A documented guide to SCP’s publishing history: the first story, the move between wikis, and a later change to SCP-173’s image. These are real community events, separate from the fictional Foundation’s chronology.
This is an introduction to selected publishing milestones. It contains no story endings. Linked originals may contain story details or disturbing historical material; check the notes before opening them.
01
The first story
The community histories date the original SCP-173 post to this day and identify its writer as Moto42, also known as S. S. Walrus. A single story became the starting point for a shared collection.
Evidence for this milestoneOriginal sources may reveal story details.3 sources ↗
Current license box credits Anonymous, rewritten by Modern_Erasmus. Retrospective essay with participant accounts; Kingy did not conduct these interviews.
CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source checked 2026-10-05 · 129; last edited 2023-04-07 01:18 UTC
Evidence location: Opening; January 19; move to Wikidot; sourcing note; footnotes 29–30
Historical essay containing references and links to offensive forum material. Kingy checked the essay, not every underlying archive. Late-EditThis testimony is described as incomplete and sometimes contradictory.
Current license box credits Anonymous, rewritten by Modern_Erasmus. Retrospective essay with participant accounts; Kingy did not conduct these interviews.
CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source checked 2026-10-05 · 129; last edited 2023-04-07 01:18 UTC
Evidence location: Opening; January 19; move to Wikidot; sourcing note; footnotes 29–30
Historical essay containing references and links to offensive forum material. Kingy checked the essay, not every underlying archive. Late-EditThis testimony is described as incomplete and sometimes contradictory.
03
Wikidot setup
The retrospective places the setup of the Wikidot site on July 19. Setting up the site and opening it to other people were separate events.
Evidence for this milestoneOriginal sources may reveal story details.2 sources ↗
Current license box credits Anonymous, rewritten by Modern_Erasmus. Retrospective essay with participant accounts; Kingy did not conduct these interviews.
CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source checked 2026-10-05 · 129; last edited 2023-04-07 01:18 UTC
Evidence location: Opening; January 19; move to Wikidot; sourcing note; footnotes 29–30
Historical essay containing references and links to offensive forum material. Kingy checked the essay, not every underlying archive. Late-EditThis testimony is described as incomplete and sometimes contradictory.
04
Wikidot opens to the community
The retrospective gives July 25 as the public opening. The archived 2021 anniversary news also commemorates this as the day other people gained access.
Evidence for this milestoneOriginal sources may reveal story details.2 sources ↗
Current license box credits Anonymous, rewritten by Modern_Erasmus. Retrospective essay with participant accounts; Kingy did not conduct these interviews.
Evidence location: 2021 July anniversary entries; 2022 February 13 removal entry; 2022 June 22 anniversary
Institutional archive credit; no individual byline inferred. The February 13 entry records the removal as completed.
05
A removal is announced
A staff announcement set out plans to remove the former SCP-173 image on February 13. An announced intention alone does not establish that a change happened.
Evidence for this milestoneOriginal sources may reveal story details.1 source ↗
Evidence location: Original staff post, February 1, 2022, 21:02 UTC
Contemporaneous announcement of a planned removal. Credits apply to the original post; no subsequent commenter text is adapted.
06
The news archive records the removal
The archived news records the image’s removal and directs readers to the redesign collaboration. This later record supports completion, rather than merely a plan. This guide includes no former image or replacement artwork.
Evidence for this milestoneOriginal sources may reveal story details.1 source ↗
Evidence location: 2021 July anniversary entries; 2022 February 13 removal entry; 2022 June 22 anniversary
Institutional archive credit; no individual byline inferred. The February 13 entry records the removal as completed.
How to read the evidence
Read the kind of evidence
The retrospective combines community accounts; the archival supplement assembles historical records and explains gaps in its evidence. Kingy checked those published sources, without conducting interviews or independently inspecting every external archive.
Inspect sourcesOriginal sources may reveal story details.2 sources ↗
Current license box credits Anonymous, rewritten by Modern_Erasmus. Retrospective essay with participant accounts; Kingy did not conduct these interviews.
CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source checked 2026-10-05 · 129; last edited 2023-04-07 01:18 UTC
Evidence location: Opening; January 19; move to Wikidot; sourcing note; footnotes 29–30
Historical essay containing references and links to offensive forum material. Kingy checked the essay, not every underlying archive. Late-EditThis testimony is described as incomplete and sometimes contradictory.
Keep unresolved dates unresolved
The accounts of EditThis’s deletion and reconstruction leave an unresolved date distinction. This guide gives no exact deletion date. The archival supplement warns that late-EditThis testimony can be incomplete or contradictory.
Inspect sourcesOriginal sources may reveal story details.2 sources ↗
Current license box credits Anonymous, rewritten by Modern_Erasmus. Retrospective essay with participant accounts; Kingy did not conduct these interviews.
CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source checked 2026-10-05 · 129; last edited 2023-04-07 01:18 UTC
Evidence location: Opening; January 19; move to Wikidot; sourcing note; footnotes 29–30
Historical essay containing references and links to offensive forum material. Kingy checked the essay, not every underlying archive. Late-EditThis testimony is described as incomplete and sometimes contradictory.
Current license box credits Anonymous, rewritten by Modern_Erasmus. Retrospective essay with participant accounts; Kingy did not conduct these interviews.
Continue through the hub’s 2009–2012 chapters and its additional reading. This short guide covers selected milestones, not the whole community’s history.
Inspect sourcesOriginal sources may reveal story details.1 source ↗
CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source checked 2026-10-05 · 129; last edited 2023-04-07 01:18 UTC
Evidence location: Opening; January 19; move to Wikidot; sourcing note; footnotes 29–30
Historical essay containing references and links to offensive forum material. Kingy checked the essay, not every underlying archive. Late-EditThis testimony is described as incomplete and sometimes contradictory.
Source-checked, agent-assisted Kingy guide. Sources were read on October 5, 2026; that date does not claim a complete history audit or human review. For adaptation permissions, read the SCP Wiki Licensing Guide and check each asset’s rights separately.
Licensing referenceOriginal sources may reveal story details.1 source ↗