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Throughout a large portion of the concluding season of the popular Netflix show, the young Holly Wheeler and Max are held captive in a realm of memories constructed from the memories of the villain Henry. The search for an escape route in the pivotal sixth episode leads them to witness again a life-altering moment from Henry's youth—an event that may just hold the secret to his downfall for good.

Editor's Note: This discussion details significant events for the concluding episodes.

A Journey Into the Mine Shaft

When she finds Max in the mental landscape dubbed Camazotz, Max reveals she is sheltering in a grotto that Henry avoids at all costs. By leaving the lens cap on a spyglass found in Henry's old home allows Holly to realize that the source of fear lies not within the cave. Matching her view through the cap, she and Max plummet into a abandoned tunnel.

There, they witness a young, eight-year-old Henry come across an man who is hurt and scared. Attempting assistance, the man reacts violently, hitting him in the hand. To protect himself, Henry strikes the man down with a rock. "Did this make Henry evil?" Holly wonders aloud. The answer is affirmative, but the event involved more than a fight for life.

In keeping with mysteries this season, the truth about the encounter is detailed in the theatrical production the prequel play.

The Philadelphia Experiment and Secret Science

The play reveals the legendary naval test, which reportedly teleported a U.S. Navy ship into a realm known as the Abyss. The ship was attacked, and the only one to return was the captain, who came back in a unresponsive state with an entirely new blood.

The captain's son, a young Martin Brenner, wanted to repeat this phenomenon in Nevada. However, a treacherous employee pilfered lab samples to give to the Russian agents, who were desperate to launch their parallel research. That traitor in the cavern was that very thief.

The Briefcase's Contents

Based on what is known about the doctor's experiments, the container most likely held samples of Captain Brenner's infected blood. At that moment, Henry is wounded and bleeding. It's probable he was infected upon handling the contents, leading to the awakening of his powers—powers he would genetically impart to the kids Brenner would experiment on.

A second theory, the case could have held exotic matter that was destined to travel to the Hawkins lab, where it acts to anchor the parallel world. *The First Shadow* reveals that Henry was transported in the Abyss, reappearing after half a day as a different person. From then on, he fights the control of a malevolent force, much like how the character Will was influenced by the entity in the past.

Confronting Terror

Henry's enduring terror linked to that memory shows how utterly horrifying the event was for him. While he commands the Hive Mind and seeks to merge the Abyss into Hawkins, a piece of the scared boy lingers. The villain weaponizes terror, and the show is setting up a showdown between him and Will, who has overcome his greatest terrors to fortify himself.

Will's growth has neutralized a key tactic of Vecna. More importantly, Will now is aware of what Vecna himself fears, potentially giving him a decisive edge in the ultimate battle to come.