| “ | Listen closely. Do you hear it? You will hear the laughter of thousands as the sky opens up. You will hear the trumpets play their happy sounds. The scalding blood of life will pour down onto us all. Together, we will be still. Together, a feast fit for a king. Together, welded by love and purest connection. Be still. Let this- | „ |
The Boiled One, classified as PHEN-228 by the Ephrata Branch, is a demonic, cognitohazardous entity that serves as a physical and spiritual manifestation of trauma and dread. It spreads its faux-benevolent apocalyptic message by hijacking television stations and speaking in a warm yet disconcerting tone, causing victims to fall into a state resembling a pseudocoma.
This entity is the titular main antagonist of THE BOILED ONE PHENOMENON, a 2024 analog horror video created by independent artist Doctor Nowhere.
Appearance[]
The Boiled One manifests as an extremely tall, humanoid figure gaunt frame. His skin has a raw, crimson hue reminiscent of severe burns or scalding, hence his title. His head appears deformed, as though partially melted, featuring a wide mouth that reveals numerous teeth and large eyes that still retain a human-like quality. From his head, multiple straight, wire-like protrusions are seen emerging, resembling rigid hair or perhaps organic antennae.
A black cloak covers most of his body, though similar spike-like appendages to those on his head can be seen coming from beneath it. He has other aberrant features, including at least one arm with multiple joint articulations, and the presence of a large, pulsing orifice located in his chest region, though its purpose remains unknown.
He can alter his height at will, whether to make himself more noticeable or to accommodate spatial constraints. He also has selective visibility: he remains invisible to most human observers, only allowing himself to be perceived by those he chooses himself.
History[]
Information about PHEN-228's true identity and nature remains scarce, limited only to his broadcast statements and projected appearance.
During a Pennsylvania nature show called "TREE OF HEAVEN" on August 13th, 2003, PHEN-228 intercepted the broadcast. He materialized on screen and addressed the audience, claiming that remembering his appearance would summon his presence while they slept, leaving them paralyzed upon waking up. He stated he would perpetually observe them, remaining invisible to all except his chosen target.
Although the Ephrata Branch attempted to eliminate all traces of the interruption, The Boiled One began manifesting in hundreds of viewers' thoughts, causing psychological distress through constant harassment. Many struggled to banish his image, while others experienced lingering auditory hallucinations. Some victims reported disturbing sensations - one claimed the face parasitically fed on his spinal cord, while another described hearing trumpet sounds before sleeping. Eventually, most witnesses developed symptoms resembling pseudo-coma or Locked-in syndrome, rendering them immobile except for eye movement.
A witness named Job Zamperini informed authorities that his grandchild had captured PHEN-228's image beside a backyard playhouse. Zamperini later indicated that a malevolent presence accompanied him, threatening harm if he revealed PHEN-228's communications. During questioning, Zamperini described hearing mass screaming and exclusively perceiving PHEN-228's severely burned and "unholy" visage, which appeared at his window.
PHEN-228 disrupts the interview transmission to speak. He delivers an enigmatic message about the apocalypse, describing thousands laughing, trumpets playing "happy sounds" as "the scalding blood of life" descends from a celestial opening, which is shown during the hijacking. The Ephrata Branch then terminates the intrusion, concluding with instructions for viewers to follow initial safety protocols and power down their televisions.
Safety prodecures[]
- Avoid all cognitive recognition of PHEN-228, particularly facial observation.
- In the event you perceive otherworldly glossolalia, implement the following measures: Insert earplugs, access The Bible's Psalm 91:10, and transcribe this affirmation: "I can see this paper. I can see my hand. I can't hear the screaming of thousands. I can't hear the feast. I am a moving, breathing human being on planet Earth." Subsequently, verbally recite Psalm 91:10. Should persistent unwanted spiritual imagery or recollections manifest, seek divine intervention through prayer and alert relevant authorities, who will provide memory suppression treatment.
- When reviewing visual documentation of the entity, employ blue light filtering eyewear and maintain a minimum viewing distance of three feet.
- If you have retained the entity's facial features in memory or experienced any associated phenomena, you must remain in a wakeful state. Attempting sleep under these conditions is prohibited under all circumstances.
Trivia[]
- In the second video featuring PHEN-228, the references to trumpets allude to the seven trumpets that herald the apocalypse in the Biblical Book of Revelation.
- An linguistic phenomenon exists regarding PHEN-228, where its speech was comprehensible to viewers regardless of their native language, even though most remembered it speaking English.
- During the safety instruction segment, a message appears that contradicts the emergency protocols viewers are meant to follow. The message describes a sensory experience: "I can't see this paper. I have no hand. I can hear the laughter of thousands. I can hear the feast. I cannot move, nor do I want to."
- The timing of the Ephrata Branch's mandated power shutdown through NERC, which affected Pennsylvania's power infrastructure by 4 PM to contain the anomaly, corresponds with a real historical event: the Great Northeast Blackout of 2003. This was a widespread power failure that affected approximately 50 million people across multiple states including New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and extended into parts of Canada.
- The video contains multiple subtle nods to Mutsuhiro Watanabe, a Japanese war criminal known as "The Bird." These references include a Japanese message at the video's conclusion stating "Fear the one and only Watanabe, 'The Bird'" and a visual element showing an eye with mirrored Japanese text (鳥を恐れる) that roughly translates to "afraid of birds."
- Doctor Nowhere explained that The Boiled One's interactions with Job Zamperini serve as an allegory for the historical relationship between Watanabe and Louis Zamperini. After World War II, while Watanabe evaded justice for his war crimes, Louis Zamperini found inner peace through religious faith and offered forgiveness. Though Zamperini extended an invitation for reconciliation, Watanabe never accepted it. This historical narrative parallels Job Zamperini's religious resistance against The Boiled One. It's important to note that, despite frequent confusion, neither The Boiled One is meant to represent Watanabe himself, nor is Job Zamperini meant to be directly related to Louis Zamperini beyond sharing a last name.
- Doctor Nowhere also supported The Film Theorists' interpretation of The Boiled One as a representation of recurring trauma, pain, PTSD, hopelessness, and apocalyptic themes. He verified that a central theme of the video was humanity's capacity to overcome these destructive forces through religious faith or one's own determination.
External Links[]
- The Boiled One on the Villains Wiki