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Description: The 2019 “The Momo Challenge” frightened parents in the U.S. into believing “Momo” would lure children into harming themselves. While Momo may be one of many viral hoaxes, she is not simply a product of our digital age; known as the ubume, she has cautioned listeners of Japanese folklore for centuries not to enter unchartered parts of the land. In my lightning talk, I will trace three of the ubume’s transmutations—the setsuwa, illustrated encyclopedia, and viral hoax—and give a walkthrough of the Scalar website and original comic I created to contextualize the appropriated figure through an ecocritical lens.