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| “ | I am inside your home. | „ |
| ~ The Intruder's most famous quote. |
| “ | The flicker of a TV illuminated this bedroom, drowning out the darkness with his favorite programs. Do you remember how we became friends? The lights scared off all the monsters, they kept him safe. Do you remember my face? With contorted flesh and broken bones, I made myself known. Do you remember my touch? I cradled him in my arms. My sweet boy. I took him away. Do you remember that night, Murray? When you stare into the mirror, you see the same monsters from your bedroom, don't you? But your skin is not your own. You're not the real y- | „ |
| ~ The Intruder's revelations to Adam Murray. |
6[1], also known as The Intruder and Stanley, is the secondary antagonist of the analog horror web series The Mandela Catalogue.
He is an anomalous entity who is most known for kidnapping 3,426 children across four separate counties at the same time,[2] prompting the government to outlaw most analog-based technology devices and mirrors by 2009,[3][4] and also being the host of the The Might of the Subconscious program in order to manipulate children into presumably making Tulpa Alternates.[5]
He has been voiced by an Online Microsoft Sam text-to-speech program in all appearances up to "The Mandela Catalogue: Volume 4", with Leon Rodriguez voicing him in all subsequent appearances.
Biography[]
Tormenting a young Mark Heathcliff[]
The Intruder's first registered sighting belongs to a 4 year old Mark Heathcliff, who described his experience with him to his class in the Mandela County Elementary School. The Intruder was hiding on a dark room, near the stairs, presumably knocking on the front door from inside when Mark woke up and, scared, decided to go to his mother's room to sleep. When he was on his way to his mother's room however, he saw the Intruder before going back to his bed.[6] It is implied that the Intruder tormented Mark on-and-off ever since for unknown reasons.[3]
Exhibition[]
Note: Due to the incohesive nature of these bits, this is not confirmed to be how the series of events exactly played out, but rather an attempt to make sense of what's going on. Take this with a grain of salt.
Years later, in August 30th 1992, a now 17 year old Mark Heathcliff was under the effects of M.A.D due to an encounter with an Alternate. After seeking refuge in a church he used to visit in his childhood, he goes back to his home, where he would be tormented by a long-necked Alternate, who was waiting him outside the window. He seeks shelter in the basement, where he finds a television that slowly reflects the Intruder. It is unknown what happened after that, but Mark somehow came out alive of the event.
Tampering with the PSAs[]
After the biggest Alternate crisis in the United States after 1982 became worrying, the United States Department of Temporal Phenomena (USDTP) released multiple PSA tapes in order to help and inform the citizens of the United States during the crisis. However, it is implied that the Intruder decided to take advantage of the situation and distorted the information given in the PSAs in order to cause more deaths by the Alternates.
Examples of these tampering's are changes such as the "Kill Yourself" line replacing the "Know Your Place in Reality" in the Think Principle, the change in the USDTP logo to "The Death of Mark Heathcliff" in Exhibition, and the voice in the Intruder Alert PSA turning deeper as soon as it starts to give out false information about how to "care" for your child.
The Death of Mark Heathcliff[]
In September 12th 1992, it's implied the Intruder collaborated with an Alternate in order to (presumably) get rid of Mark Heathcliff for good. The Alternate killed and replaced Cesar Torres, and lured Mark into Cesar's house via a phone call, saying that his mother was in the ER and asked him if he could turn on the security cameras they installed. Mark bites in the bait and they both follow him back home.
By September 13th at 10:30 PM, Mark was cornered in his own room by Cesar's Alternate, who was outside his room waiting for him to open the door, and the Intruder, who is assumed to be inside his TV.[5] Mark ultimately committed suicide in September 15th at 10:58 PM, to which Cesar's Alternate responds that it was a "bad decision". [6]
Despite this, the Intruder seems to celebrate and announces this by changing the logo of the United States Department of Temporal Phenomena to say "The Death of Mark Heathcliff".
Kidnapping the children[]
After making his presence known, around the same timespan in which Mark killed himself, the Intruder kidnaps 3,426 children across 4 separate counties: Bythorne County, Werksha County, Mandela County and Yonder County at the same time. The USDTP would quickly detect what the source of these attacks are and would quickly react by issuing a safety warning telling the audiences to deter children from televisions or any medium capable of projecting frightening imagery.
After the Intruder is over with the kidnappings, local authorities start an investigation in the multiple suicide cases of the parents of the missing children. In the very first investigation, an off-site volunteer planted a camera on the victim, Lynn Murray's house. The Intruder, noticing that he was being caught on camera, decided to toy around with her body as a taunt of sorts, leaving it completely disfigured in the process.[2]
The footage was sent to higher-ups by Lieutenant Davis Thatcher (likely the USDTP), who issued what would be known as the "Television and Mirror Destruction Order".[3]
It's heavily implied that the Intruder had developed a twisted father-child like relationship with his victims in Volume 4, calling Adam Murray his "sweet boy" and claiming he cradled him in his arms.[7] The Alternate that attacked Thatcher Davis had also spoken with a voice of a child saying they wanted to "play with the man in the TV," confirming that he at least had interacted with his victims in a friendly manner.[5] It's unknown what happened to all of the missing children as it's implied they are never found by Thatcher.[8]
The Night of the Subconscious[]
Prior to these kidnappings, a strange, unidentified children's educational film that didn't trace back to any existing production company[9] dubbed The Night of the Subconscious had broadcasted into several televisions throughout Mandela County and presumably the surrounding area.
The film starred "Stanley", who taught the viewers the importance of friends and how to "create" one themselves through their imagination, under the condition that they have to promise that he was one of their friends, too. After teaching the viewers how to create their imaginary friend, Stanley would go on to say that, if you have an imaginary friend it is best to "manifest them instead", only to be mysteriously cut off and say "they're just as scared as you are."
Stanley then tells the viewers that for the process to work, they need to close their eyes and think about their friends. He would then affirm that it worked, and encourages them to find their "friend".[5]
Thatcher's Investigation[]
Thanks to the help of the MandelaTECH Daily representative, Dave Lee, Thatcher Davis was able to get his hands on a recovered version of the original Might of the Subconscious broadcast in order to use it for his investigation of the Murray household after he was attacked by an Alternate in that very same house and finding out the current homeowner killed herself.[10]
Alongside the tapes that Dave restored for Davis was a physical copy of The Beginner's Bible: The Story of the Nativity that had somehow been altered and had added-in content.[9]
Altercation with the Bythorne Paranormal Society[]
"Ghost Cat" case[]
17 years after his appearance in 1992, the Intruder is seen attacking once again in Winter Break 2009, where he lures a cheap paranormal investigation two-man-team located in Bythorne into Cesar's house[11] by (presumably) using a woman's voice, offering a paranormal case of a "ghost cat" and a payday of $500 a night.
After the two investigators, Adam and Jonah, arrive following some technical difficulties, which are implied to be his doing, he lets them investigate the house, where they find a locked door. In the morning, the duo ponders whether they should leave, only for Adam to enter the house once again after hearing a scream inside of it and realizing that the case wasn't just a ghost cat after all. The Intruder then tries to make it seem like Jonah is trying to prank Adam and vice versa, causing them to distrust each other.
Once night falls, Adam sleeps inside the house. The Intruder tells him that he was a fool for "following the shepherd", and that he should listen to him instead, threatening him to "wake up" before he wakes the "others", implying that he has at least some authority over the Alternates. Adam doesn't comply, and is seemingly afflicted with M.A.D by an Alternate, who later opens the door to the basement where the Intruder was hiding.
Adam, noticing that the door was open, decides to go investigate, not before notifying Jonah about it. Adam and Jonah have an argument, which ends with Adam telling Jonah to leave. Adam goes downstairs, finding the Intruder in an old TV. Once Adam asks him who he is, the enraged Intruder realises he doesn't recognize him and shows Adam all of the on-screen events that transpired in Mandela County back in 1992 before reminding him that no one is going to help him, as no one knows where he is.
Meanwhile, the Intruder is seen using the GPS on Jonah's car to torment him about leaving Adam for dead. Jonah begs him to stop, before the car door is heard opening and Jonah is subsequently killed off-screen.[4] [7]
Aftermath[]
After the events of Volume 2, Adam explains the occurrence to fellow co-founder of the BPS, Sarah Heathcliff, the younger sister of Mark Heathcliff.
He explains to her that, after the Ghost Cat case incident, Jonah abandoned him and presumes him to be dead, but he did get "killer footage" of the events. Sarah, concerned and angered for Adam's lack of sympathy towards his best friend's death, orders him to make a public statement to the BPS followers online in the form of a memorial video, as their viewers will start suspecting about his death sooner or later.
Adam begrudgingly agrees, but protests against uploading it as it makes things more dramatic than they need to be. Adam sends the file to Sarah, which lasts a few seconds and appears to be corrupted. Sarah confronts Adam, telling him she's not in the mood for jokes, to which he responds that he had just sent the "wrong file". Adam sends the correct file, which starts out normal, showing a steadily made BPS logo made in MS Paint, where it's revealed that Adam plans to lie to his viewers by saying that Jonah died peacefully and surrounded by his loved ones.
Before we can hear more words of disputable veracity from Adam, the video seems to corrupt yet again, showing a camera recording of a dimly lit room. The cameraman slowly approaches the door, as the drawing of the Alternate that attacked Adam the night of Jonah's death appears on the top right corner. The door is slowly opened, what lies behind it covered by a stock image of flowers, only to show Jonah's full name, birth date and the date of his death.
The text disappears and is replaced by the frame of a painting, a text reading "A celebration of life" appearing next to it. The video seems to corrupt yet again, this time showing us Adam's ex, Evelin Miller's recordings to the police, where she describes that Adam was once a sweet man, up to the point he started doing investigations with Jonah. She says how he shut himself in emotionally, and when confronted about it, said terrible things to Evelin that she wishes he never told her.
The recording suddenly stops, now showing the dashcam of the BPS' car after Jonah's death. We can hear Adam telling an unknown individual, presumably Evelin, that he never said such things and that an entity controlling his computer is twisting his words, as Adam tries to explain the situation further the audio distorts, repeating itself over and over again. After this section is over, the video abruptly ends. It's implied that these corruptions are caused by the Intruder, as well as the computer twisting Adam's words was his doing.
Sarah attempts to confront him about these corruptions, thinking that Adam edited them in. Adam then receives a message from an unknown contact, who tells him they've been looking for him and tells him to confirm his identity. Adam attempts to dismiss them, failing to do so.
The spam contact is revealed to be none other than the Intruder, who monologues to Adam about their past together, asking him if he remembers certain key events like the day they became "friends" and how he cradled him as a child. Curiously enough, he refers to Adam in third person up until the point he starts talking about monsters in the mirror, and this is for good reason as the Intruder heavily implies that the Adam that was kidnapped in 1992 and the current one are two separate beings. In his own words, "[Adam's] skin is not his own, [he's] not the real [Adam]".
The Intruder's monologue is cut short by an incoming call from Sarah, asking who he's talking to. The Intruder, possibly recognizing her, becomes enraged and leaves the scene.[7]
Appearance[]
"TV Intruder"[]
Due to his shapeshifting abilities, his appearance tends to vary, but his most used form is that of a smiling face of a man in his late 20s or early 30s in a saturated black and white tone. In this state, should he become enraged, his entire face becomes pitch black, removing all features with the exception of his eyes.
This form has been nicknamed by the fandom as the "TV Intruder".
Physical[]
When he exits the device he's inside of and enters the physical world, his body seems pitch black from his black hoodie with his only human-like feature being his face, he usually takes advantage of this and hides in the shadows or dark zones.
Volume 1[]
His most iconic design is arguably the one seen in Volume 1, most specifically the form he takes to torment a young Mark Heathcliff. He is shown to be wearing a black hoodie which covers most features save for his now deformed head, that appears to have been decayed or rotten. In Volume 4, he describes this form as having contorted flesh and broken bones though this line could be referring to something else.
Volume 1 [RESTORED EDITION][]
In the design shown in the Volume 1 remake, his design is changed significantly to be more consistent with his appearance in Volume 4 and the rest of the series.
Stanley[]
In 1992, the Intruder had taken under the alias of "Stanley", the host of The Might of the Subconscious in an attempt to gain the trust of the children he will eventually kidnap. In this form, the Intruder took the form of disembodied eyes and a mouth made out of white rubber bands. This form has been pointed out to have a striking resemblance to "Limbo" from Jim Henson's The Organized Mind by Thatcher Davis.
Volume 4[]
In Volume 4, the Intruder takes on an appearance that seems to combine his "TV Intruder" and Volume 1 appearances. Looking significantly more human than his Volume 1 counterpart, yet exhibiting similar facial malformations, with the addition of his left eye's iris being anomalously large and apparently being a lazy eye. Much like his Volume 1 appearance, he wears a hoodie that hides his malformations. He has a similar face layout that gives the impression of Stanley.
Personality[]
The Intruder, much like the other Alternates, seems to be strategic and calculated when it comes to attacking victims. An example of this is when he causes conflict to make Adam distrust Jonah in order for them to separate from each other in order to kill them easily via M.A.D.[4] He is also implied to be the one tampering with the USDTP's PSAs to spread misinformation about the Alternates through a reliable source in order for people to be more likely to fall victim to them.[2][6]
He is also shown to be incredibly sadistic, as shown when he smiles on a mother's face after he stole (and likely killed) her child in "Intruder Alert". This is expanded upon on Volume 2, where he reminds Adam of his fate when he was left alone by Jonah, and how he repeatedly torments Jonah with the fact he left his best friend to die.
The Intruder seems to have gained a twisted sense of paternity towards Adam Murray, who he calls his "sweet boy."[7] Becoming enraged should Adam ignore, not acknowledge or forget about his existence.[4] When Adam suggests that there's likely nothing in the Ghost Cat case's house, the video glitches for a second, and when Adam asks the Intruder about his identity, he becomes enraged with the words "you don't remember me" appearing in the close captions. Despite this, the intruder is still determined to dissolve Adam's paranormal society, likely because of the alternates.
Powers and Abilities[]
| “ | I mean, they didn't have to outlaw these things, did they? Like I doubt that guy's face could appear on this, and y'know, kill you. | „ |
| ~ Jonah Marshall's first experience with a GPS, tempting his own fate. |
- Media Projection: The Intruder is able to appear on any sort of screened medium that could potentially showcase any frightening imagery, most notably analog televisions, and manipulate them at will.[2]
- Leadership over the Alternates: If him threatening Adam "do not make me wake the others" is any indication, the Intruder can "wake"/summon Alternates.
- Metaphysical Awareness Disorder: Much like the Alternates, The Intruder is able to afflict his victims with the Metaphysical Awareness Disorder after he subjects them to psychological torture.[2]
- Suicide Inducement: Most cases of M.A.D end with the victim committing suicide, thus implying this is a capability the condition itself has, and by extension it's users.[12]
- Shapeshifting: Although he rarely uses it and decides to stay in the form of a man, The Intruder can morph his body at will as implied by his difference in design between Volume 1 and Intruder Alert.
- Invisibility: During his tampering with the dead mother's corpse, he is described as an "invisible force", implying that he can become invisible.[2]
- Tulpa Creation: As Stanley, he was able to trick the children he would later kidnap into materializing Alternates by just using their imaginations. Most notably, the Unnamed Alternate is one of the many Alternates that were implied to be created that night.[5]
Gallery[]
Images[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- It's speculated that all 4 victims so far are his victims. Mark Heathcliff's history with the Intruder was one of the main focuses of the first half of Act 1; Adam Murray's relationship with the Intruder is one of the main focuses of Act 2; Jonah Marshall is implied to have perished from his hand; the only odd one out is Cesar, who doesn't have a confirmed encounter with him.
- The Intruder's Volume 1 design is taken from a police sketch of an Albanian Man.
- This was the cause of his redesign, as Alex Kister wanted to use an image he owns rather than an image he picked up from the internet.
- The original image was originally taken from the YouTube channel Wendigoon, used as one of the images from his Conspiracy Iceberg videos.
- The Intruder's Volume 1 design has been the subject of many black comedy memes, very often with his infamous quote "I am inside of your home" as the caption, even if it is sometimes changed to "I am inside your walls" in the meme.
- The Intruder has a plush toy from Makeship, making him the first Mandela Catalogue character to have a marketable plushie, the second being Cesar's Alternate and the third being the Preacher.
- Prior to being revealed to be one and the same character as Stanley, they were often theorized to be one and the same before that.
- In the Volume 4 credits, the Intruder is credited solely as "Stanley".
References[]
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220413190050/https://twitter.com/alexkisterr/status/1445482060013916161
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Mandela Catalogue - Intruder Alert
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Mandela Catalogue - Exhibition
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 The Mandela Catalogue Vol. 2
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 The Mandela Catalogue Vol. 333
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Mandela Catalogue Vol. 1
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 The Mandela Catalogue Vol. 4
- ↑ every day gets brighter
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Mandelapolice.com ARG
- ↑ It's likely that, like other episodes, Vol. 333 has anachronic storytelling. The main evidence of this is that Thatcher wouldn't have a real reason to see the footage of the Murray Residence's television without having explored the house and encountered the Alternate and the Intruder.
- ↑ Show Boys Podcast Ep. 74 - What's The Mandela Catalogue
- ↑ The Mandela Catalogue Vol. 1 [RESTORED EDITION]
External Links[]
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Alternates Bythorne Paranormal Society Other | ||