SCP-173

SCP-173 is described as a roughly human-sized sculpture made from concrete and rebar that has been coated in Krylon branded spray paint. It is listed under the 'Euclid' object class on the wiki, which means it is considered unpredictable and may potentially escape containment if containment procedures are not followed. When SCP-173 is unobserved and left alone in its containment chamber, it moves around aimlessly, creating a scraping sound due to its concrete body. The entity also secretes a reddish-brown substance, which is a combination of blood and feces. If it is not directly observed, it will attack and kill humans by breaking their necks. The physical appearance of SCP-173 can vary depending on the media it is being depicted in. Before the removal of its original image from the wiki; most depictions of SCP-173 were consistent, depicting it as a tall, bulbous, humanoid figure. However, following 2022, these depictions have become much more varied in form, ranging from humanoid shapes to more abstract and bizarre forms. == History ==

. The photograph was removed from the wiki in 2022 to comply with the artist's copyright and the wiki's Creative Commons guidelines. The original iteration of the SCP-173 article was first written on June 22, 2007, as a post on 4chan's /x/ board by an anonymous user (later identified as Wesley "Moto42" Williams). This post was both the first SCP article to be written, as well as the first work set in the SCP Foundation mythos, being the progenitor of the SCP writing format and the clinical tone it uses. The original image used in the 4chan post was a photograph taken by Keisuke Yamamoto of the statue Untitled 2004 by Izumi Katō. Moto42 did not obtain permission from either individual to use this specific image for the post. In 2014, after the English and Japanese branches of the SCP Wikidot had managed to contact Katō, he reluctantly allowed the image to be used in SCP related works, so long as it was only for non-commercial purposes, and noted that he would take legal action against anyone who violated this request. A warning was added to the bottom of the article in accordance with this. Due to a combination of merchandise sellers making money off of Untitled 2004s likeness against Katō's wishes, as well as the fact that the image itself violated the Creative Commons license that the SCP wiki uses, both the image and the warning were removed in 2022. At the request of Moto42, no replacement image was provided so that readers could imagine their own interpretations of the statue. The deletion of SCP-173's original image led to a large collaboration of artists creating their own interpretations of SCP-173. These designs are all hosted on the SCP Foundation Wikidot on a designated page, which is jokingly referred to as the "Peanut Gallery". == Reception ==

SCP-173 has been mostly positively received by audiences. It is considered one of the most well known and popular SCPs, and is the most highly upvoted article on the SCP Wikidot. The character has often been used as a source of both horror and humor by the community. James Potvin, writing for Screen Rant, noted that its eroded concrete and rebar form, as well as its constant secretion of blood and feces makes it a rather grotesque take on the concept of an animate statue. The document format and clinical tone of the original 4chan post has also been seen as a positive aspect setting it apart from Creepypasta and other similar forms of internet storytelling, with it forgoing the usual single punchline format for an emphasis on mystery and the fear of the unknown. Gita Jackson, writing for Kotaku, stated that the post's horror primarily came from it using the possibility of what might happen if it escapes as opposed to describing story events outright. The unauthorized usage of Untitled 2004 in the original article has seen scrutiny, however. Tosha R. Taylor, in their essay "Horror Memes and Digital Culture", notes that due to SCP-173's fame eclipsing that of Untitled 2004, it projects the idea of the anomaly over the original sculpture itself, and that familiarity with SCP-173 could make it difficult to associate Untitled 2004 with anything other than a representation of a dangerous anomaly. or the Creaking from Minecraft. The Weeping Angels specifically are sometimes speculated to be a possible inspiration due to the time of SCP-173's creation. Justin Jones, in his 2022 thesis, mentioned this theory, however, believing that the observation-based movement derived convergently based on an innate connection between the human senses and fear. SCP-173 also sees comparison to another popular SCP, SCP-096, a normally docile humanoid entity with a polar opposite reaction to being observed, becoming hostile to anyone or anything who views its face, whether via physical observation or though images or video footage (though artistic representations do not trigger 096 to attack). It also ranks first on Elias Rodriguez's and Nicholas Pence's Dualshockers list of the top 18 enemies in horror games. They specifically note how it pairs well with other threats in the game due to its nature of only moving when not observed leading it to constantly require the player's utmost attention. == Adaptations ==

for SCP: Secret Laboratory featuring SCP-173 SCP-173 has been featured in various forms of media since its creation. • SCP-173 appears as the primary antagonist in the video game SCP - Containment Breach. It first appears in the game's introduction, where the player "Subject D-9341" is sent in alongside two other D-Class personnel in order to perform an unspecified test. Due to outside influences, SCP-173 is able to escape. After escaping its containment chamber, SCP-173 will follow the player throughout the rest of the game, in an attempt to snap their neck. One of the game's primary game mechanics is a blink meter that gradually goes down until it is completely empty; The player will blink once this happens, and like in the article, SCP-173 will either move towards them, or kill them if it gets close enough. In this game, the SCP-173 player must team up with other SCPs such as SCP-049 and 106 in order to kill all human players in the facility. • A clone of SCP-173, designated 'SCP-173-B', is featured in the video game SCP: 5K. It behaves identical to the original statue, though it has a different design. • SCP-173 is featured as one of the antagonists in the 2025 short film SCP: Containment Breach. == Notes ==