The "NotThem" (as referred to by Adelard Dekker) is a shapechanging creature affiliated with the Entity known as The Stranger. It has the ability to alter memories of those who knew its victims, as well as print and digital photos (although Polaroids seem to be immune). It then replaces them, living an apparently normal life, until moving on to a new victim. For each victim shown, one person is chosen to be immune to its reality-distorting effects, realizing that the NotThem looks distinctly unlike the person it is impersonating. In several cases, it takes a great deal of pleasure in tormenting these people.
In its natural form, it is described as "long and thin", with "stick-like limbs" and "too many joints". Even when encountered in a monstrous form, it was described as looking similar to its victim but "stretched out". It is the main antagonist of Season 2.
History[]
In 1994, Rose Cooper is replaced by the NotThem in the form of Not-Rose. Only her daughter, Lucy Cooper, is aware of the change, and the real Rose Cooper's voice remains unchanged on tape recordings.[1]
In 2001, Lawrence Moore's cousin Carl is replaced by the NotThem. Only Lawrence notices, and only a few Polaroid photos still show the real Carl. Adelard Dekker binds the entity, in the form of Not-Carl, to a web patterned table.[2]
In 2006, Amy Patel sees the NotThem become Not-Graham due to Graham's possession of the table.[3] She calls the police immediately when she sees the creature crawl through Graham's window, but they leave after Not-Graham shows them his passport with his new photo.
In 2016, Breekon & Hope deliver the table to the Magnus Institute.[4] Sasha James is replaced by Not-Sasha after escaping to the Institute's Artefact Storage during Prentiss' attack.[5] In 2017, Jonathan Sims becomes suspicious of Not-Sasha after some unusual comments from Melanie King. He breaks the table trying to destroy the creature, but only succeeds in releasing it. He is pursued into the tunnels beneath the institute by it.[6] The creature is trapped in the tunnels by Jurgen Leitner in MAG 79.
On September 25th, 2018, Peter Lukas releases Not-Sasha in order to create a distraction. Not-Sasha sets out to hunt down John but ends up fighting Julia Montauk and Trevor Herbert instead.
In MAG 165 Not-Sasha encounters John and Martin in the realm of The Stranger, where she insults Sasha. John becomes enraged and he calls upon the Ceaseless Watcher, using the powers of The Eye to destroy it.
Trivia[]
In MAG 200, John describes one of the first monsters as "long things that wear you like a suit". While this is not explicitly said to be the Not-Them, it does seem to very much describe them. If this is the case, it would make the Not-Them by far the oldest character in the podcast- while the exact timeline is unclear, a creature from this period would be at least millennia old, and very possibly predate civilization itself.