The QAnon community emerged in 2017 from anonymous posts on 4chan claiming to reveal a global conspiracy involving political elites. What began as cryptic messages on an imageboard evolved into a decentralized network of believers who developed elaborate interpretive frameworks and coordinated political action.

The community’s unique structure combined elements of conspiracy theory culture, religious movement dynamics, and political activism. Followers engaged in collective interpretation of “Q drops,” developed extensive research networks, and created viral content that spread QAnon beliefs across mainstream social media platforms.

QAnon demonstrated how imageboards could incubate conspiracy theories that then migrate to mainstream platforms and influence real-world politics. The movement’s evolution from anonymous postings to organized political action, including involvement in the January 6 Capitol attack, illustrated the potential for online subcultures to drive offline political behavior.