MONSTERS, CRYPTIDS AND SUPERNATURAL CREATURES
SLENDER MAN
The Slender Man, Slenderman
Slender Man is a paranormal figure purported to have existed for centuries, covering a large geographic area. Believers in the Slender Man story tie his appearances in with many other legends around the world, including; Fear Dubh (or, The Dark Man) in Scotland, the Dutch Takkenmann (Branch Man), and the German legend of Der Großmann or Der Grosse Mann (the Tall Man).
Stories surrounding him commonly feature him stalking, abducting or traumatizing people, particularly children. Those who attempt to delve in to the mystery of this creature often themselves will end up on a missing persons list somewhere and it is said that even the knowledge and mention of him will draw his attention. His origins, classification and intentions remain a constant mystery, which appears from his actions to be something he would prefer to remain as such. He is not confined to a single narrative but appears in many disparate works of fiction, typically composed online. Fiction relating to him encompasses many media, including literature, art and video series. Outside of online fiction, the Slender Man has become an internet icon and has influenced popular culture, having been referenced in video games and movies.
Physiology:
Slender Man is a supernatural creature, described as (in modern time) wearing a black suit strikingly similar to the visage of the notorious Men In Black, and as the name suggests, appears very tall and thin, with the ability to stretch his limbs to inhuman lengths in order to induce fear and ensnare his prey. He has no hair and a face is completely blank and devoid of features. His hands, though normal n appearance are long and boney and he is said to be anywhere between 6 and 15 feet tall. Other descriptions include him having the ability to manifest dark tendrils from his back or hands at will.
Etylmology:
The name Slender Man is based upon the creatures striking appearance of being abnormally tall and thin.
History:
The Slender Man was created on June 10, 2009, on a thread in the Something Awful forum by Eric Knudsen, under the pseudonym "Victor Surge". The thread was a Photoshop challenge, where users created paranormal images. Surge's submission included text, describing abductions of children and giving the character the name "The Slender Man":
Territory:
Worldwide
Origination:
The origination and reasoning of this particular creature is steeped in mytery, further adding to the dark persona of the character. It is unclear whether Slender Man is an extra-terrestrial, demonic entity or mystical being, which in turn raises further questions on what is his intentions towards those he chooses to abduct are. Are they for sustainance, experimentation, slavery or is he simply a lonely guy? As a modern day folklore character, his story is one of constant change and far from over, with every new author whom puts pen to paper adding to the foundations of his back story.
Nature:
Mysterious and predatory. Slender Man is a creature with somewhat of a mysterious and limited background, which makes the reasoning behind his acions difficult to deduce. His main intentions appear to be taking children or anybody that takes a little too much interest in him. What becomes of these abductees afterwards merely adds to the mystery of this creature.
Modus Operandi:
Will Stalk his victims over an escalating period of time, appearing little at first, then more frequently as the paranoia builds up in them. Eventually the stalking will progress in to an all out hunt, ending in the disappearance of his target.
Whether he devours or takes his victims to an undisclosed location is unknown, as there are neither remains or evidence left behind.
Vulnerability:
Unknown. As of yet, there has been no litrature or video evidence, that has provided information towards a form of deffence against this creature. Even his origins are unclear. Is he extra-terrestrial? Is he a demonic entity? There are no clear answers as of yet, which makes structuring a hypothesis on a deffence or from of attack moot. From the many stories based around this character thus far, it would seem the best coarse of action to take, when encountering a situation involving it, would be to cease all research and stay away. In many of the cases, where people have mysteriously vanished in connection to Slender Man, it has been due to their persistant investigating which has eventually led to their disappearance.