Stranger Things: There’s Still One Major Unanswered Question About Vecna (& It’s The Key To His Powers)

Stranger Things is still hiding one massive secret about Vecna, and it has the potential to redefine the entire story. A twister mirror image of Eleven herself, Henry Creel was the first child taken by Dr. Brenner in what would become Hawkins Lab. Violent and brutal, Vecna showed absolutely no remorse about killing, and it took Eleven’s power to end a rampage through the lab. She banished himself to the Upside Down, suppressing her memories of the tragedy.

Stranger Things Season 5 is doubling down on Vecna as the true architect of all Hawkins’ troubles, setting the heroes up for an epic final confrontation that will bring Netflix’s biggest original series to an end. The Duffer Brothers have promised that more secrets will be revealed, and there’s general excitement about the possibility we’ll finally learn the truth about the Upside Down itself. But, surprisingly, one of the most important mysteries still lies with Vecna himself – even after Season 5, Volume 1.

We Don’t Actually Know Vecna’s Full Origin Story

At first glance, it may seem as though previous seasons have told us everything we need to know about Vecna. Flashbacks set throughout the Stranger Things timeline even went back to Henry Creel’s childhood, revealing an escalating pattern of evil that culminated in his killing his mother and sister, blaming his father for the deed. Henry’s plans backfired, however, because his parents had already told Dr. Brenner about their concerns. Brenner suspected Henry’s potential, and the boy became Hawkins Lab’s first test subject.

This certainly seems to be Vecna’s full origin story, but one question remains unanswered: where did Vecna’s powers come from in the first place? Eleven has powers because Dr. Brenner conducted experiments on her mother, using drugs and sensory deprivation during pregnancy. But Henry’s family appeared to be a fairly normal one, with nothing to trigger the spontaneous development of Henry’s powers. What’s more, it’s also striking that Henry only began to develop these abilities after moving to Hawkins.

What Is the True Source of Vecna’s Powers?

Stranger Things Season 4 left a lot of unanswered questions, far more than many viewers realize. Eleven’s powers have been explained, but – for all we’ve seen his personal history in flashbacks – Vecna’s own abilities have not. It’s possible he’s simply a mutant of some kind, which would be an appropriate approach given Stranger Things has made no secret of its inspiration; the show has been packed with X-Men references from the start. But if Vecna is a mutant, then there’s nothing to stop the tragedy of Hawkins happening again, as other children spontaneously develop powers.

Another possibility, though, is that Vecna’s powers are not natural at all. This was hinted at in the Stranger Things Broadway play, The Last Shadow; minor details there contradicted elements of Season 4, but there are notable Easter eggs to The Last Shadow in Season 5, meaning it’s possible Vecna was an unpredictable narrator. According to The Last Shadow, Vecna was exposed to energy from “Dimension X,” and he isn’t the true villain at all – he’s an unknowing puppet of the Mind Flayer, or perhaps something else. If this is indeed the case, then Stranger Things still has one final twist in store.

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