Mothman is a winged figure associated with Point Pleasant, West Virginia, best known for its striking red eyes and reported encounters in the 1960s. Its later reputation as an omen gives MetaZoo a recurring theme to draw on: prediction, uncertainty, and premonition.
- Associated location
- Point Pleasant, West Virginia, particularly the former munitions works known as the TNT area.
- Defining reported encounter
- November 15, 1966: four witnesses described a winged figure near the TNT area. [1]
- Reported appearance
- A large winged figure with conspicuous red eyes; descriptions and later artistic interpretations vary.
- Recurring folklore
- Ominous sightings, unexplained encounters, and a later association with warnings of disaster. [2]
The legend
The Point Pleasant reports
On November 15, 1966, Roger and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette reported encountering a large winged figure near the abandoned munitions works outside Point Pleasant. They described striking red eyes and said the figure followed their car as they drove away. Their account appeared in the local newspaper the next day. [1]
Further reports helped establish Mothman as a recognizable local mystery. Despite the name, the reported figure was not simply a gigantic moth: wings, size, and eyes were central to the descriptions. Proposed natural explanations include misidentified birds, such as sandhill cranes. The reports document what witnesses said they experienced; they do not establish the existence of an unknown species. [1]
The Silver Bridge connection
The Silver Bridge collapsed on December 15, 1967, killing 46 people. Later accounts linked the tragedy to the Mothman sightings, presenting the creature as a possible warning or omen. John Keel’s The Mothman Prophecies, published in 1975, helped shape this wider paranormal interpretation; a 2002 film brought it to another audience. [2]
The bridge failure has a documented engineering explanation involving a fractured eyebar in its suspension system. Mothman’s connection to the disaster belongs to the folklore surrounding the events, rather than the established cause of the collapse. [3]
A symbol of Point Pleasant
A downtown statue, installed in 2003, an annual festival, and the Mothman Museum have made the creature part of Point Pleasant’s public identity. The museum preserves newspaper coverage, eyewitness documents, and material relating to The Mothman Prophecies. Mothman now occupies both roles: an unsettling figure in paranormal stories and an affectionate hometown emblem. [2] [4] [5]
Mothman in MetaZoo
Cryptid Nation and Nightfall
The original Cryptid Nation Mothman, 3/159, translates the prophecy association into a prediction effect. The player names a card and checks a randomly revealed card from an opponent’s hand; success can win the game, while failure carries a penalty. This connection between folklore and mechanics is part of the card’s identity. [6]
Nightfall Mothman, 4/163, is a separate set entry. When identifying either card, record the set and collector number alongside its edition and printing. The shared name does not make them interchangeable versions of the same card. [7]
Kuromi’s Cryptid Carnival
The Sanrio collaboration includes Chibi Mothman, 35/103, and the Kuromi and Mothman secret rare, */103. These offer a playful interpretation of the creature alongside its more ominous portrayals.
Reverse Holo
Full Holo secret rare
Browse the Kuromi’s Cryptid Carnival set list for the wider checklist and available printing images.
The relaunched game
The 2025 Base Set Mothman, MZ1 #20, illustrated by Jett Yates, has an ability called Premonition that moves an opposing creature between lanes. It uses the familiar theme within the relaunched game’s different rules. [8]
Mothman Statue, MZ1 #47, illustrated by Arif Restu Pambudi, is a Landmark depicting the public monument. It represents the culture surrounding the creature rather than another Mothman creature card. [9]
Card reference
| Release | Card | Number | Reference note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cryptid Nation | Mothman | 3/159 | Identify the edition and printing separately. [6] |
| Nightfall | Mothman | 4/163 | A separate original-game set entry. [7] |
| Kuromi’s Cryptid Carnival | Chibi Mothman | 35/103 | Set list and printing images |
| Kuromi’s Cryptid Carnival | Kuromi and Mothman | */103 | Secret rare. |
| 2025 Base Set | Mothman | MZ1 #20 | Relaunched game. [8] |
| 2025 Base Set | Mothman Statue | MZ1 #47 | Landmark. [9] |
When identifying a card: check the set, edition, collector number, and printing. The original Cryptid Nation releases and the 2025 Base Set belong to different versions of the game.
Browse Beastie Files → Browse set lists →
Sources and further reading
- PBS Monstrum: Mothman—America’s Notorious Winged Monster, including archival newspaper coverage and discussion of proposed explanations.
- The West Virginia Encyclopedia: Mothman, by Gordon Simmons.
- NTSB: Silver Bridge collapse investigation (HAR-71/01); NTSB’s later summary of the Silver Bridge findings in its I-35W investigation.
- Mothman Museum: historical documents and exhibits.
- Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: An Ode to a Hometown Creature.
- Card Game Collector: original Cryptid Nation Mothman card text; Trading Card Database: Cryptid Nation First Edition checklist.
- TCGplayer: Nightfall First Edition card listing.
- Official MetaZoo card database: Mothman, MZ1 #20.
- Official MetaZoo card database: Mothman Statue, MZ1 #47.