidden in the river. Realizing that there was a chance they could find and defeat the Sloar on the island (and even if they did not neutralize the node, it wouldn't be enough to give him the power he needed), Shandor resorted to one last measure. While the Ghostbusters went to shut the final node down, he attacked the Firehouse, rendered Janine unconscious and kidnapped Ilyssa while also releasing the spirits from the containment unit.

He also captured Peck and took them both back to his mausoleum lair to complete the ritual using the energy collected by the Mandala and the freed spirits and Ilyssa's blood, needing a sacrifice of his own blood to become a god himself. Before he could sacrifice her however, the Ghostbusters arrived, and upon figuring out the truth, exorcised him from Mayor Jock Mulligan's body and attempted to banish him back to the spirit world. During the fight with him, they ended up getting sucked into Shandor's realm.

Shandor's Lust for Power
An angry Shandor confronted the Ghostbusters at a massive temple-like structure in the spirit world, and transformed himself into a towering demonic Jesus Christ-like figure with 2 horns on his forehead wearing a toga-like robe in order to fulfill his sinister plans to reshape the world, matching his vision of perfection. With the energy originally intended to power up Gozer, he became a god himself, and chose a destructor form to match his ambitions. Unfortunately for him, the Ghostbusters crossed the streams on their proton packs, destroying Shandor once and for all.

Powers and Abilities
Realistic version: While in Mayor Mulligan's body, Shandor surrounds himself with a green, protective shield-like aura. While the Ghostbusters can disperse the shield, Shandor simply recharges it with energy four large glowing beams. The Rookie should circle the room and use the Shock Blast to take out Flying Skulls. As soon as Shandor pauses to recharge his shield, shoot Boson Darts between the flaps on the beams directly into the glowing green center. If the beams aren't exposed enough, then use the Slime Tether first to pull apart the protective shields around the crystals and destroy them one by one. Wrangle Shandor through the opening in the floor until the cut scene engages.

The second part of the battle takes place in the nether-realm atop a floating platform. As Shandor approaches, use the Meson Collider then run around and hit him with the Overload Pulse. Keep attacking Shandor with the Pulse and stop only to destroy boulders he hurls at the team. Continue switching between the Collider and Pulse. Eventually, Shandor will emerge in the center of the platform and summon 4 pedestals to recharge his P.K.E. with. Destroy them as soon as possible. Shandor will continue to attack. Geysers of hellfire will appear beneath your feet, but look for a glow and sidestep. Watch out for Flying Skulls, as well. Keep up the assaults until the cut scene starts.

Stylized version: Ivo Shandor splits into 4 beings. Wait for the four projections to reform and then use the Stasis Stream to immobilize Shandor then use Boson Darts to damage him. Once his health is down, Shandor can't generate his shield. Switch to the Capture Stream and slam him into the portal in the middle of the floor.

While in his Ascendant form, Shandor surrounds himself with a giant stone mask covered in Black Slime. Watch out for lasers and use the Capture Stream or Boson Darts to remove pieces of the mask and weaken it. Then use the Proton Stream and Boson Darts to damage the mask's PK energy. Once Shandor is exposed, hit him with Boson Darts. When the mask reforms, Shandor also generates floating hands. Ignore them, and continue attacking the mask until you can damage Shandor again.

When the mask returns again, it will be covered in Black Slime; use the Slime Mine to remove it and wrangle the mask again. Stop only to neutralize any Black Slime. When the mask appears for the third time, it will have shield-generating crystals on either side. Use the Stasis Stream to freeze them and the Shock Blast to destroy them. Then continue to weaken the mask and blast Shandor until the team crosses the streams.

​Quotes
"The architect's name was Ivo Shandor. I found it in Tobin's Spirit Guide. He was also a doctor. Performed a lot of unnecessary surgery. And then in 1920 he started a secret society."

- Egon Spengler about Ivo Shandor, the original architect of 55 Central Park West.

"Let me guess. Gozer Worshippers."

- Peter Venkman who guessed the name of the Cult of Gozer formed by Ivo Shandor.

"Right. After the First World War, Shandor decided that society was too sick to survive. But he wasn't alone, he had close to a thousand followers when he died. They conducted rituals up on the roof, bizarre rituals intended to bring about the end of the world, and now it looks like it may actually happen!"

- Egon Spengler about Ivo Shandor and the Cult of Gozer.

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

- Ivo Shandor, while possesssing Mayor Jock Mulligan.

"Very good. And they say you're the slow one."

- Ivo Shandor mockingly compliments Winston Zeddemore for figuring out his sinister agenda.

"Taking her was necessary. To assume my own Destructor form, I require blood, my blood."

- Ivo Shandor explaning his plan to sacrifice Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn (in the Realistic Version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game).

"Taking her was necessary. To assume my own Destructor form, I require blood, my blood, which is hard to come by when you've been a ghost for seventy years."

- Ivo Shandor explaining his plan to sacrifice Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn (in the Stylized Version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game).

"I did, but he failed me. Twice! How he earned the title "The Destroyer" is beyond of me."

- Ivo Shandor explaning his refusal to serve Gozer anymore since his second and final defeat by the Ghostbusters (in the Realistic Version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game).

"I did, but he failed me. Twice! How he earned the title "The Destroyer" is beyond of me. Gozer "The Bonehead is more like it."

- Ivo Shandor explaining his refusal to serve Gozer anymore since his second and final defeat by the Ghostbusters (in the Stylized Version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game).

"Anyway, I said to myself, "Why worship a god, when you can actually become one?""

- Ivo Shandor

Trivia

 * Ivo Shandor's name can be found in Tobin's Spirit Guide.
 * In the film he is said to have designed the high rise apartment building at 55 Central Park West as a giant altar to the Sumerian god Gozer.
 * The entire premise is fictional, in reality the building at this address was designed by architects Schwartz & Gross for contractor Edgar Levy.
 * Slimer's entry into the world of the living is said in the roleplaying game to be a side effect of Ivo's rooftop rituals.
 * In the roleplaying game, Shandor (spelled as Chandor) was revealed as an Albanian medical student, research assistant, and last disciple of Dr. Michael Zhorchev, a Serbian surgeon from Zagreb. Shandor fled eastern Europe to America to evade persecution for questionable surgeries.
 * In Dan Aykroyd's original script for the first movie, Shandor was the name of the Ghostbusters' interdimensional employer.
 * In the original premise for the Ghostbusters movie, Gozer was originally conceived as taking the form of Ivo Shandor. Ivo was to be played by Paul Reubens and described as being a kindly looking man in a nondescript suit and tie. This may have influenced the stylized version of the game, where Shandor appears similar to what Reubens might look like in his 70s.
 * According to the August 5, 1983 draft of the first film's script, 55 Central Park West was the only building he built in New York City. It was finished in 1923 and Shandor lived in the penthouse.
 * According to the August 5, 1983 draft of the first film's script, Shandor was arrested in May 1928 for trying to kidnap a teenage girl. The police found a pile of human bones in his penthouse. He was executed by electrocution at Sing Sing on October 28, 1929.
 * According to the draft of the first movie's script, in the prison cell scene, Egon Spengler recounts how Ivo Shandor was a deranged surgeon, architect, and Gozer worshiper, electrocuted at Sing Sing after his attempted abduction of a teenage girl led police to his penthouse apartment, furnished impeccably -if not tastefully- with stacks of human bones.
 * In the Realistic Version of the game, Ivo Shandor appears to be a thin, elderly man in a suit with balding, gray curly hair and having a dark gray long mustache and pointy goatee (in the painting of Shandor found at the museum by Venkman it appears to be white).
 * If you look closely at the painting of Ivo Shandor you can see on his left hand he is wearing a wedding band, implying he had a wife.
 * Ivo Shandor shares a similar trait with Arkham, Hiruko Ubusuna and Queen Taramis, for each evildoer sought to sacrifice their relatives/descendants in exchange for ultimate power.
 * Ivo Shandor vaguely resembles Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin.