Ghostbusters’ Egon Replacement Just Gave Proton Packs Their Biggest Upgrade In 40 Years

The following contains spoilers for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, now playing in theaters

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire introduces the most notable upgrade to the proton pack technology yet, with Phoebe’s modifications to the classic device making it stronger than ever. Within the Ghostbusters franchise, the proton packs are among the most memorable and iconic elements to appear on-screen. Capable of blasting ghosts and holding them at bay long enough to be trapped, the proton packs are a classic element of the series. They’ve remained relatively stable and consistent since they were introduced.

However, that all changes in the ending of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Faced with a ghostly threat that the regular proton packs can’t contend with, one of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire‘s characters finds a way to use secrets from the past to make some very specific upgrades to the proton packs. The result is a major power boost for the Ghostbusters’ primary means of combating spirits that could easily play into their future adventures.

Phoebe’s Brass Upgrade In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Makes Proton Packs More Powerful

Phoebe Spengler’s last-minute upgrade for her proton pack in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a serious upgrade for the classic movie tech, and makes the Ghostbusters technology more powerful than ever. The primary villain of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is Garraka, a fearsome force who is considered a ghostly deity compared to other spirits. Once it’s freed from the brass prison that ancient Firemasters trapped it in, Garraka proves its strength by casually ignoring the proton blasts from Lucky Domingo and freezes it solid. However, Phoebe is able to find a work around that allows her to confront Garraka.

In the Ghostbusters movies, it turns out brass has natural qualities that make it ideal for combating ghosts. This is why it was such an effective prison for Garraka. Realizing this, Phoebe is able to modify her proton pack and line its internal parts with brass. This modifies the blast created by the proton pack, infusing it with a new energy signature that quickly proves effective against Garraka. This allows Phoebe to work alongside Nadeem to overwhelm and contain Garraka long enough to trap the ghostly deity within the newly opened up ghost Containment Unit.

Phoebe’s New Proton Pack Can Become The Standard For The Ghostbusters

Phoebe’s modification to the proton pack plays on Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire‘s expansion of the franchise’s lore Brass was revealed to be a crucial tool for previous generations of heroes who fought ghostly menaces. By infusing brass into the proton packs, Phoebe can combat one of the strongest ghosts they’ve ever encountered. This kind of upgrade could likely make their work much easier, potentially working far more effectively against regular ghosts than the standard proton pack. It could also be an effective way for the Ghostbusters to combat the more dangerous forces they encounter, like Garraka or Gozer.

This is a big moment for Phoebe Spengler, given her role in the franchise as the heir to the Ghostbusters legacy. It was Phoebe’s grandfather, Egon, who designed the proton packs that are still used decades later. Given Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire‘s focus on the next generation taking over, it’s fitting that it’s Phoebe who finds a way to upgrade the proton packs to make them stronger than ever. Going forward, it’d be interesting to see this advancement applied to potential follow-ups to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and how it impacts their work to contain malicious spirits.