Stranger Things Shock: Why Henry Creel Fears the Cave – The Answer Isn’t in the Show!

Netflix released the first part of Stranger Things Season 5 yesterday, and a lot has happened. A highlight is definitely the return of Max (Sadie Sink), trapped in the memories of Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower). More determined than ever, the middle schooler is ready to escape and in the meantime, she hides in a cave. But not just any cave.

First Encounter with the Other Side

To understand why this location terrifies Henry and why it’s critical to his character’s development, we need to look at the play “The First Shadow,” which debuted in December 2023 (a behind-the-scenes film is available on the platform).

This play, a true prequel to Stranger Things, revisits the origin story of 001 by setting the action in 1959. It reveals that young Henry underwent a traumatic event and went missing for 12 hours. An avid scout, he stumbled upon a secret cave in Nevada, where he lived. Unbeknownst to him, the government was conducting secret tests nearby to access Dimension X.

One of the scientists stole some of the equipment and hid it in the cave, where Henry accidentally activated it. He was thrust into Dimension X, coming into contact with dark particles.

He also encountered an entity that would later be known as the Mind Flayer. Upon his return, the young boy was changed: his DNA was altered and his behavior became odd. Like Will, he was controlled by this entity and began committing crimes using his telekinetic powers.

Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine), who was part of the research team in Nevada, tracked down young Creel and made him his first lab rat. Thus, Henry became 001… and many years later, Vecna.

But Why Is He So Afraid of It?

One thing is certain, Henry Creel experienced unpleasant things in this cave and seems to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. This place is clearly his weak spot, his kryptonite, so much so that he no longer wants to set foot in it. However, given his power, his aversion is almost surprising. What exactly happened back in 1959? From the next paragraph, these are only theories.

As we explain in the first theory in the video above, it might be that Vecna is not the main villain of Stranger Things Season 5, but rather Borys, a mighty dragon. And perhaps it’s Borys whom he was truly afraid of? One thing is for sure, the creators of the series have promised to reveal how the Upside Down was born and why Dimension X was created. Given that this place existed even before Vecna came into being, it suggests that someone else was the master of this realm before him…

We’ll need to be patient to get answers to our questions, as Netflix won’t release Part 2 of Stranger Things until December 25. Until then, all we can do is speculate.