WARNING! Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 4, volume 1.
Vecna, the latest villain introduced in Stranger Things season 4, volume 1, shares more than a few similarities with horror icon Freddy Krueger of A Nightmare On Elm Street. Introduced as a general of the Mind Flayer, Vecna is the first humanoid enemy that Stranger Things' cast of characters have had to face. His power set, personality, look, and behind-the-scenes information all point to Vecna being the Stranger Things' universe's version of Freddy Krueger.
Stranger Things season 4, episode 7 reveals that Vecna, the monstrous villain lurking inside the Upside Down and killing teens, was actually once human. Vecna started life as a boy named Henry Creel, son of Victor Creel, who developed psychic powers and an affinity for black widow spiders. Henry became more and more unhinged, eventually killing his mother and sister, and framing his father for the crime. Dr. Brenner studied Henry's abilities, christening him experiment number «One». However, as the Hawkins Lab started to undertake experiments on more and more children, One manipulated Eleven into removing his chip, allowing him to massacre the entire facility, save for Brenner and El. The more powerful Eleven opened the Upside Down gate, banishing One who over time transformed into the monstrous Vecna.
Related: Was Stranger Things Season 4 Worth The Wait?
At the start of season 4, Vecna reappears and starts killing teenagers who have previously suffered with trauma, such as Chrissy Cunningham and Fred Benson. Vecna takes over the minds of his foes, making them see illusions of their past and a grandfather clock from his old family home, before brutally killing them by levitating them, horrifyingly
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