Slender Man
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The Slender Man myth was first conceived on the SomethingAwful forums. It is a paranormal shapeshifter who takes on the singular form of a tall, slender, faceless, bald-headed, suited man and uses light and shadow to stalk, terrorize, and in a few cases kill his victims. The reason Slender Man is so important in the Marble Hornets story is that it is generally believed that he appears as the subject of many of The Entries and may have been the cause of Alex Kralie's paranoia. Jay mentions The Slender Man myth in his original Something Awful Forum thread. In the Marble Hornets mythos, Slender Man's assumed proper name is The Operator.

Mythos & Legends

'The Slender Man was created on the SomethingAwful thread titled "Create Paranormal Images". A user called Victor Surge submitted 2 images he had made depicting a tall figure with a suit, no face, and tentacle-like appendages, calling it "The Slender Man". The forum is still intact, for the most part, and the original post is at this address.
After the terrifying images were released, more people contributed to the characteristics of this being, increasing the horror ten fold. It was originally said to target children, later evolving into a being who: invades the minds of its victims, driving them to insanity; mutilates people and animals alike; and even forces people to murder one another. Here's a quote from the forum:
"I LOVE this type of thing. Something just feels satisfying about causing mass hysteria. I think we could roll with this slender man thing. Maybe if we make enough images and maybe if some talents can make fake videos, it could grow to ARG proportions (minus the advertising). Consider me on board, I can do some sound design things." -MooseyFate

Here are some quotes from Victor Surge's original post:

"we didn't want to go, we didn't want to kill them, but its persistent silence and outstretched arms horrified and comforted us at the same time…"

1983, photographer unknown, presumed dead.

Whether he absorbs, kills, or mearly takes his victims to an undiclosed location or dimension is also unknown as there are never any bodys or evidence left behind in his wake to deduce a definite conclusion. Not much is known at this time, but his objective and habitat are fairly clearly agreed-upon. He has the need to kidnap children, and is seen right before the disappearance of a child or multiple children. He seems to prefer fog enshrouded streets and wooded areas as a way to conceal himself from being noticed. It should also be noted that children have been able to see him when no other adults in the vicinity could, though adults have also been known to see him at times. Children also have dreams or nightmares concerning The Slender Man before their disappearance. A disputed concept regarding the Slender Man is whether or not he can be seen by those other than his victims—many believe that if you see Slender Man then you are a target or prey, though there is no certain proof of this.

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Two recovered photographs from the Stirling City Library blaze. Notable for being taken the day on which fourteen children vanished and for what is referred to as "The Slender Man". Deformities cited as film defects by officials. Fire at library occurred one week later. Actual photograph confiscated as evidence.
1986, photographer: Mary Thomas, missing since June 13th, 1986.
Source: (1)

Related Articles

  • Marble Hornets, a student film written and directed by Alex Kralie whose production and cancellation are believed to be related to the cast and crew's experiences with the Slender Man (see: Operator)
  • The Entries, a series of videos uploaded to YouTube by Jay, which feature a figure believed to be the Slender Man.
  • The Operator, the assumed name for the antagonist in Marble Hornets.
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