Character: scp-049

2015 ambiguous_gender animal_mask beak_mask bound clothing cuff_(restraint) english_text graphite_(artwork) greyscale group handcuffs hat headgear headwear hood human jewelry looking_at_viewer mammal mask mech-han metal_cuffs monochrome necklace plague_doctor ranged_weapon restraints robe scp-049 scp_containment_breach scp_foundation shackles text traditional_media_(artwork) walking weapon

2017 amamidori ambiguous_gender animal_mask beak_mask black_bars blood blood_on_chair bodily_fluids chair clipboard clothed clothing curtains doctor euclid furniture gloves gore hand_on_table handwear holding_clipboard holding_object hood hoodie humanoid letterbox light looking_at_clipboard looking_at_object machine mask medical not_furry operating_room operating_table organs paper pens plague_doctor red_eyes scp-049 scp_foundation sitting solo surgical_light syringe table text tools topwear unknown_species

2021 5_fingers animal_humanoid avian avian_humanoid beak belt belt_pouch biped black_body black_clothing black_gloves black_handwear black_hood black_sclera black_text black_topwear character_name clothing colored dated digital_drawing_(artwork) digital_media_(artwork) english_text fingers gloves handwear hi_res holding_object holding_syringe hood humanoid lock_symbol looking_at_viewer male pseudo_clothing pseudo_mask red_text scp-049 scp_foundation signature simple_background solo standing syringe text topwear white_background white_beak white_face yellow_eyes yellow_lock_symbol zal-cryptid

SCP-049 is an avian humanoid character from the mythos of the SCP Foundation website. His debut story, SCP-049 — Plague Doctor was posted in 2009 by a writer known as Gabriel Jade, which he revised in 2018 with assistance by djkaktus. SCP-049 is one of few characters from the website to have a canonical voice actor, as he has been voiced by Aaron "TheVolgun" McKee in Plague Doctor, SCP Containment Breach, and SCP: Secret Files.

SCP-049 has an appearance and demeanor reminiscent of a plague doctor. Canonically, he seems to be fully clothed in black clothing, including a capelet, hood, gloves, and a white beak mask; this is in fact pseudo clothing as they are a thick hide and (in the case of his pseudo mask) chitin grown from his body. As the flesh clothes may be considered disgusting, it may reinterpreted as actual clothing by furry artists to allow undressing. Depending on the artist, SCP-049 may be depicted more anthrofied with avian features such as feather hair and talons.

SCP-049 is a scholarly individual fluent in several languages, favoring English, Medieval French, and an unidentified script he uses to write in a notebook of his. He professes to be a person of science and a medical practitioner, but his understanding of medicine does not correlate with known teachings. Most notably SCP-049 claims a field of interest in (and an animosity towards) an unknown disease he refers to as "the Pestilence"; however SCP-049 is unable to articulate to others what this "Pestilence" is, his research on it, or his refutation of a dichotomy between life and death.

In terms of extranormal abilities, SCP-049 is capable of causing instantaneous death in an organism via touch, doing so to those he believes are afflicted with "the Pestilence". He can also take a corpse and (through a surgical/alchemical transformation process not understood by the Foundation) may succeed in reanimating the organism as a zombie, creations that are designated SCP-049-2. SCP-049 indicates that his zombies are free of "the Pestilence", but the process is an imperfect but "most effective" cure requiring revision. He appears to have difficulty understanding or coming to terms with the cessation of consciousness that comes with death, expressing denial in some cases. He does not necessitate food or beverage to live, but finds that it eases him when overworked.

Discovered in southern France following a series of disappearances in Montauban, SCP-049 was contained by the Foundation as a Euclid-class SCP. He was initially allowed to continue his "research" under observation and became acquainted with Dr. Raymond Hamm, the lead researcher for SCP-049's containment, but his amenities were revoked following an episode where he killed Dr. Hamm and reanimated him as an SCP-049-2.

SCP-049 indicates he has existed since 15th century, but may have some association with an otherworldly realm known as Alagadda (SCP-2264-B) and an exiled noble from there, now known as SCP-035. As the SCP Foundation has no singular canon, the character's history and relationships may vary; in the UnHuman canon, SCP-049 enters a romantic relationship with SCP-6118 and is an unrequited recipient of obsession from SCP-035; according to the tale Boiled, Scrambled, and Fried, he somehow became pregnant and laid an egg that hatched into SCP-049-J; and Herman Fuller Presents: The Doctor of Death alleges he is just an insane bird person with missing wings who got kicked out of the Circus of the Disquieting.