If you think you have a hilarious joke about punching sharks and you want to put it into SPC form, feel free to ignore all the below.
As MrWrong (creator of the SPC GoI format) put it, an SPC is a "comic book elseworlds" of an SCP mainlist file. An SPC format is meant to outline the capabilities and effectiveness of any given project, anomalous or combined or otherwise, in punching sharks. Instead of containment, the format features the weaponization of an SCP with the goal of punching sharks or making the punching of sharks easier or more convenient.
I believe a core element SPC is humor. All SPC articles need to be at least a little bit funny. The entire GoI arises from a typo. Losing sight of that weakens the point of using the GoI. At the same time, the best SPCs, in my opinion, go beyond the mere joke of 'haha punch shark'. Look at SPC-140, for example. These people want to punch sharks so desperately that they're willing to risk the Daevite Empire taking over the world in exchange for better shark punching techniques.
SPC-2000 demonstrates the contrast of this approach. The grand reset button of SCP-2000 is instead reduced to a machine for making more sharks, so there will always be sharks to punch. It's dry anticlimax. SPC-993 has Bobble the Clown turned into Bobble the Clown Shark, going from a villain to a victim in the same breath.
What these 3 things have in common is contrast. They show just how stark the difference between the Foundation and the Shark Punching Centre's approach to anomalies/'Deviant' technologies/techniques is.
An SPC in this mold should be funny, but that humor should come as much from the subversion of expectations as the imagery of punching a shark.
As I've stressed, the SPC has no real canon, or even several incredibly contradictory canons. However, way back when MrWrong, sirpudding, and I (LORDXVNV) had a dream of a single unified cosmic horror SPC, I threw together this list of alternate universe GoIs for the universe of the SPC, most of which were created in SPC-1258. The star of the show, of course, is the Sharkic Empire, which was created in SPC-140.
The most important crucial parts of SPC lore in this list are the Sharkic Kingdoms, the Liberated Cetacean Union, and Marshall, Carter, and Shark. The rest have at most one-off mentions.
Sharkicism
Sharkicism as a whole can be divided into two main groups: Abyssal Sharkicism and Surface Sharkicism. While the two share a name and a theology, only Abyssal Sharkicism has any real power.
Sharkicists are dedicated to the direct worship of SPC-001. They originated in the now-sunken city-state of Adytum.
Surface Sharkicism
Sharkicists who live primarily on dry land have almost nothing in common with their abyssal cousins. Many of them are essentially baseline humans who find the theology or aesthetics of the Abyssal Sharkicists appealing.
Abyssal Sharkicism
Adherents to Abyssal Sharkicism control over 90% of the world's oceans, and have done so since approximately 1500 BCE. Abyssal Sharkicists are almost universally CYAN ABYSS entities — bizarre human-shark hybrids — though some individuals have been observed to have appearances closer to baseline humanity. Many Abyssal Sharkicists incorporate biology from other marine life, such as octopi, anglerfish, and other terrors of the deep.
While Abyssal Sharkicists as a whole possess a shared goal, Sharkic substates have formed over the course of the centuries.
Known CYAN ABYSS substates and their locations are as follows:
- Atlantos, Western Atlantic Ocean
- Salmonari Kingdoms of Pannonia, Eastern Europe
- Varuna State, Indian Ocean
- Confederation of Adytum's Lakes, Lakes of Central Asia
The Marianas Treaty
The Marianas Treaty of 1968 was established at the end of the Second Benthic War, and dictates the terms of interaction between Abyssal Sharkic societies and terrestrial societies. Roughly 95% of all terrestrial nation-states and an unquantified majority of Sharkic states are signatories as well. The Centre is not a signatory of the treaty and as such does not need to adhere to its points; however, several other NGOs with a significant oceanic presence accepted the terms.
The most significant points of the treaty are as follows.
- A ban on baseline human military and scientific use of deep-ocean waters, defined as 100 km beyond the end of the continental shelf, unless previously approved by the CYAN ABYSS government of the relevant area. Recreational expeditions are exempted.
- A cessation of CYAN ABYSS attacks and abductions from signatory terrestrial states. Vessels in deep-ocean waters are not protected.
- License for Navigations Unseen (NU) inspectors to enter Sharkic waters to ensure adherence to the above.
- A CYAN ABYSS representative at any organization with an oceanic presence, possessing full voting rights and veto power over any action involving naval deployment.
Liberated Cetacean Union
See SPC-1258. Basically, they're dolphin and whale people. Many of them have joined the SPC as full on agents, as seen in SPC-507 and SPC-179.
Marshal, Carter, and Shark Ltd
Marshall, Carter, and Dark, but since this is the SPC verse, Mr. Dark is an evil shark from beyond nature instead of being an evil humanoid beyond nature. They don't show up a lot, but it's fairly consistent that Mr. Shark was overthrown in a coup totally not backed by the SPC. The company is currently trying to rebrand as 'Marshall and Carter Ltd.'.
Whereabouts of Mr. Shark are unknown.
Boatswains of the Cog of God
A widespread and orthodox religion. Boatswains believe that the Planet Earth is a ship (specifically a Cog) sailing on a celestial ocean (some more literally than others), and that God (the captain) has chosen them as the petty officers entrusted with keeping good order among His crew.
The Johnson Heresy, or the Johnsonists, are an American heresy based in the state of Deseret. They believe that God's true name is YAT, and that he is akin to the admiral of a fleet. Those who have lived virtuous lives of service are rewarded with great wealth, a doctrine known as the "Commission Gospel". High-ranking members of the Johnsonists are known for their elaborate luxury recreational craft.
Great American Watchmen
An association of individuals dedicated to the preservation of American fine arts and cultural purity, the GAW encounters an abnormally high amount of Deviant art. Founded as a secret society in the early days of the UAS and dissolving and reforming countless times since, the GAW's current headquarters are in California. The Centre believes that some members of the GAW produce Deviant art as a form of appreciation of American culture and history.
Navigations Unseen (NU)
The esoteric arm of the Global Organization of Countries, the Navigations Unseen's mission is to use and understand Deviant phenomena for the betterment of humanity. Founded during the First Benthic War, the NU was crucial in preventing the extinction of baseline humanity at the hands of the Sharkic Empires. Under the stipulations of the Marianas Treaty, the NU is one of the few organizations with the power to conduct expeditions in deep-sea locations without unilateral approval from the GOC.
While not opposed to the Centre's mission, the NU does not consider SPC-001 a major priority and is primarily oriented around the preservation and improvement of human lives. As a naval and scientific enterprise under the auspices of the GOC, the NU's view on Selachian threats is fundamentally one of documentation.
Prometheus/Poseidon Laboratories
A Deviant technology conglomerate, Prometheus Laboratories is involved in Deviant technology trade worldwide since the 20th century. Many Centre researchers have approached Prometheus Laboratories to produce Deviant technology devices that the Centre refuses to fund, essentially becoming the unofficial R&D branch of the Centre.
Although Prometheus Laboratories was proposed to be merged with the Centre, all such propositions were denied. This was believed to ensure status quo, and to prevent the loss of an unofficial R&D branch that ultimately aided the Centre's interests.
Lt Flops substituted out this group for Poseidon Laboratories in SPC-507, which ultimately, I think fits better.
SCP Foundation
An extra-dimensional organisation focused on the containment of all Deviant technologies; it has notably interfered with Centre operations on multiple occasions. Most notably, the SCP Foundation's Department of Extra-Universal Affairs has funded a schism within the Centre – causing sceptical personnel to oppose the Centre under the banner of Containment Initiative.
Ultimately, the extra-dimensional origins of the SCP Foundation have caused most dissenters to return and re-pledge their loyalty to the Centre. Despite that, the "SCP Foundation" is speculated to be dangerous and will be dealt with harshly.
World Wildlife Foundation
A mysterious organization, possibly funded by the Global Coalition of Countries, dedicated to speciating, conserving, and preserving wildlife. The WWF is known for having "Species Conservation Preserves", in which they house wildlife. They are believed to be responsible for preventing the beginning of a fifth mass extinction event. Their public fronts are concerned primarily with the preservation of all wildlife, but rumors suggest that they have a special interest in collecting Deviant wildlife, possibly for weaponization purposes. While uncanny similarities exist between the WWF and the SCP Foundation, reliable intelligence indicates that the two organizations do not collude.
The presence of the WWF, the SCP Foundation, and the Centre in this timeline is almost certainly a result of SPC-001 interference.
Though if I'm being honest, it's funnier if Fae and Tim Wilson are the shadowy controllers of an all-powerful wildlife conservation organization, so I've started using Wilson's Wildlife Foundation recently.
Union of American States' Center for Institutionalized Impacting (UASCII)
A proto-Centre organization existing in the Union of American States before the Second Benthic War. Not much information exists beyond black-boxes or pieces of paper pummelled into pulp. It is known, however, that the UASCII engaged in highly controversial Deviant experiments, as funded by the Union to protect humans against all Sharkic threats, real or imagined.
There is some scant evidence that suggests their reasons for engaging in selachian pugilism are drastically different from those of the modern Centre.
The Serpent's Hand
The Serpent's Hand is multiversal, so they're literally just the Serpent's Hand. Except they know that most universes aren't farces based on a pun.
Here, I define some terms common to SPC in the darker timeline.
CICAPOCO
The "CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE COORDINATION AND PROJECTS OPERATION COMMAND OFFICE". Think of it like the SPC's equivalent of RAISA.
ORACLE
The equivalent of the O5 Council, but they're far more public with their identities. Beyond that, details vary. Also, they hate sharks too.
The Mistaken Beast
This was MrWrong's original idea for SPC-001 — the shark that caused the SPC to exist. Metafictionally, it was the typo of SPC as opposed to SCP. It was never written, unfortunately.
Marine Fighting Team
The equivalent of a Mobile Task Force, but focused entirely on — you guessed it — punching sharks.
Deviant
In the Centreverse, the word "Deviant" replaces the word "anomalous" in many capacities.
Beyond that, there's practically nothing. Slap together two words, one that's a color and one that's a noun, and you've got a codename for a Centre project.
