The Guy Fawkes mask, popularized by the graphic novel and film V-for-Vendetta , became the real-world face of the hacktivist group Anonymous. In the early 2010s, a legend began to circulate on imageboards like about a specific archive titled Fawkes Mask.rar . According to the legend:
: Narratives claim that opening the file would trigger a terminal window that began scrolling names and addresses—supposedly the real identities of Anonymous members or, more terrifyingly, the user's own private data. Fawkes Mask.rar
: Upon downloading and attempting to extract the .rar file, users reported that it contained a single, high-resolution image of the Guy Fawkes mask. The "Horror" Elements The Guy Fawkes mask, popularized by the graphic
: The story is a classic example of how internet subcultures create their own "ghost stories" to warn others about cybersecurity and the anonymity—or lack thereof—online. : Upon downloading and attempting to extract the