Over the past decade or two, I've had the opportunity to dig into some curious corners of Internet and discovered things that, while not necessarily provably true, nevertheless shed additional light on the history of certain corners of culture that I think are often overlooked or underappreciated. In the hopes that they might prove useful to someone, I am attempting to collect my findings in a series of posts I call "Origin Stories".
In this post, I do a deep dive into the likely etymological origins of the "exclamation!compound", as named by linguist Gretchen McCulloch, who authored one of the first articles diving into their literary/grammatical function back in 2013. While Gretchen's article did not dive too deeply into their origin, her citation of a 2004 Urban Dictionary article on "!" by Kapitan gives a succinct enough definition and an early hint at an origin story:
Suggests juxtaposition of two things; one of them is usually a person or character. The word preceeding the exclamation point is never something daily. It’s always a costume or disguise or new personality or something. Originated in the fanfiction community, specifically among the AU (alternate universe) crowd.
The best part about going to the rodeo was seeing Cowboy!Todd in his outfit.
I don’t know what’s been up with you lately, but Bitch!Lacey needs to be fragged.
But did the use of exclamation points in this manner really start with fanfiction? And if so, how did it arise?
Searching Through the X-Files
The best known contemporary (as of July 2025) compilation of online fanlore relating to the subject might well be the Fanlore article on the usage of the exclamation mark in fandom. In true folkloric fashion, the article provides no fewer than three plausible origin stories, which it names the "X-Files Origin Story" (claiming that the usage came from the X-Files fandom), the "E-mail Bang Paths Origin Story" (arguing that its usage came from an early routing mechanism for e-mail that utilised "bang paths" to indicate how a message should be routed), and the "Programming Language Origin Story" (which claimed that the programming languages of C and C++ and their usage of "!" to represent negation led to the rise of its use in fandom).
All three stories are plausible on their face, given the clear origins of the exclamation!compound in fandom, and the role of increased access to the Internet in the 1990s in democratizing it. The earliest citations given on Fanlore to several 1997 Usenet posts in the alt.tv.x-files newsgroup (A.T.X-F), however, feature exclamation!compounds in colloquial use that suggest that the X-Files fandom is very probably an early stop along the route of their proliferation in fandom in general, regardless of how they might have arisen there.
This, of course, is hardly surprising given how central the X-Files was as one of the most active examples of an early online fandom, but this still leaves the question of how they came to be in the first place. Was their development the result of a curious accident of a fan? Or did a deeper technical origin play an obscured role?
Thankfully, as of July 2025, the contents of 1990s newsgroups still remain accessible in Google Groups, and a quick search finds that exclamation!compounds were in enough regular use in alt.tv.x-files to warrant addition to a January 7, 1998 posting entitled "ATX-F GUIDE TO ACRONYMS AND INSIDE JOKES - VERSION 1X03", which served as a sort of semi-F.A.Q. explaining jargon that would be familiar to regular newsgroup posters at the time. In it, Chris Costello, the compiler and poster of the guide, provides one of the earliest descriptions of exclamation!compounds specifically in reference to X-Files protagonists Mulder and Scully:
!Mulder or !Scully...have become a sort of shorthand for describing our favorite agents, depending on what they were doing (such as Action!Mulder or Kickass!Scully). It's sort of a combination of designations for hypo- thetical action figures, although I don't know if any past or current ones use this convention, and computer programming notation. For example, old Unix systems used a lot of exclamation points in e-mail addresses, at least for internal e-mail, I think.
From this excerpt, it's clear that the "E-mail Bang Paths Origin Story" provided on Fanlore was already seen as a possible influence early on in the fandom (perhaps unsurprising given the concurrent development of Usenet and e-mail throughout the 1980s). What stands out as most interesting in this description, however, is the suggestion of a fourth plausible origin story that might be termed the "Action Figure Origin Story". Despite these suggestions, it is clear from Chris's hesitant wording of the entry that uncertainty in the origin of the form dates back even to its earliest days.
Hunting for a First Usage
A search for terms like "Action Scully", "Action Mulder" and "Kickass Scully" in Google Groups reveal a number of usages of these terms throughout 1997, including a thread in late December that specifically inquired about their usage before Costello added his description to the 3rd version of his guide to A.T.X-F fandom terminology early the next month. In it, a poster by the name Iocaste asked:
Okay, another stupid question.
So I see all these posts which say things like "Naked!Mulder" and "Action!Scully" and whatnot. And I just have to wonder ... are people really typing in exclamation points there, or is there another symbol being used that makes my computer choke? Because I just don't understand why one would use an exclamation point, as opposed to, say, a hyphen.
A number of replies archived in the thread offer both flippant commentary of a sort that is not far removed from that found in modern social media, as well as a reiteration of the "E-Mail Bang Paths" "Programming Language" and "Action Figure" stories that were later recorded in Fanlore's article on the subject. Unfortunately, the posters who provided their takes on the origins of the exclamation!compound seem about as confident in their knowledge of the form's origins as Chris's post a few weeks later, which may well have been written with this discussion thread in mind. For example,
Ophelia Q, posting as Michael Fortunato, posted:
I always thought it was because it sounded like (or would sound, if it were spoken) those horrible kids commercials for toys...
"Wow! You got a Naked!Mulder!!! With KungFu!Grip!!"
Or maybe like those announcers for monster truck commercials...
The exclamation point is commonly used in programming languages. Being a computer programmer myself, I found it totally natural when "Action!Mulder" started popping up on the newsgroup -- I assumed another programmer started using the notation because it is becoming so prevalent in programming languages (since we programmer types are commonly found on the internet).
Also remember it is used to define message paths as in -
Path: news.mtt.net!garnet.nbnet.nb.ca!news......
The use of ! makes even more sense when you remember that the above usage is called "bang code".
So !=Bang
Despite the lack of clarity on an origin of the form, there is broad recognition of one particular member of the X-Files fandom who played a key role in popularizing the exclamation!compound in alt.tv.x-files, one Autumn Tysko, posting as "Autumn T", who notes in the thread:
Well, as a person who began spreading this particular convention via my reviews I will say that it is an exclamation point. Why? I couldn't tell you. I thought it was funny. Other folks seem to too as it is pretty widely used these days.
Another poster, Ashley Flanagan, agrees with Autumn's role in its popularization, noting:
It's just an a.t.x-f standard -- I think Autumn Tysko started writing about Action!Scully in her reviews and everyone else picked up on it and started making their own variations (Windtunnel!Scully from the beginning of Emily, Puppydog!Mulder from Detour . . . the possibilities are endless.)
Earlier posts attest that the exclamation!compound was in somewhat regular use by A.T.X-F posters as early as April 1997, with a lost post from a user by the name of Osu quoted late that month by one "Bernardine" including "Action!Mulder" among a list of character nicknames used in the newsgroup. The particular wording of the quoted portion of Osu's post supports the claim made by Laura Witte that this particular exclamation!compound helped to popularize the form more generally in the group:
I was just thinking, has anyone put together a comprehensive list of all our little nicknmaes for characters on this ng? Like the oilien, or Schwartzanalien, Action!Mulder, etc! Could it be in the FAQ, or something? Inform me if I'm stupid! I just thought it might help newbies understand who we're talking about (and be funny too!)
Autumn Tysko herself posted her review of the episode "Small Potatoes" on April 22, a few days before Osu was quoted by Bernardine, in which is found an early use of the "Action!Mulder" compound, as well as another exclamation!compound, "Casual!Scully" (emphasis mine):
Okay, sports fans time to talk about "The Scene". I've got to admit, though I found it quite entertaining to watch I was left with feeling "Poor Scully" at the end. I think the question of whether or not Scully has ever entertained unpartnerlike thoughts about Mulder has been pretty much answered. Kudos to Gillian Anderson for playing this all so very believably. Our girl Scully has yet another exciting Friday night planned for herself -now that she no longer has a dog to wash she is torn between the thrill of finishing her monograph for "Penology Review" on that riveting topic of "Diminished Acetylcholine Production in Recidivist Offenders" or pouring over autopsy results of a quicklimed monkey man. So Casual!Scully sits alone when Faux Mulder shows up bottle of wine in hand sporting a goofy grin. Scully is immediately wary,sure something is wrong, but goes with it giving Mulder curious sidelong glances as she opens the wine. Eddie Van Blundht was right when he said "maybe I got personality" - what he has figured out is how to master these situations and give women what they want. I bet Scully has wanted to "really talk" to Mulder for a long long time, so a bottle of wine, firelight, romantic music, a little bonding with a pumper-truck prom story, and three shakes of a monkey-man's tail later Scully is perhaps thinking that she's only had two bad dates in four years and she's only got so long to live, so what the hell - why not. The vulnerable way she quietly says "I like it" and that beautiful moment of realization Gillian gives us as Scully watches the Mighty Morphin Panty Raider * move in for the kiss complete with a soft nervous sigh was wonderfully done. Like I said, poor Scully. Oh well, Action!Mulder is there to break up the party and the door (does he not have a key?) so all that is sacred is safe in X-Files land. No kiss, but UST for miles. Mulder and Scully are back to not "really" talking until Mulder, while not a loser according to Scully, can perhaps find a little bit of Eddie in himself.
Autumn's previous episode review for "Tempus Fugit", dated March 17, 1997 contains the earliest usage of the exclamation!compound form I have been able to find so far:
The mysteries here were very intriguing though - the return and subsequent death of Max, the odd abduction of his sister, the missing time and watches, and the deadly coverup - not to mention Scuba!Mulder's alien adventure. The Max death took me by surprise, and I am convinced it is him. The body Mulder found had the same strange scars/welts on the cheek and neck that we saw in the teaser sequence so I don't think they pulled the old switcharoo with this one. I'm very eager to find out just what is going on and how the dastardly deeds about to be done on the plane tie into the whole UFO thing.
Predecessors of the exclamation!compound
While none of Autumn's previous episode reviews for season four, which were collected for a time on GeoCities, feature uses of exclamation!compounds, her review for the episode "Never Again", posted February 3, 1997 and her review for the episode "Leonard Betts", posted January 27, 1997, feature a curious transitional form that seems to give the strongest hint at how the exclamation!compound may have came to be:
In her review of "Never Again":
Now we reach "the morning after" and despite not getting any that's not how it looks to the other detectives much to her chagrin. We learn about hallucinogenic ergotism and Action! Scully gets another workout. She wasn't too successful despite fighting pretty darn dirty - you'd think Scully of all people would know better than to run into the bathroom on The X-Files - she is rewarded by being tossed into a door. Thwap.
In her review of "Leonard Betts":
While "Leonard Betts" was a prime example throughout of Gillian Anderson's consistently amazing ability to make the absolute most out of the nuances of her character, the ending was even more exciting as things are off and running with the much anticipated "Scully arc". From her quiet order to Mulder to "get over here right now" we are in for a ride to the end. The stricken look she gets to Betts' insinuation about her health segues directly into the strongest Action! Scully sequence we've ever had. Finally Scully wins a fight on her own with some pretty convincing kicks, punches and quick thinking - a defib to the brain - what a way to go!
If this is indeed a true transitional form, the presence of a space between the exclamation point and Scully's name in this case would seem to strongly favor the "Action Figure Origin Story" discussed in the thread in December discussing exclamation!compounds, as both the "Programming Language" and "E-mail Bang Paths" origin stories are not rooted in usages of the exclamation mark that are typically followed by a space. A probable "Action Figure" origin is further underscored by the prevalence of the phrases "Action Mulder" and "Action Scully" (without exclamation marks) across the newsgroup in late 1996, including,
A post by Richard Tung, dated October 7, 1996:
No, please. As I said, the writers should marry her off. I want to get Action Scully; and not just any Action Scully, but one who's pregnant, and saving her husband (Yeah, I want Tam Lin's main plot to be weaved in somehow.)
Shana Swendson's commentary on the episode "Herrenvolk", posted October 11, 1996:
First of all, a Big Chase Scene, complete with Action Mulder. Nice and gripping, and good music to add to the mood, but how many times did they run up and down the stairs? What a workout!
A post from a user by the name of Crunchy Frog, dated September 22, 1996:
This is just an odd thought I had while puttering home from work to-day... Y'know what I'd like to see? Some sort of a showdown between my very favourite nasty evil villian (His Squeakiness, Ratboy Van Krycek) and my very favourite Stealth Geek posterboy, Doogie Pendrell. T'heck with Action Mulder; he of the Orestes Complex has started to bore me. I want to see more Krycek (No, I didn't mean a Speedo scene), and definitely more Pendrell, too. Why not both in one edge of you seat, action-packed episode <snort>?
Autumn Tysko, too, used "Action Scully" as early as her review of the third season episode "Apocrypha", posted February 17, 1996:
What a pleasant surprise to get a visit from Action Scully - we really don't see her enough. Kicking doors open gun drawn and giving chase through the streets - all leading to one of those amazing moments when that always present Scully snap factor kicks in big time. That scene with her screaming "You shot my sister!" while the fugitive begged for his life
Coda: Glimpses at An Origin
So there you have it. I have found little discussion of the origins of the phrases "Action Mulder" and "Action Scully" when used to refer to the two characters in action sequences, but it seems probable that the exclamation!compound resulted from the mutation of these particular nicknames by way of a transitional form featuring the addition of an exclamation mark (e.g. "Action! Scully"). Continued use of the transitional form by either whim or accident resulted in the condensation of the exclamation!compound in its modern from, without a space.
While the lossy nature of newsgroup archival and the limits of search mean it is impossible to be certain of who posted the first exclamation!compound, it is likely that Autumn Tysko's use of both a transitional form of "Action! Scully" and demonstration of the grammatical-productivity of the final form helped to lead to its proliferation, first within alt.tv.x-files, and later fandom in general.
The exact pathway by which the form entered wider use in fandom has not been as well-documented, but the rise of early web-based social media communities like those on LiveJournal (such as Ye Olde ATXF community) likely played a key role in the democratization of the form through fanfiction communities that would have benefitted from the more performative and more personally-driven atmosphere of LiveJournal during its heyday in the 2000s.