Notice

The following file is a matter of past record and still being actively investigated by the Foundation's Historical Department. As such, specific contents are subject to update at any time given the discovery of new information relevant to the anomaly in question.

Item#: 6681

Containment Class: neutralized

Secondary Class: none

Disruption Class: vlam

Risk Class: warning

SCP-6681.

Special Containment Procedures: As SCP-6681 has already expired of natural causes, physical containment is mostly unnecessary.

Censoring of SCP-6681's historical records is to be handled by Learning Computer Zeta-92 ("Wells"). As part of this initiative, any digital records which describe or allude to SCP-6681's anomalous properties are to be pulled from circulation and adjusted as appropriate for normalcy. In cases where this is not possible (physical records, witness testimony, etc.), historical maintenance is to be performed on a case-by-case basis by Mobile Task Force Alpha-72 ("Thornton Squares").

In order to prevent repeats of Incident 6681-1, a Foundation agent is to be embedded in the staff of the Corsier-sur-Vevey communal cemetery in Switzerland. In the event of individuals attempting to gain access to SCP-6681's body, this agent is to immediately alert the nearest Foundation site and repel any intruders with appropriate force until backup arrives. If possible, intruders are to be apprehended alive for intelligence regarding at-large occult groups.

Description: SCP-6681 was prominent comic actor, composer and filmmaker Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Junior, better known as Charlie Chaplin. Although it was not discovered by the Foundation during his lifetime, it is now believed that SCP-6681 possessed a number of anomalous capabilities. Records suggest these included:

An enhanced ability to regenerate from bodily damage, sufficient to repair significant injuries over the course of hours.

A heavily enhanced immune system, such that incidents of illness were never reported during SCP-6681's lifetime.

The ability to comfortably go weeks or even months without sleep.

While it is believed that SCP-6681 displayed further anomalous properties, these initial examples are those that have been corroborated by historical records and witness testimony. Evidence suggests that SCP-6681 was aware of their anomalous capabilities, but it is unknown if they knew of their source.

SCP-6681 in character as 'the Tramp'.

Addendum 6681-1 (Historical Report)

The following is a record of the anomalous phenomena and circumstances that are known to have surrounded SCP-6681 during his lifetime. As this investigation was conducted many years after the events decribed, this report was compiled utilizing information previously gathered by several cooperating agencies, including the British Occult Service and the Unusual Incidents Unit. These resources were provided to the Foundation in exchange for intelligence on several low-risk anomalies.

At the time of his birth, SCP-6681 is not believed to have possessed his anomalous abilities — as evidenced by a brief period of illness when he was three years old.

All reports which suggest SCP-6681 was anomalous take place after 1896, when he was enrolled at the Hanwell School for Orphans and Destitute Children. This educational institute was subject to several unrelated investigations by the British Occult Service (BOS) during the period. While the specifics of what SCP-6681 experienced at the school are unclear, no reports of him experiencing a prolonged injury or falling ill exist after he left eighteen months later.

During a surreptitious search of the Hanwell School for Orphans and Destitute Children by an undercover BOS agent in 1897, a copy of the following message was found in an administrative office. It is believed the original version of this letter was sent to theatre comedian Frederick John Westcott — more commonly known under his stage name Fred Karno — by the school's enigmatic headmaster.

One day, a young man will be referred to you. You will know him when you see him. You will provide him an opportunity fit for his talent. You can complain if you wish but all the same you will provide him an opportunity fit for his talent. You will do this or I will speak with you again in the place where we first met.

Otherwise.

With this, our business, it is concluded.

Mr. Westcott would go on to employ SCP-6681 as part of his comedy company many years later.

Records of SCP-6681 activities remain mundane until the year 1917, when he was directing the silent film Easy Street. SCP-6681 was also starring in the film as his popular character 'the Little Tramp'. During the filming of one scene, a prop SCP-6681 was holding collapsed onto SCP-6681's face, inflicting serious damage to the bridge of his nose. This injury was anticipated to delay production on the film by several days, as the stitches required would prevent SCP-6681 from wearing makeup — however, when he came in the following day, the injury had completely healed.

When cast and crew members asked him how his injury had healed so quickly, SCP-6681 reportedly became extremely agitated and irate. Initially, he insisted that the injury had never occurred at all, before refusing to speak of it completely when others inquired further.

Poster for SCP-6681's 1917 film The Immigrant.

Later in the year 1917, SCP-6681 also directed and starred the film The Immigrant. While no anomalous phenomena was noted during the production of the film, a noticeable incident arose during one test screening. Following the conclusion of the screening, the audience were alarmed to discover that all colour had been drained from their clothing and skin, causing them to resemble the characters from the black-and-white feature. The only exception to this drainage, apparently, was anything red on the victim's person. This phenomenon persisted for a period of several hours, after which the victims returned to their previous colouration.

Victims questioned by the FBI Unusual Incidents Unit (UIU) also cited the appearance of a laughing character 'all in red' they saw at various points in the film. This character is not present on the film reels. The UIU took the offending film reel into their custody, but did not investigate SCP-6681 directly — as they believed the anomaly to centre around this test screening only.

Rumours and urban legends regarding the screening persisted for some time, and are believed to have reached SCP-6681 himself. According to those close to him, he was highly distressed by the rumours, often complaining of surreal and persistent nightmares on those occasions that he did sleep. One of these occasions is described in the unpublished memoirs of SCP-6681's brother and business manager, Sydney Chaplin:

Some have described my brother as dour and miserable in private, and often I would agree with them, but on occasion I saw him overcome with a terrible waking passion.

One night I remember in particular, when I found him on my doorstep very early in the morning, shivering and shaking like a child. He entered before I could say anything and went on to describe a nightmare he'd had hours before, going on and on without letting me speak a single word. I remember what he said well enough, but this was many years ago now, and so I must paraphrase.

"In my dream I found myself in a dim alleyway in a city like nothing I can describe, lying in excrement and dirt. There was something on my face, something hard, and I could not take it off no matter how much I tugged and pulled. I felt as alone and trapped as I'd ever been. It was like I was a boy again.

"I screamed for help and someone came. A tramp, like my costume, only his face was slick and wet all red. That red was the only colour I could see in that place. I asked who he was, and at first he refused to tell me — but when I asked again, he named himself as Verdoux in the manner of an alias. He went on to say he was an ardent admirer of mine, and that he had followed my work for some time. I asked how long: he only smiled.

"Verdoux said that, for him, nothing would be a greater honour than to be with me — no, to be me. To caress with my hands, to taste with my tongue, to dance and to play at being the vagrant. In fright I pushed and punched at him, but when my fists struck his slick face I realized it was but a mask.

"He laughed at me until I woke all in a sweat. I cannot get it out of my mind."

On other occasions, he would tell me he'd dreamed that someone had turned him into a bottle. He would worry about these things terribly.

In 1921, SCP-6681 went on holiday to the United Kingdom, returning there for the first time in nearly ten years. During this time, he briefly stayed at the Royal Dragon hotel in London.

A member of the hotel's staff, Annette Green, wrote to a friend regarding the star's stay — the majority of her account is mundane in nature, but towards the end of the period she describes an individual who came to visit SCP-6681. This visitor, although unnamed, was described as 'always smirking, with a face so white it made you think of a doll'.

The individual entered SCP-6681's room and left two hours later. During this time, the sounds of SCP-6681's agitated shouting could reportedly be heard from inside the room. When SCP-6681 left the Royal Dragon two days later, Green described him as appearing drained and 'always close to tears'.

Bar the lack of injury and illness that one would expect over a long lifetime, SCP-6681's career went on without anomalous incident for many years following this. While he was prevented from returning to America when he left the country to attend the premiere of his 1952 film Limelight, shared UIU records confirm this was for mundane political reasons rather than suspicion of any anomalous phenomena.

Following his unofficial exile, SCP-6681 moved to the municipality of Corsier-sur-Vevey in Switzerland, where he would live on his estate — Manoir de Ban — until his death.

Manoir de Ban.

During these later years in Switzerland, SCP-6681 was reported as receiving a number of unusual visitors to Manoir de Ban. These visitors were often described as elderly gentlemen in eccentric garb, either wearing masks or heavy amounts of makeup. Initially, SCP-6681 is described as sending them away, but over time he allowed them entry and would privately speak with them long into the night.

The amicability of these meetings would not last, however, with the final one taking place on the morning of December 2nd, 1977. A gardener who worked at the estate described SCP-6681 demanding his visitors for the day leave — and when they did so, they could be seen desperately covering their unmasked faces with their hands.

According to testimony from SCP-6681's family members, on the night of December 2nd, 1977, he attempted to set fire to his office in his home using a box of matches. While the fire was quickly extinguished by his wife Oona O'Neill, a great deal of notes regarding several projects was destroyed. SCP-6681 is believed to have specifically gathered these articles for this purpose.

These projects included his prospective films The Freak, Dear God, and ███ ██████ ████'█ ███████.

By far the most affected by these events was this final project, the only surviving record of which was an entry from SCP-6681's heavily charred dream journal. Entry follows:

A city like a melting mirror, all association and compromise. Paris and London and Rome and New York all shredded together and perfected. Lens of a camera insufficient to capture what I saw there. Even the costuming beyond human hands. Why did I fear this so?

Following the incident, SCP-6681 was noted to be in much higher spirits by his friends and family. No further anomalous phenomena was noted during his lifetime. He passed away from a stroke later that same month on December 25th 1977, and was buried at Corsier-sur-Vevey cemetery.

Addendum 6681-2 (Incident 6681-1)

SCP-6681's grave.

While this addendum has been placed at the end of this report for chronological purposes and ease of understanding, it is this incident which first led to SCP-6681's posthumous investigation by the Foundation.

On March 1st 1978, police were called to a disturbance at the Corsier-sur-Vevey cemetery. Upon their arrival, it was discovered that the undertaker of the cemetery had been murdered — cause of death was ruled as exsanguination following the application of several deep cuts with a bladed weapon, most prominently a crude alchemical circle carved into the victim's chest. In addition, SCP-6681's grave had been dug up and his coffin and body stolen.

Due to the unusual nature of the murder, Foundation agents in the area quickly became aware of the situation, effectively assuming control of the subsequent investigation. Mobile Task Force Alpha-72 ("Thornton Squares") tracked down the thieves over the course of the following two months, eventually reacquiring them outside the nearby village of Noville.

When the thieves were located, it appears they were utilizing the body of SCP-6681 for occult purposes. MTF-A72-4, the assigned scout who tracked the culprits' physical location, was assigned to monitor them via sniper scope until the rest of Alpha-72 could get into position to apprehend them. The following is a record of subsequent events.

<Begin Log>

(MTF-A72-4 activates camera. The two culprits are visible in the distance, wearing black raincoats and copious amounts of white face paint. The coffin of SCP-6681 is visible, resting on the grass next to a toolbox. One of the culprits initially attempts to break into SCP-6681's coffin with a crowbar, but is waved off by the other, who is standing further away.)

(The culprit at a distance shrugs off their raincoat and it falls away, revealing a heavily distended stomach. They hold their stomach and appear to groan in discomfort. The thinner culprit throws their crowbar off the ground and begins approaching the other one.)

(The thinner culprit retrieves a long dagger from within their raincoat.)

(MTF-A72-4 requests permission to fire. Denied.)

(The thinner culprit stabs their partner in their distended midsection, working the blade up and down so as to open the stomach vertically. Due to the considerable distance, screaming can only faintly be heard.)

(The wounded culprit falls back onto the grass in a sitting position and holds their stomach open with their hands, facing the coffin.)

(The thinner culprit moves to the toolbox, opens it, and retrieves a length of cable with a metal hook on the end. Returning to their partner, they feed this cable into their stomach wound until the hook appears to find purchase on something within. Stepping back, the thinner culprit slaps their hands together.)

(The two culprits appear to briefly exchange words. Inaudible at this range.)

(The thinner culprit begins pulling on the cable. Body language suggests that the object they are attempting to retrieve from within their partner is extremely heavy. Their legs skid on the muddy ground as they struggle to pull it free.)

(MTF-A72-4 requests permission to fire. Denied.)

(As the thinner culprit falls backwards onto the grass, they succeed in pulling the cable back out of their partner's body — along with several of their internal organs. The wounded culprit collapses as well, and was initially believed to have expired at this point.)

(Now that the cable is again visible, an object can be seen floating unassisted in the air with the hook attached to it. MTF-A72-4 zooms in to inspect it closer: the object is identified as a bright red comedy mask of unknown make, the hook having latched onto it through one of the eye holes. The thinner culprit prostrates himself before it.)

(The hook falls off the mask and falls back to the ground. The mask continues to float in place.)

(The thinner culprit speaks the words "Charlot, unfurl thy wings." MTF-A72-4 reports being able to hear this with perfect clarity.)

(SCP-6681's coffin begins to visibly shudder and shake — and a moment later, the front of it shatters as SCP-6681's body floats upwards with great speed, as if gripped by the back of the collar by an invisible force. SCP-6681's body and the red mask begin to float towards each other.)

(Loud laughter can be heard.)

(MTF-A72-4 requests permission to fire. Granted.)

(MTF-A72-4 fires upon the red mask. No effect.)

(MTF-A72-4 fires upon the thinner culprit. Kill confirmed. The red mask and SCP-6681's body continue to float towards each other.)

(MTF-A72-4 fires upon the prone, wounded culprit which the mask emerged from. Kill confirmed. The red mask immediately vanishes, and SCP-6681's body falls to the ground.)

(MTF-A72-4 continues to observe for three minutes before confirming no further anomalous phenomena is occurring. Mobile Task Force Alpha-72 move in for clean-up and subsequent investigation.)

<End Log>

Following the incident, a cover story involving graverobbers seeking ransom was concocted and disseminated by the Foundation. Subsequent investigation into SCP-6681 to determine the reasoning behind this observed ritual led to the discovery of anomalous properties displayed during his lifetime.