So, I watched a video that explains in detail the differences between the Slender Man made by Eric Knudsen (AKA Victor Surge) and how the entire character was shaped by the internet after Marble Hornets came into the picture.
The video explained that Slender Man was originally a very physical threat, being more of a brute that attacked anyone who saw him, and operates on what it's called "Metaphysical Territoriality", meaning that the more of him you are, the more aware of YOU he becomes. He is a territorial creature, but said territory is the mind, and he becomes aggressive and will attack anyone who acknowledges his existence. But if enough people know about him, it will create some kind of 'interference' that will prevent him from being as dangerous, somehow. He might kill thousands, sure, but eventually, there will be so many people who are aware of him that he won't be able to maintain his territory. Victor Surge also mentioned that Slender Man looks the way he does because he tries to maintain human-like proportions but can't pull it off, and his body changes periodically. And in some pictures and early stories, Slender Man does have a face, but it won't appear on camera, save for a few times. This suggests that Slender Man wants to appear human, which opens up a lot of possibilities for whatever motivations he might have.
But the modern Slender Man, he is very, very different. He is more of a psychological threat, and this is mostly due to Marble Hornets's success, which has the Operator as the main antagonist, who the creators say that he's not Slender Man, but it resembles the modern version more than the original does. The metaphysical territoriality is still there (kind of), but he's not as violent, and his presence is dangerous, but not certain death. He manipulates minds and ruins lives. In short, the Operator reshaped the character permanently.
So, this makes me wonder, which version do you prefer? The original interpretation, or the modern one?
