“Q” - The Phoenix Enigma

By Cory Daniel Kappy September 1, 2019

(Click image below)—View & interact with the ISAAC KAPPY MIND MAP—(Click image below)

A Condensed History of “Q”

The QAnon movement began in October 2017 when an anonymous poster, “Q,” emerged on 4chan’s /pol/ board, claiming to be a high-level government insider with “Q clearance.” The first “Q drop” predicted Hillary Clinton’s imminent arrest and hinted at a secret war led by Donald Trump against a “deep state” cabal o

f satanic pedophiles controlling politics, media, and finance. Drawing from earlier conspiracies like Pizzagate, Q’s cryptic posts quickly gained traction among fringe online communities, fueled by distrust in elites and institutions. By 2018, QAnon migrated to 8chan after 4chan moderators cracked down, and its followers—self-styled “digital soldiers”—began decoding drops, spreading the narrative via YouTube, Reddit, and Twitter.

The movement grew rapidly in 2018–2019, absorbing broader grievances—anti-vaccine sentiment, election fraud fears—while Trump’s ambiguous endorsements (e.g., retweeting Q supporters) lent it credibility among his base. High-profile figures like Michael Flynn and Marjorie T

aylor Greene embraced or flirted with it, pushing QAnon into mainstream visibility. Events like Trump rallies saw Q signage, and the FBI labeled it a domestic terror threat in 2019 after linked incidents (e.g., an armed standoff at Hoover Dam). Its peak influence came during the 2020 election, with QAnon amplifying “Stop the Steal” claims, culminating in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, where Q followers were prominent.

Post-2021, QAnon faced setbacks: Q stopped posting in December 2020 (resuming briefly in 2022 on 8kun), platforms like Twitter and Facebook banned Q content, and Trump’s election loss deflated some momentum. Yet, it didn’t die. Adherents adapted, folding Q into new narratives—COVID conspiracies, anti-government militias—or awaiting Trump’s “return.” By 2022, an estimated 5–20% of U.S. adults believed some QAnon tenets, per polls (e.g., PRRI). Splinters like “Pastel QAnon” softened its image for broader appeal, while others tied it to Christian eschatology.

As of April 2025, QAnon has evolved from a unified conspiracy into a decentralized ideology. No major “Storm” (mass arrests) occurred, but its ideas persist in MAGA circles, wellness communities, and global offshoots (e.g., Germany’s Querdenken). The original Q remains unidentified—speculation ranges from pranksters (like 8chan’s Jim Watkins) to political operatives—leaving it

s inception murky. Though less cohesive, QAnon’s legacy endures, shaping distrust and radicalization in a post-truth era, with its followers still anticipating a reckoning that never fully materializes.

“Q” – A Domestic Political Psychological Warfare Operation

POLITICS ASIDE, From the perspective of a psychological warfare operation, the QAnon movement

can be seen as a sophisticated campaign designed to manipulate perception, sow division, and mobilize a segment of the population toward specific ideological ends. Emerging in 2017 from anonymous posts on 4chan by “Q,” who claimed insider knowledge of a secret battle led by Donald Trump against a satanic, child-trafficking “deep state,” QAnon leveraged the principles of psychological operations (PSYOPs)—a military tactic aimed at influencing emotions, reasoning, and behavior. The movement’s cryptic “Q drops” functioned as a deliberate tool of ambiguity, encouraging followers to decode messages and construct narratives themselves, fostering a sense of agency and ownership that deepened their commitment. This mirrors classic PSYOP techniques, w

here incomplete information primes targets to fill gaps with pre-existing biases, amplifying belief through self-reinforcement.

The structure of QAnon aligns with psychological warfare’s emphasis on creating an “in-group” versus “out-group” dynamic, a tactic used to unify followers and vilify opponents. By casting Trump as a messianic figure fighting a shadowy cabal—allegedly comprising Democrats, Hollywood elites, and globalists—QAnon tapped into widespread distrust of institutions, a sentiment ripe for exploitation. The movement’s apocalyptic rhetoric, like “The Storm” (a supposed reckoning), echoes spiritual warfare themes from evangelical traditions, blending them with conspiracy tropes (e.g., Pizzagate, New World Order) to create a potent emotional hook. This dualistic worldview—good versus evil, with no middle ground—keeps adherents in a heightened state of anxiety and hypervigilance, conditions known to impair critical thinking and make individuals more susceptible to suggestion, a hallmark of PSYOP success.

QAnon’s spread relied heavily on digital platforms, reflecting modern psychological warfare’s shift to information ecosystems. Its migration from fringe sites like 8chan to mainstream social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) was accelerated by “digital soldiers”—followers encouraged to amplify Q’s message through memes, videos, and hashtags like #WWG1WGA (“Where We Go One, We Go All”). This decentralized dissemination mimics military information support operations (MISO), where grassroots momentum masks the operation’s origins, making it appear organic. The movement’s adaptability—absorbing anti-vaccine sentiment, election fraud, and local grievances (all valid concerns)—ensured resilience, even as platforms cracked down. Incidents, such as J6, suggest a shift from online influence to real-world action, a potential escalation of intent consistent with PSYOPs aiming to destabilize social cohesion.

Speculatively, if QAnon were a deliberate operation, its architects could be state or non-state actors seeking to weaken democratic stability—Russia, for instance, has been linked to amplifying QAnon via state media like RT, though no evidence ties it to the movement’s creation. Alternatively, it might stem from domestic political operatives or rogue intelligence figures (e.g., Michael Flynn’s PSYOP background raises eyebrows) aiming to radicalize a base for power or profit. The lack of a clear “Q” identity fuels theories of a coordinated psyop, possibly testing social manipulation limits or building a fifth column for future conflict. Regardless, its psychological impact—radicalizing millions, fracturing shared reality, and inspiring violence—demonstrates the devastating efficacy of such an operation, intentional or not, in exploiting human psychology for control.

Psychological Tactics Leveraged by the Progenitors of “Q”

The progenitors of the QAnon movement—assuming “Q” and early amplifiers acted with intent—leveraged a range of psychological tactics rooted in human cognition, emotion, and social dynamics to build and sustain the movement. These tactics align with principles of psychological warfare, propaganda, and cult psychology, exploiting vulnerabilities in perception and belief formation. Below are the key tactics they employed.

1. Ambiguity and the Zeigarnik Effect

Tactic: Q’s cryptic “drops”—short, vague posts riddled with questions and codes—left followers with incomplete information, triggering the Zeigarnik Effect, where unresolved tasks or mysteries heighten mental engagement. By posing questions like “Who controls the narrative?” or “What is the keystone?” without answers, Q ensured followers obsessed over deciphering them.
Impact: This kept adherents in a state of curiosity and anticipation, driving them to forums like 8chan or Reddit to collaborate on interpretations. The act of piecing together meaning fostered a sense of discovery and intellectual superiority, binding them to the narrative emotionally.

2. Apophenia and Pattern-Seeking Behavior

Tactic: QAnon capitalized on apophenia—the human tendency to see patterns in random or unrelated data—by scattering breadcrumbs (e.g., number codes, news references) that followers connected to real-world events. Predictions like “HRC extradition already in motion?” (October 2017) were vague enough to retroactively fit outcomes.
Impact: This reinforced confirmation bias—when events aligned (even loosely), it validated Q’s “prophecies”; when they didn’t, followers rationalized discrepancies. The tactic turned everyday news into a grand conspiracy puzzle, making believers feel uniquely perceptive.

3. Fear and Moral Panic

Tactic: QAnon’s core narrative—elites trafficking and abusing children—tapped into primal fears and moral outrage, emotions that short-circuit rational analysis. Claims of a “satanic cabal” eating babies or running “Pizzagate” sex rings were designed to provoke disgust and urgency, echoing historical witch hunts or blood libel myths.
Impact: Fearful, angry adherents became hypervigilant, seeing threats
everywhere (e.g., coded messages in celebrity tweets), while the moral stakes—saving innocents—justified extreme loyalty and action. This emotional hijacking made questioning the narrative feel like betraying a sacred cause.

4. In-Group Identity and Social Reinforcement

Tactic: QAnon fostered a tight-knit community with slogans like #WWG1WGA and roles like “digital soldiers,” exploiting social identity theory. Followers were cast as enlightened patriots battling a corrupt “out-group” (the deep state, liberals), with Trump as their heroic leader.
Impact: This created a cult-like bond—group validation outweighed external skepticism. Online echo chambers (Q boards, Telegram) amplified this, rewarding participation with praise and purpose. Dissent risked ostracism, locking believers in through social pressure.

5. Authority and Trust Transference

Tactic: Q claimed high-level security clearance (“Q-level”), implying insider knowledge, while tying the movement to Trump’s aura of authority. Drops often referenced his speeches or actions as proof of Q’s legitimacy (e.g., “Watch the water” linked to Trump drinking Fiji water).
Impact: This exploited trust in perceived experts and leaders. Followers transferred their faith in Trump—already a polarizing figure of loyalty—to Q, bypassing skepticism. The anonymity of Q enhanced mystique
, making it a blank slate for projecting credibility.

6. Cognitive Dissonance and Sunk Cost Fallacy

Tactic: When predictions failed (e.g., mass arrests in 2017), QAnon reframed them as part of a “plan” (“Trust the plan”) or blamed delays on enemies, leveraging cognitive dissonance—where people rationalize contradictions to preserve belief. The time and effort invested in decoding drops triggered the sunk cost fallacy.
Impact: Adherents doubled down rather than abandon the movement, interpreting setbacks a
s tests of faith. This resilience turned QAnon into a self-sustaining belief system, immune to disproof.

7. Gamification and Dopamine Loops

Tactic: Decoding Q drops was gamified—followers hunted clues across media, earning “wins” when connections clicked (e.g., a timestamp matching a Trump tweet). This mirrored addictive video game mechanics, releasing dopamine with each breakthrough.
Impact: The thrill of the chase kept followers hooked, transforming passive belief into active participation. Social media shares of “findings” amplified this reward cycle, spreading the movement virally.

These tactics—ambiguity to hook, fear to motivate, community to bind, authority to legitimize, and gamification to addict—worked synergistically to exploit psychological weaknesses: our need for meaning, belonging, and certainty in a chaotic world. By blending conspiracy tropes with modern digital dynamics, QAnon’s progenitors crafted a narrative that felt personal and urgent, turning followers into unwitting amplifiers of a self-perpetuating operation. Whether intentional or emergent, the result was a masterclass in manipulating human nature.

“Q” and Isaac Kappy

Isaac Truly Believed in “Q”

It pains me to watch the video below, or any of Isaac’s videos now as they relate to Q, for that matter. Knowing what we now know about Q; the players, the operation, and the fallout of it all. It is truly sickening to see what Isaac was manipulated into and the state of his mental and physical condition the further down the Q-Hole he went. But I will be the first to tell you that after speaking to all of his friends, family, and the Famalam, that Isaac was true believer in Q.

It is no secret that Isaac was a true believer in the “Q” movement as he spoke about it often in his periscopes and personal correspondence. He carried this belief to the very end as he makes apologies for betraying the movement in his last periscope.

Isaac interacted with QAnon primarily as a vocal supporter and self-styled/non-official whistleblower, leveraging social media and alternative media platforms to amplify the movement’s narratives and connect with its followers. His engagement began around mid-2018, when he started using platforms like Periscope, YouTube, and Instagram to live stream and post content that aligned with QAnon’s central claims—namely, that a secret elite, including Hollywood figures, was involved in pedophilia and other crimes, opposed by a hidden resistance led by Donald Trump. Isaac’s very first livestream was on July 22, 2018 at the San Diego Comic Con convention, where he broadcasted live to his periscope account and accused Seth Green, Tom Hanks, and Stephen Spielberg as pedophiles. This date officially marks Isaac Kappy’s first public mentioning of both the named alleged pedophiles and Isaac’s ongoing involvement in this psyop.

Shortly after this broadcast, Isaac was contacted by Thomas Schoenberger, who is both then and now the lead figure of the shadowy Cicada 3301 group. A group of people Thomas accumulated to hijack the original online Cicada puzzle, continue creating more puzzles and release them under the original Cicada name. It is widely known within the online puzzle solver community that Mr. Schoenberger did in fact hijack the original Cicada puzzle (2012-2014) game and pay his associates too continue building puzzles. Some of these people include, Manny Chavez III, Richard Zach Miller, Arturo Tafoya, and others. Thomas Schoenberger has continued to attempt to build out the Cicada 3301 brand and has gone on to form he Cicada 3301 Metaverse LLC. Which can be found here.

It was Mr. Schoenberger who arranged for Isaac to be on the Lift the Veil show with Nathan Stolpman. In fact, Isaac told exactly this to Nathan during the interview. To which Nathan immediately warned Isaac about members of this group.

Even Manny Chavez III (Defango) warned Isaac about Thomas Schoenberger.

You can learn all about Thomas Schoenberger and “The Judas Prophecy” here. This was a “prophecy” that Thomas Schoenberger allegedly had wherein he foretold that Manny Chavez was going to die in a very specific way. And yes, Thomas sent this prophecy/threat to Manny directly. It turned out that Isaac died in much the similar way as Thomas had in mind for Manny (according to his “prophecy”) that is. More than this however, Thomas is known for and makes it a habit of calling people “JUDAS”.

Kappy’s primary mode of interaction was through videos and posts where he named specific celebrities—such as Tom Hanks, Seth Green, Steven Spielberg, and James Gunn—as alleged pedophiles or members of the supposed cabal. These accusations, delivered without evidence, mirrored QAnon “drops” that encouraged followers to “dig” into the lives of public figures. He often framed his actions as “dropping truth bombs,” adopting the cryptic, revelatory style of QAnon messaging. For instance, in his Periscope streams, he’d speak directly to viewers, urging them to research his claims, a tactic that resonated with QAnon’s “do your own research” ethos. As we learned above, that ethos was an imbedded physiological warfare tactic, seeded into the Q Psyop from its inception. Isaac often used QAnon-specific hashtags like #QAnon, #TheGreatAwakening, and #WWG1WGA (“Where We Go One, We Go All”) to signal his allegiance, reach its audience, and accelerate the operation.

His most notable interaction came via a high-profile appearance on Alex Jones’ InfoWars on August 7, 2018. During the broadcast, Kappy reiterated his Hollywood allegations, gaining a wider audience within the conspiracy ecosystem that overlapped with QAnon believers. This appearance solidified his status among QAnon followers, some of whom praised him on platforms like 8chan and Twitter (now X) as a courageous insider exposing corruption. He also reportedly engaged with QAnon communities online, though specifics of direct forum interactions are less documented—his public output was mostly one-way, with supporters amplifying it.

Kappy’s physical interactions with QAnon figures or events are less clear. There’s no evidence he met QAnon’s speculated creators (like Paul Furber or Ron Watkins) or attended organized gatherings. However, he claimed in a video to have been invited to the White House by Trump—an unverified assertion some tied to QAnon’s Trump-centric mythology, though it’s likely fabricated or exaggerated for effect. His streams occasionally referenced Q drops, such as when he’d allude to “the plan” or “trusting the process,” showing familiarity with the movement’s lore.

Toward the end, his interaction shifted. In his final Instagram post, dated May 10, 2019 (though titled “July 4, 2019”), he apologized to the “Q movement” for bringing “shame” upon it, suggesting he felt he’d let down its followers. He wrote, “I have not been a good friend to Q,” and hinted at personal failings, possibly indicating a falling out or disillusionment. In his last video, livestreamed Friday May 10, 2019, shortly before his suicide on May 13, 2019, he spoke of “crossing a line” and warned QAnon followers to “beware the man that has nothing to lose,” which some interpreted as a cryptic farewell, plea, or foreshadowing that something was to come. Posthumously, QAnon supporters on platforms like 8kun and Twitter reframed his death as a murder by the cabal he’d “exposed,” integrating Isaac into their narrative as a martyr—despite the lack of any evidence beyond his own content tying him directly to Q’s inner workings.

In the end, it would appear that Isaac Kappy was being handled and used as a magnifier/accelerator for someone actively pushing the “Q” psyop.

Some of Isaac’s DM’s shortly before his death

Isaac’s text messages possible relating to “Q”

Isaac Kappy’s Downfall

A claim has been made that Isaac mentioned in his second to last known phone call with a friend that he had been contacted by the Trump administration and had been accused of treason. That “friend” is Kirk. Kirk is one of the 5 people who has refused to either speak with myself or publicly at all beyond what they already have about their interactions with Isaac. For reference, Kirk was the person who wrote the closing letter and provided it to Nathan Stolpman 2 days after Isaac’s death. That can be found here. Kirk and his wife KJ were regulars in the Famalam Telegram group and KJ was in one of my research groups. KJ was the public face for both her and her husband Kirk, who both refused to speak with anyone or show his face. KJ also refused to show her face on camera but wanted to be close to the inside information during the investigation.

What was the true nature of Isaac and Kirk’s conversations? No one will ever know aside from Kirk, and Kirk has done well to cover his tracks; provide a closing letter, both creating and sealing a narrative of Isaac’s state of mind the night before his death, and vanishing from sight altogether. her this may give us reason to believe that “Q” may very well be a real operation. The only other explanations would be that either someone was using Isaac’s belief in the “Q” movement as leverage against Isaac in a psyop designed to brake Isaac down mentally and drive him to the actions he took, or that Isaac was delusional.

Regardless of the authenticity of “Q” I believe this is exactly what was occurring.

Isaac also mentioned in this conversation that he had been under bombardment by V2K for 30 or 40 days and believed they could read his thoughts as well. Everyone whom I interviewed and knew Isaac related that there was a steady decline in both Isaac’s physical and mental health during this time.

Couple Isaac’s belief in the “Q” movement with that of a sustained V2K campaign of attack/torture and you have a perfect storm of mind control. I can say that in my three months of investigating this matter that the online world of psyops, conspiracy, LARPing, and organized ritual abuse is enough to drive anyone to an elevated level of anxiety and most certainly paranoia. The consumption of material Isaac was involved in is not conducive to any long-term peace of mind or sustainability for the average person. This is the primary reason the majority of the world avoids these topics and pretends they don’t exist. Everyone reading these words who are involved in this information war knows exactly what I’m talking about.

The fact is, Isaac believed in the “Q” movement 100% and this somehow became congealed with his belief that he must fulfill the prophecy of Judas Iscariot and that he was Judas and needed to pay for his treason. He said as much in his last Periscope video.

Anytime someone commits suicide they are by default labeled sick and/or mentally ill. This in turn automatically strips them of any credibility they once may have had. This is why people are “suicided” as opposed to murdered in the theater of national politics. Jeffery Epstein, Vince Foster, John McAfee, Steve Bing, etc.

Who is Behind the “Q” Psyop?

Two individuals frequently cited as likely contributors are Paul Furber and Ron Watkins. Furber, a South African software engineer and early 4chan moderator, is believed by some forensic linguists to have authored the initial Q drops. His familiarity with conspiracy culture and message board dynamics aligns with the style of the early posts. Ron Watkins, the former administrator of 8chan (later 8kun), where Q moved after 4chan, is another prime suspect. Linguistic analysis and circumstantial evidence, including a possible slip-up in the HBO documentary Q: Into the Storm where Watkins hinted at involvement, suggest he took over or heavily influenced the Q persona starting in 2018. Both Furber and Watkins deny being Q.

Beyond these two, others have been implicated in amplifying or possibly shaping QAnon. Jim Watkins, Ron’s father and the owner of 8chan/8kun, has been linked due to his control of the platform hosting Q’s posts, though no direct evidence shows him writing them. Some speculate that a team effort was involved, potentially including figures like Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, or Steve Bannon, based on their ties to Trump and interest in fringe narratives—though this remains unproven and largely stems from online speculation rather than hard evidence.

Investigations, such as those by The New York Times using machine learning to analyze Q drops, point to Furber and Watkins as the most likely authors, with a transition from Furber to Watkins around early 2018. However, the decentralized nature of QAnon means its “operation” extends beyond a single creator to a network of influencers, YouTubers, and social media promoters who turned it into a movement. The true masterminds may never be fully confirmed, as the anonymity of the internet and the collaborative chaos of the conspiracy obscure a clear trail.

I Interviewed Someone Who Claimed to be the Original “Q”

In 2020 I personally interviewed a man who claimed to be the original Q before the account was hijacked from him and spun off into what it became. The man called into a livestreaming show and told me he was Q and wanted to do a full interview. so we scheduled a show and I had him on a few days later had him on the show. The man never gave me his real name, and I’ve attempted to reach out to him but he is unreachable. Unfortunately, the interview was lost when YouTube wiped out my channel and at the time I wasn’t making backups of my livestreams. Efforts to find it have not been successful.

The man told me he worked for the U.S. Energy Dept. in a high security government facility near Baton Rouge LA. He stated that one had to have “Q” clearance to work in this facility and he that he himself did. He stated that this “Q” clearance was obviously how he came up with the name “Q”. During our interview the man claimed that he only made the first three posts on the Q account on 4Chan, and that they were about Hilary Clinton. He stated that the entire thing became something he never planned, and that he was just shit posting about Hilary. He said that he was genuinely surprised when the account was stolen and the psyop became mainstream. When I asked him who he believed was responsible for this he stated that the only people who could have possibly done this was Jim and Ron Watkins. From what I can recall of the conversation, he seemed quite familiar with the history and trajectory of the Q op, as well as the terms and lingo of the Q community, but he never proved, nor cared to prove that he was Q.

In hindsight, I believe this man to have been either a disinformation agent, or at the very least, a crank looking for attention. attempts to contact him again have been fruitless and he has never reached out to me again.

My Interview with Manny Chavez III

I also interviewed Manny Chavez III (Defango) and he told me a different story. He stated that the entire Q operation was a psyop that he was responsible for when he got into a backroom DEFCON meeting with U.S. military intel officers and pitched the idea.

Thomas Schoenberger and QAnon

Thomas Schoenberger once claimed to have inside information and told me that the “Q” movement is a Mossad psyop propaganda operation meant to rally and unify the Libertarian/alt-right/conservative/moderate conservative/and center voting blocks to ensure a 2020 victory for Trump and then carry that momentum into supporting a war with Iran in the next term. Keep in mind, it was Thomas Schoenberger who told me this.

Note that I am not claiming this to be a fact. This is simply what Thomas told me in the course of my investigation. If this is true is perhaps the simplest and cheapest military psyop in the history of the world. And one which has been overwhelmingly successful to boot. If this does happen to be true it could still mean that Q is a product of either Trump’s administration or his political allies in Israel.

The above quote was written and posted to this page during late 2019. I’m astonished to read it again April 7, 2025 and understand just how spot on Thomas may have been. Since 2019, Thomas Schoenberger has become quite possibly the more evil and destructive force I’ve ever come across during my entire life. I have watched this Isaac Kappy investigation twist and turn a hundred times, going directions I never thought it would. Pulling in people who seemingly have no connection only to find out later that they are major players and or string pullers.

I am prepared to say at this point that I believe that Isaac was pulled into something he understood only from a only vaguely understood.

“Q” and Cicada (and Defango)

And here it is yet again. Thomas Schoenberger, Manny Chavez III (Defango), and Cicada merging into the “Q” movement. It would seem that these guys and the Cicada crowd have a way of working into everything. This has occurred so far with Q, the Seth Rich murder so far as it relates to Ed Butowsky, and Isaac Kappy.

An Independent and Very Well Documented Account of Defango’s Involvement With The “Q” Movement And It’s Alleged Origins.

https://burners.me/2019/01/15/qanon-blind-items-revealed-all4alarp/

The Belief that the “Q” movement is the product of Cicada has even spurred spinoff art which accuses the Cicada team of these actions and those who push this narrative also try and push the narrative the those involved with Cicada, primarily Thomas Schoenberger is responsible for inflicting the mental torture and mind games which contributed to Isaac Kappy’s destruction.

I couldn’t even upload the above photo from any downloaded pic I found anywhere on the net. My system cited security problems. Never had this happen before.

https://vimeo.com/311422651

https://vimeo.com/311529203

https://vimeo.com/311529244

https://vimeo.com/311529268

https://vimeo.com/311529158

https://vimeo.com/311171413

Defango makes public threat to Beth about the Cicada Trademark.