The Contents of that Case Henry Opens in Stranger Things?
Throughout a large portion of the fifth and final season of the popular Netflix show, Holly Wheeler and Max Mayfield are imprisoned in a realm of memories forged from the recollections of Henry Creel. Their quest for an escape route in the pivotal sixth episode has them experience a defining event from Henry's early years—a moment that could contain the secret to his downfall permanently.
Heads Up: This discussion reveals crucial plot points for *Stranger Things* season 5, volume 2.
A Journey Into the Mine Shaft
When she finds Max in the mental landscape known as Camazotz, Holly discovers she is taking refuge in a chamber that Henry avoids at all costs. An accidental discovery a telescope taken from Henry's old home lets Holly see that the source of fear lies outside of the cave. Matching her view to the cut-out, she and Max plummet into a deep mine shaft.
There, they witness a Henry as a boy encounter an wounded, fearful individual. Attempting assistance, the man panics and shoots, striking Henry in the hand. Fighting for his life, Henry strikes the man down with a rock. "Was this the turning point?" Holly asks tearfully. It was a factor, but the event went deeper than a defensive killing.
Similar to other plot points in volume 2, the full story behind the events in the tunnel originates in the live show The First Shadow.
An Interdimensional Incident and Stolen Research
This backstory explains the 1943 event, which reportedly teleported a vessel into a realm later called the Abyss. The ship was attacked, and the lone returnee was the captain, who came back in a unresponsive state with an altered blood type.
The captain's son, a young Martin Brenner, wanted to repeat this dimensional breach in Nevada. But a disloyal lab worker took experimental components to give to the Communist spies, who were keen to start their own interdimensional projects. This spy in the mine shaft was that very thief.
The Briefcase's Contents
Based on what is revealed about Brenner's work, the case almost certainly contained some of the unique blood type. In the scene, Henry is already bleeding. It's probable he was infected upon contact with the blood, leading to the awakening of his powers—powers he would genetically impart to the kids in Hawkins Lab.
A second theory, the case could have held dark matter that was destined to travel to the secret facility, where it maintains the stability of the mirror dimension. The prequel shows that young Henry ended up in the Abyss, reappearing after half a day fundamentally changed. As a youth, he struggles with the control of a malevolent force, similar to how Will was possessed by the entity in an earlier season.
A Weaponized Emotion
His lasting fear of that cave shows how utterly horrifying the encounter was for him. While he commands the army of monsters and attempts to pull the Abyss into Hawkins, a fragment of his psyche remains. Vecna uses fear, and the show is setting up a final confrontation between him and Will, who has confronted his greatest terrors to gain strength.
Will's growth has effectively disarmed Vecna. More importantly, Will now is aware of what the monster's own weakness, and this may grant a critical advantage in the endgame conflict to come.
