Cicada 3301 is perhaps the most mysterious seemingly Internet-based organization in the history of online mysteries. Since 2012, the group has posted numerous puzzles online under that name and has made no reference as to what it does or even where it is from. No one knows who runs it, assuming it really is an organization, or even the name of a single member. Cicada 3301 is able to keep its reputation with so little information strictly because of the interesting scavenger hunt of sorts it has released for three years running.
It all started on January 5, 2012 when a 4chan user posted a steganography clue on the “random” board. The image stated that Cicada 3301 was looking for “intelligent” people. In fact, the word used was “recruiting.” For what, no one has said and Cicada 3301 is certainly keeping it a secret. The image hid a clue that takes some level of specialized knowledge to find. It involved a Caesar cipher, which is pretty standard crypto, but the rest took at least some technical knowledge.
From there, and in future puzzles, clues varied greatly in skill-set necessary for solving and even location. Some of the clues were in physical locations, making it necessary for people who could not reach the clues to use posts on the Internet to get further in the hunt. Moreover, some of the references in the clues are pop culture, literature and other non-tech topics.
Some have touted the Cicada 3301 puzzles as unsolvable. This is not true. Several have solved the hunt and have allegedly received emails from the organization. Still, no one has come forward and stated what they were recruited to do, if anything. Judging by the puzzles, it is possible that Cicada 3301 is simply a cyber group like Anonymous. Of course, there is also the possibility that it is really MI6, the CIA or a similar organization. Information security, cryptography and a number of other skills necessary to crack the puzzles offered by Cicada would be helpful to virtually any large organization, which makes it hard to discover who is behind it. In fact, this would not be the first time an organization used such tactics to recruit new members. We have to assume that Cicada succeeded on that front, as it stated that it found the people it needed after the first puzzle. It began all over again on January 5, 2013 and again on January 5, 2014, so it must be an ongoing recruitment effort.
At this juncture, it is impossible to tell when these recruitment efforts from Cicada 3301 will stop, but that is not stopping people from looking forward to the next year’s puzzles. It may not be a very public honor, but it must be satisfying to know you have reached the end of one of the most famous puzzles in Internet history.
i usually don’t really care who ppl ship ppl with in fandoms, like if you don’t ship my ship and you ship them with someone else, that’s fine. but i don’t like it when ppl ship clearly non-romantic ships. not the “oh well i think they’re just friends!” kind of thing bc god knows i love me some friends to lovers, but when it’s more of a sibling or parental relationship with someone and ppl ship it :/
Cypher falls asleep in random places all the time. He doesn’t mean to, it’s a result of like, never sleeping, but he can just be sitting on the couch tinkering away when BAM - asleep. (The other agents usually leave him alone and turn off the lights. Sometimes KJ will put a blanket over him bc god knows he needs some good rest)
Brimstone tries to use “hip” phrases to relate to the younger agents but fails miserably. Once, he misinterpreted “thicc” and said it about almost everything before the context was VERY WRONG and Phoenix made him stop. (this is totally not based off my dad doing this exact same thing for months, until he called my brother thicc and we made him stop)
KJ collects coffee cups (based off her lab in the riotxarcane game)
Phoenix and Yoru have game nights, which usually ends in a LOT of arguing. The other agents place bets on who will start yelling first (it’s usually Phoenix)
When the other agents are running low on things, Cypher will buy it for them and leave it somewhere. Like a new soldering iron for KJ, new paints for Raze, etc. He never says it’s him, nor accepts any thank you’s but the others can definitely tell.
Raze’s room is painted wall to wall with art, like how Rapunzel painted the tower.
Yoru likes to tp onto the roof and just sit up there
Raze is NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER allowed to cook. She once nearly burned the place down, a job that’s supposed to be their resident fire radiant’s.
Skye keeps a garden that the other agents sometimes hang out in when they have free time
The younger agents pestered Brimstone to get a pool installed (purely for exercise purposes ofc). Everyone has been in it at least once, except Omen and Cypher. Cypher maintains that the day he gets in the pool is the day the world ends. (And that if anybody pushes him in, he’ll leak their search history)
Sage has a black cat named Moon
Omen knit a sweater for Sage and she wears it when it’s cold
guys i’m ashamed to say that i’m a cypher lover who isn’t a cypher main. i’m a raze main
BUT last night my AssHoLe friend took raze from me oN pUrpOsE and i was forced to play cypher and i actually liked it so watch out guys i’m about to become a menace to society >:>
seeing people’s ship rankings based off their opinion of it (like OTP or “meh” stuff) and being absolutely disgusted at what they ship but not saying anything.
I like to imagine Cypher is really talkative in bed. Telling you how sweet and pretty you look underneath him and constantly whispering sweet nothings to you
Come out to a great music event put on by L.A.’s Home Grown Radio! There will be live performances, a beat showcase, a cypher featuring Yancy Deron and a DJ set.
Location: Zanzibar in Santa Monica Date/Time: November 24th from 8 PM - 2 AM
here’s my entry for day 1 of twitter’s cypher art week 22!! the prompt involved pets + another agent, and we all know the best kind of pet is one containing hours upon hours of illicit information in video form
Written by: Jonathan Hickman Penciler by: R.B. Silva Inker by: Adriano Di Benedetto Colorist by: David Curiel Lettered by: VC’s Joe Sabino Edited by: Jordan D. White (editor), Lauren Amaro (assistant editor), Annalise Bissa (associate editor) Published by: Marvel Comics
