In a world where the internet has grown so rapidly, the gates have opened for anyone to be able to create anything they want. Having a large online presence is not the most difficult thing to do. And with the development of audio, editing, and recording apps, the opportunity to create something out of nothing has become easier and more accessible. Anyone can experiment with any genre or medium.
Horror is something a lot of people have tried messing with. Horror is a genre that has many different faces, with so much experimentation done to create such mesmerizing experiences on the internet. One of the most important creations to date in the online world of horror is the “Special Containment Procedures Foundation” (SCP). This specific area in the internet is famous for how many significant creations it has given to the horror community.
The SCP Foundation is similar to creepypastas in that they’re created to be a unique experience for whoever may want to seek it out. Some of the SCPs become internet legends and are easily recognizable by their characteristics.
Like the name suggests, the SCP Foundation is a fictional setting, created to capture and contain all sorts of anomalies. These can range from anything humanlike, to reptilian monsters, to simple statues, or even beings too powerful to fully contain. Thousands of creators have come out of the woodworks to share new creations and to add them to the assortment of anomalies that have been captured by the foundation.
There are several fictional containment sites used to lock the creatures up in cells that they can not escape from. This is done because, should they become loose in the world, they will prove to be an immediate threat to thousands of human lives. The SCP Foundation was created to secure them and protect the lives of citizens across the globe.
The acronym SCP also stands for “Secure, Contain, Protect”, which is exactly what it aims to do. Additionally, the Foundation works to keep all of the anomalies a secret from the public. The key to a functioning society in this fictional world is keeping the people unaware, for knowing they exist may cause worldwide panic.
The lore and story-building that surrounds the SCP Foundation is pretty simple, it’s just all of the details about capturing the creatures that make it lengthier.
The first anomaly ever found and captured in the fictional setting is also the first one to have been created to kickstart the online setting: SCP-173. An image of it surfaced on the site 4chan by user Moto42 on June 22nd, 2007. The image depicts a large statue-like figure made of concrete and rebar. The statue remains passive so long as someone remains in eye contact with it. Breaking this eye contact will enable it to move and potentially kill the bystander.
The statue actually exists in the real world, having been sculpted by Japanese painter and sculptor, Izumi Kato, in 2004. Kato takes on a type of painting and sculpting that’s unique, in that his focus is humanlike, but more “primitive”. The creation of this anomaly on the 4chan site gave way to thousands of new anomalies to be “found” in the coming years, with the SCP Foundation being officially formed in 2008.
Another popular anomaly is SCP-106, otherwise known as “The Old Man”, a figure who faintly resembles a person. The story goes that this anomaly was a soldier in World War 1, who got corroded from a pool of acid and became this new being. It is a dangerous creature to come into contact with as well, and should be avoided. It can corrode organic material, and must be contained in a heavily-fortified enclosed space. It was created by user Dr Gears, a field evaluator and recoverer, who also created other notable anomalies for the setting.
One of the most popular anomalies to date is SCP-096, also known as “The Shy Guy”. While the figure is humanlike, it has incredibly long limbs and a very pale skin tone. This creature grew in popularity because of how dangerous and recognizable it was. The Shy Guy hides itself away, avoiding eye contact with anyone that comes near it. But if anyone happens to make eye contact with it, or even see it, it becomes immediately hostile and will not stop until it has killed the target that disturbed it.
There are thousands of other anomalies on the internet, with a few being just as easily recognizable. Some of these include SCP-682, the Hard-to-Destroy Reptile, SCP-049, a plague doctor that makes people ill by touching them, and even SCP-3008, which is a never-ending IKEA store. Some creatures are more serious and scary than others, while some, like SCP-3008, have a more humorous tone.
Thousands of images surround the internet, depicting all of the kinds of anomalies and beings that exist in the SCP universe. They help to create an immersive experience, whether one is into it or not. Some images can be scarier than others, while some can be shrouded in mystery that only a few understand, such as this image that supposedly shows The Shy Guy.
It’s impossible to list every single existing creature in the SCP universe, and remembering them by their number names can be difficult (which is why most have actual names), but the most notable ones have left a bigger impact.
A lot of people have found joy in SCP and in finding new additions to contain and create stories about. As of August 2023, over 7,000 articles have been created on found anomalies. In addition to that, over 4,000 shorts have been created on the SCP Foundation site that details the “Foundation Tales”, which cover all sorts of topics in the SCP universe, including containment procedures and lore. Because of this, it’s difficult to be able to understand what all SCP encompasses unless you’re directly involved.
What’s important to remember, through it all, is that the SCP Foundation has left a giant impact on a lot of people, and the community continues to be incredibly active to this day. It’s nearly impossible to roam the modern-day internet without seeing some sort of anomaly created to be an SCP.
