LOL, you said they never went to 'comedy.net' and you also said they have not been returned to the company yet.
So which is it? In order to return shares, they first had to be issued to someone.
If not in the hands of the entity they were issued to, then they are not outstanding. Outstanding shares are never in limbo.
If they are outstanding, someone holds them. If it is the company holding them, then the only place a company can hold shares in in its treasury and they are not part of the O/S.
common sense 101