By Christian Colby Eltell
Vecna stood out as a terrifying villain when introduced in season four of Stranger Things, but how did Vecna choose which victims to kill?
From the Demogorgon to the Mind Flayer, the Upside Down has delivered its fair share of villainous creatures through the small town of Hawkins, Indiana in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. There have also been human bad guys like Dr. Martin Brenner, the mastermind behind the Upside Down who also set up excruciating experiments on test subjects with supernatural powers. The Soviet Union is another major threat because of the Russian army's intention to use Demogorgons for benefits in warfare.
However, season four delivered the show's most villainous character yet in the form of Vecna aka Henry Creel or One. What makes Vecna the best villain is his scary physical appearance, his ability to play mind games on others like Max Mayfield, and his powerful abilities, which match up heavily against the powers of the primary heroine, Eleven. Vecna's other dangerous quality is in how he chooses his victims.
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How Did Vecna Choose Who To Kill?
Henry Creel had a very rough and traumatizing childhood because he didn't get along well with his parents (Victor and Virginia), who considered their son sensitive, misunderstood, and abnormal. When the family moved to Hawkins, they figured it would help Henry get a new start on life and overcome any negativity he was feeling around everyone. However, Henry grew to dislike human society and the regular norms of eating, working, sleeping, the process of reproduction, and the cycle of life and death. Henry did have a fascination with black widow spiders because he found them to be complex and misunderstood like him, and considered them to be the most essential predators.
The notion of becoming a powerful predator like spiders made Henry curious about his own newfound psychokinetic abilities, which he encountered when he was capable of controlling his grandfather's clock just by using his mind. Henry further practiced his power of mind control by experimenting with animals like chickens and dogs, entering their minds and memories, and then killing them. He then did the same to his own family when he learned that his parents wanted Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) to treat him as a patient (due to their belief that Henry was broken and acting like a demon). Henry brutally kills his mom Virginia and his sister Alice, and nearly murders his dad Victor by making him remember his horrifying time as a soldier in World War II.
Victor was mistakenly held responsible for the murders of his wife and daughter and was told his son died, but Henry was actually brought into the Hawkins laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Brenner. Henry became Brenner's first test subject (being called One and having 001 tattooed on his arm). Henry would go on to work with other test subjects under Brenner (including Eleven) for two decades, but the relationship between Henry and Brenner was sour and untrustworthy because each man had his own agenda. While Brenner intended to control his subjects and make them more powerful, Henry wanted to escape the lab with Eleven and begin his own destruction of humanity.
Henry chooses to kill animals, most of his family, the test subjects in the lab, and others because they contradict his belief that life is useless and humanity deserves to suffer in fear just as much (or more) as he did. Since Eleven refused to join Henry, she nearly kills him during their confrontation, thus beginning Henry's brutal transformation into the monstrous creature Vecna, who over time uses the Upside Down to terrorize Hawkins and the world with other scary entities like the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer. While intending to get his revenge on Eleven and Brenner, Vecna also goes after victims who have dealt with traumatizing experiences in the past (reminiscent of his childhood and his time at the Hawkins lab).
Why Did Vecna Go After Chrissy?
Vecna's powers allow him to form psychic connections with people in reality, especially teenagers dealing with trauma and mental health issues. Vecna develops these connections with young and vulnerable teens so that he can get out of the Upside Down and gain access to the real world by opening four gates or portals. He starts with Chrissy Cunningham (Grace Van Dien), a student and a cheerleader at Hawkins High School who is very popular and content around friends and classmates but has also dealt with domestic abuse from her mother. Vecna begins to bring harm to Chrissy by making her have nosebleeds, heavy migraines, and scary nightmares.
Chrissy's symptoms get worse when Vecna causes her to have hallucinations of her mother and visions of his grandfather's clock. When Vecna finally sees Chrissy face-to-face in a trance, the villain causes the teenager to levitate and breaks all her limbs, killing her in a brutal fashion. By murdering Chrissy, Vecna managed to have one of the four gates opened from the trailer of another high school student, the eccentric Eddie Munson.
Why Did Vecna Go After Max?
As Vecna continued to go after young victims in order to open more portals, he set his sights on Max Mayfield, since she was investigating the deaths of Chrissy and another student named Fred Benson with help from her friends (including Dustin, Steve, and her boyfriend Lucas). However, when Max began to have hallucinations when she sees the grandfather clock, along with nightmares in which she re-imagines the death of her stepbrother Billy Hargrove, Vecna sees through Max's pain and fear, realizing that he's encountered someone who suffered just like he did as a child. Billy's death at the end of season three made Max feel guilty about herself, negatively affecting everyone close to her, causing Vecna to use that to his advantage when trying to break through Hawkins.
While Eleven manages to save Max after her brief death and battles back against Vecna in Max's mind (while Nancy, Steve, and Robin shoot and light up Vecna's physical body), the villain is most likely still alive since the Upside Down manages to invade Hawkins by tearing through Vecna's four gates. With the fifth and final season of the show on the way, Eleven, Max, and the whole crew now understand Vecna's power and his attraction to vulnerable individuals, giving them the opportunity to take him down again once and for all.
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I am a seasoned enthusiast with a deep understanding of the complex narrative and characters in the Netflix series "Stranger Things," specifically focusing on the recently introduced villain, Vecna. My knowledge spans various elements of the show, including its overarching themes, character development, and the intricate connections between different seasons.
Now, let's delve into the concepts and details mentioned in the provided article:
Vecna's Introduction and Characteristics
The article highlights Vecna as the most villainous character in Season 4 of "Stranger Things." His terrifying physical appearance, ability to manipulate others, and powerful skills set him apart. Notably, Vecna's capabilities pose a significant challenge to Eleven, the primary heroine of the series.
Vecna's Victim Selection
The article provides insight into how Vecna chooses his victims. Henry Creel, aka Vecna, had a troubled childhood, marked by a strained relationship with his parents. Discontent with societal norms, he developed a fascination with black widow spiders, seeing them as complex and misunderstood predators. This fascination led him to explore his psychokinetic abilities, ultimately resulting in a series of brutal murders, including those of his family and other test subjects at the Hawkins laboratory.
Vecna's Motivations
Vecna's motivations are rooted in his belief that life is meaningless, and humanity deserves to suffer. His desire for revenge against Dr. Brenner and Eleven, coupled with his disdain for humanity, drives him to terrorize Hawkins and the world using entities from the Upside Down.
Vecna's Psychic Connections
Vecna's powers include forming psychic connections with individuals dealing with trauma and mental health issues, especially teenagers. These connections serve as a means for him to escape the Upside Down and enter the real world by opening gates or portals. The article specifically mentions his targeting of Chrissy Cunningham, a student who had experienced domestic abuse.
Vecna's Pursuit of Max Mayfield
Vecna continues to target young victims to open more portals, focusing on Max Mayfield. Max's traumatic experiences, including the death of her stepbrother Billy Hargrove, make her a target for Vecna. The article details Vecna's manipulation of Max's pain and fear, ultimately leading to a confrontation with Eleven and other characters.
Vecna's Ongoing Threat
Despite the characters' efforts to combat Vecna, the article suggests that the villain may still be alive, as the Upside Down manages to invade Hawkins through the gates he opened. With the anticipation of the fifth and final season, the protagonists aim to understand Vecna's power and vulnerabilities to defeat him once and for all.
In conclusion, my expertise allows me to provide a comprehensive analysis of the article's content, shedding light on the intricate details of Vecna's character, motivations, and the ongoing storyline in "Stranger Things" Season 4.
