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During the bulk of the fifth and final season of the popular Netflix show, Holly Wheeler and Max find themselves trapped in a realm of memories forged from the past of Vecna. Their quest for an escape route in episode 6 leads them to experience a traumatic incident from Henry's youth—a moment that may just hold the secret to his downfall permanently.

Editor's Note: This article contains major spoilers for the concluding episodes.

A Journey Into the Mine Shaft

After locating Max in the mental landscape called Camazotz, Max reveals she is hiding out in a cave that Henry strangely fears. A clever observation a spyglass found in Henry's old home allows Holly to realize that the danger lies outside of the cave. When she lines up her view through the cap, she and Max plummet into a abandoned tunnel.

There, they witness a child version of Henry encounter an wounded, fearful individual. As the boy offers aid, the man fires a gun, wounding the boy in the hand. Fighting for his life, Henry ends the threat with a rock. "Is this what corrupted him?" Holly asks tearfully. The answer is affirmative, but the trauma went deeper than a fight for life.

Like many elements of the final season, the significance of the encounter originates in the stage play the prequel play.

A Naval Mystery and Stolen Research

This backstory explains the infamous Philadelphia Experiment, which allegedly sent a vessel into a dimension later called the Abyss. The ship was attacked, and the only one to return was the captain, who came back in a unresponsive state with an altered blood type.

That survivor's offspring, the future Dr. Brenner, wanted to repeat this dimensional breach in Nevada. However, a treacherous employee stole research materials to give to the Soviets, who were desperate to launch their version of the tests. This spy in the tunnel is that employee.

The Briefcase's Contents

Based on what is revealed about his research, the briefcase almost certainly contained samples of Captain Brenner's infected blood. In the scene, Henry is already bleeding. Exposure likely occurred upon opening the case, which triggered the awakening of his powers—abilities he would genetically impart to the children Brenner would experiment on.

Another possibility, the box could have held dark matter that eventually found its way to the Hawkins lab, where it helps stabilize the mirror dimension. The stage play explains that the boy somehow wound up in the Abyss, coming back 12 hours later as a different person. From then on, he struggles with the control of a malevolent force, reminiscent of how the character Will was influenced by the Mind Flayer in the past.

The Power of Fear

Henry's enduring terror of that cave shows how utterly horrifying the encounter was for him. Even as he orchestrates the Hive Mind and works to collapse the Abyss into Hawkins, a part of him lingers. Vecna uses fear, and the show is setting up a climactic battle between him and Will, who has confronted his greatest terrors to become stronger.

Will's growth has taken a weapon from Vecna. Furthermore, Will now understands what Vecna himself fears, which could provide a key upper hand in the endgame conflict to come.