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Throughout a large portion of season 5 of *Stranger Things*, Holly Wheeler and Max are held captive within a psychic prison built from the past of Henry Creel. Their mission for freedom in episode 6 forces them to relive a traumatic incident from Henry's youth—a moment that may just hold the means to overcome him once and for all.

Heads Up: This article contains major spoilers for *Stranger Things* season 5, volume 2.

The Discovery in the Tunnel

After locating Max in the psychic realm known as Camazotz, Holly discovers she is sheltering in a cave that Henry strangely fears. A clever observation a viewing device taken from Henry's old home lets Holly see that the danger lies not within the cave. When she lines up her view to the cut-out, she and Max suddenly fall into a deep mine shaft.

They watch a Henry as a boy find an wounded, fearful individual. When Henry tries to help, the man fires a gun, hitting him in the hand. Fighting for his life, Henry kills the man with a rock. "Did this make Henry evil?" Holly wonders aloud. Essentially, yes, but the event wasn't just a fight for life.

Like many elements in volume 2, the truth about the mine shaft incident originates in the live show the prequel play.

The Philadelphia Experiment and Stolen Research

*The First Shadow* opens with the infamous Philadelphia Experiment, which transported a vessel into a plane later called the Abyss. It faced creatures, and the sole survivor was the ship's commander, who came back in a catatonic condition with an entirely new blood.

This man's son, a young Martin Brenner, sought to replicate this dimensional breach in remote Nevada. However, a treacherous employee pilfered lab samples to hand over to the Communist spies, who were eager to begin their parallel research. The man in the cavern was that very thief.

The Briefcase's Contents

Based on what is understood of Brenner's work, the container almost certainly contained some of the altered blood. In the scene, Henry is already bleeding. He likely becomes contaminated upon handling the contents, leading to the origin of his telekinetic gifts—traits he would genetically impart to the children in Hawkins Lab.

Another possibility, the case could have held exotic matter that eventually found its way to the Hawkins lab, where it helps stabilize the mirror dimension. The stage play explains that Henry was transported in the Abyss, coming back 12 hours later with a new blood type and personality. Throughout the play, he battles the influence of a dark entity, similar to how Will Byers was controlled by the entity in season 2.

The Power of Fear

His lasting fear 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 piece of the scared boy lingers. Vecna uses fear, and the series is building toward a showdown between Vecna and Will, who has confronted his greatest terrors to gain strength.

This journey has taken a weapon from Vecna. More importantly, Will now is aware of what the monster's own weakness, which could provide a critical advantage in the endgame conflict ahead.