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For much of the concluding season of *Stranger Things*, Holly Wheeler and Max find themselves trapped inside a mental fortress forged from the memories of the villain Henry. Their mission for a way out in episode 6 leads them to experience a life-altering moment from Henry's early years—a moment that may just hold the key to defeating him permanently.

Spoiler Warning: This discussion reveals crucial plot points for the concluding episodes.

Unearthing the Secrets of the Mine Shaft

After locating Max in the world dubbed Camazotz, Max reveals she is taking refuge in a chamber that Henry strangely fears. An accidental discovery a viewing device taken from Henry's old home lets Holly see that the danger lies not within the cave. By aligning her view with the shape, she and Max plummet into a subterranean passage.

There, they witness a Henry as a boy come across an man who is hurt and scared. As the boy offers aid, the man reacts violently, hitting him 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. It was a factor, but the event involved more than a fight for life.

Like many elements this season, the truth about the mine shaft incident is detailed in the live show the prequel play.

An Interdimensional Incident and A Spy's Mission

This backstory explains the legendary naval test, which transported a vessel into a plane later called the Abyss. The ship was attacked, and the only one to return was the ship's commander, who came back in a catatonic condition with an different blood composition.

That survivor's offspring, Martin Brenner, wanted to repeat this phenomenon in Nevada. But a disloyal lab worker took experimental components to hand over to the Communist spies, who were eager to begin their parallel research. That traitor in the tunnel was that very thief.

So, What's in the Case?

Considering what is understood of the doctor's experiments, the briefcase most likely held samples of the unique blood type. At that moment, Henry is already bleeding. Exposure likely occurred upon handling the contents, leading to the development of his psychic abilities—powers he would genetically impart to the children Brenner would experiment on.

Another possibility, the box could have held exotic matter that eventually found its way to the Hawkins lab, where it acts to anchor the mirror dimension. The stage play explains that Henry ended up in the Abyss, reappearing after half a day as a different person. From then on, he fights the influence of a dark entity, similar to how the character Will was influenced by the entity in season 2.

The Power of Fear

Henry's enduring terror linked to that memory demonstrates how utterly horrifying the encounter was for him. While he commands the collective consciousness and works to collapse the Abyss into Hawkins, a fragment of his psyche lingers. Fear is his tool, and the series is building toward a final confrontation between him and Will, who has overcome his greatest terrors to fortify himself.

Will's growth has neutralized a key tactic of Vecna. Furthermore, Will now knows what Vecna himself fears, and this may grant a decisive edge in the endgame conflict ahead.