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During the bulk of the fifth and final season of *Stranger Things*, Holly Wheeler and Max Mayfield are imprisoned inside a mental fortress built from the memories of Vecna. Their mission for an escape route in the pivotal sixth episode has them witness again a defining event from Henry's youth—a moment that could contain the secret to his downfall permanently.

Editor's Note: This discussion reveals crucial plot points for the second part of the final season.

Unearthing the Secrets of the Mine Shaft

After locating Max in the psychic realm known as Camazotz, Holly discovers she is taking refuge in a cave that Henry strangely fears. An accidental discovery a spyglass found in Henry's old home allows Holly to realize that the true terror lies not within the cave. When she lines up her view with the shape, she and Max plummet into a subterranean passage.

In this place, they observe a child version of Henry encounter an man who is hurt and scared. As the boy offers aid, the man fires a gun, striking Henry in the hand. In a desperate act of self-defense, Henry kills the man with a rock. "Is this what corrupted him?" Holly questions through tears. Essentially, yes, but the act wasn't just a defensive killing.

In keeping with mysteries of the final season, the full story behind the encounter was first explored the live show Stranger Things: The First Shadow.

An Interdimensional Incident and Secret Science

This backstory explains the 1943 event, which transported a vessel into a plane dubbed the Abyss. It faced creatures, and the lone returnee was the captain, who came back in a catatonic condition with an altered blood type.

This man's son, Martin Brenner, attempted to recreate this dimensional breach in Nevada. However, a treacherous employee took experimental components to give to the Communist spies, who were eager to begin their version of the tests. The man in the cavern was that very thief.

The Briefcase's Contents

Considering what is known about his research, the container would assuredly have vials of the unique blood type. At that moment, Henry is wounded and bleeding. It's probable he was infected upon handling the contents, leading to the origin of his telekinetic gifts—abilities he would genetically impart to the kids under Brenner's care.

Another possibility, the container could have held strange particles that eventually found its way to Hawkins Laboratory, where it acts to anchor the mirror dimension. The prequel shows that Henry was transported in the Abyss, coming back 12 hours later with a new blood type and personality. Throughout the play, he struggles with the control of a malevolent force, reminiscent of how the character Will was controlled by the shadow monster in season 2.

A Weaponized Emotion

The reason Henry avoids the cave linked to that memory shows how profoundly traumatic the encounter was for him. While he controls the army of monsters and attempts to pull the Abyss into Hawkins, a fragment of his psyche lingers. Vecna uses fear, and the show is setting up a climactic battle between Vecna and Will, who has deliberately faced his greatest terrors to become stronger.

This journey has effectively disarmed Vecna. Furthermore, Will now knows what the monster's own weakness, and this may grant a decisive edge in the series finale that awaits.