{"id":16177,"date":"2022-05-29T10:01:59","date_gmt":"2022-05-29T08:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1651332"},"modified":"2022-05-29T10:29:10","modified_gmt":"2022-05-29T08:29:10","slug":"will-eleven-be-the-final-villain-of-stranger-things","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/will-eleven-be-the-final-villain-of-stranger-things\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Eleven be the final villain of Stranger Things?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Huw Fullerton\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 29 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Netflix\u2019s Stranger Things 4<\/a> added a new villain to the roster of previous baddies The Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer, with psychic octopus-man Vecna becoming just the latest Dungeons and Dragons-named baddie to torment the kids of Hawkins, Indiana.<\/p>\n

But could he just be paving the way for an even more powerful threat with a more familiar face? Because certain hints in Stranger Things 4 have us wondering if the fifth and final season will see our heroes take on one of their own \u2013 Millie Bobby Brown\u2019s Eleven.<\/p>\n

Confused? Well, let\u2019s dive into the clues below but beware \u2013 we\u2019re dealing with spoilers from Stranger Things 4 part 1 here, so read on at your peril.<\/p>\n

**Spoiler warning for Stranger Things season 4 part 1**<\/strong><\/p>

Will Eleven be the final villain of Stranger Things?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Basically, it all comes down to the X-Men. Stranger Things has long had a subtle Easter Egg connection to the classic mutant heroes, with the very first episode containing a reference to a comic-book issue (specifically, Uncanny X-Men No. 134) that Will (Noah Schapp) wants to borrow.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just any X-Men comic. Specifically, this issue kicked off the classic Dark Phoenix arc where team member Jean Grey succumbed to the temptations of her power and was possessed by a genocidal God that the other X-Men had to defeat. It\u2019s a popular, hugely respected story that\u2019s been adapted for the screen twice, albeit poorly \u2013 but Stranger Things might now be doing its own version of it.<\/p>\n

Obviously, Eleven can be compared to Jean Grey. They can both move objects with their minds (aka telekinesis) and have other psychic abilities. Even their names are similar \u2013 in public life Eleven goes by Jane, which rearranges to (and sounds similar to) Jean.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in STRANGER THINGS.<\/span><\/figcaption> Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Of course, other parts of Eleven\u2019s story are very different to Jean\u2019s \u2013 but we can\u2019t help but wonder if they\u2019re headed in a similar direction. After all, it\u2019s hard to ignore the significance of the so-called \u2018Hellfire Club\u2019 in this season of Stranger Things, with the demonically-dubbed Dungeons and Dragons club getting several of our heroes in trouble during season 4.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re more interested in the name. In the X-Men comics, the Hellfire Club are an elite group of humans and mutants who often function as villains to the main X-team, and they play a significant role in Jean\u2019s Dark Phoenix transformation.<\/p>\n

In the story, a mutant who can cast illusions (called Mastermind) tries to brainwash Jean to help him get accepted into the Hellfire Club, making Jean relive what she believes are past memories to turn her to his will. In these illusions, she too was part of the Hellfire Club (specifically their Black Queen), and helped Mastermind defeat the X-Men.<\/p>\n

Now think back to Stranger Things 4. In Vecna, we have a villain who can cast convincing illusions into the minds of his victims. We have a young psychic reliving old memories. In One\/Vecna himself, we have the prospect of a psychic powerhouse going rogue and becoming a terrifying monster themselves.<\/p>\n

Will Eleven become like Dark Phoenix in X-Men?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Vecna in Stranger Things<\/span><\/figcaption> Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

All the building blocks from Dark Phoenix are there \u2013 and the reference to the Hellfire Club can\u2019t be a coincidence. Even the way Eleven pins One against the wall in Stranger Things 4 episode 7 evokes a panel from the Dark Phoenix comics, where Jean eventually snaps and turns against her tormentor before destroying his mind.<\/p>\n

While we\u2019re sure Stranger Things won\u2019t go down the exact same route as Dark Phoenix, it\u2019s possible the show could cover some similar ground. We\u2019ve had the idea seeded this season that Eleven herself could be a threat, first with the fakeout of the murdered children and then by the military, who think she\u2019s behind the murders in Hawkins.<\/p>\n

What if this actually comes true for Stranger Things 5, the final season coming after this one? Jean Grey turned against the X-Men after she was possessed by a violent space-God, suffered from mental abuse and saw the man she loved die (in one of Mastermind\u2019s illusions). Eleven could fall victim to Vecna\u2019s illusions or find herself a host (like Will in season two) for the Mind Flayer or another Upside-Down nasty. And in Finn Wolfhard\u2019s Mike, we could see another romantic casualty to flip her over the edge.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) in Stranger Things season 4<\/span><\/figcaption> Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Look, all of this might be a bit of a stretch. There are other X-Men references in Stranger Things (like Dustin calling his radio tower Cerebro after Professor X\u2019s mutant-finding computer), and the Hellfire Club\/Dark Phoenix Easter Eggs might be nothing more than nods to another story about a telekinetic girl.<\/p>\n

But you have to wonder. What better way to send off Stranger Things in season 5 than for the series\u2019 main hero to become the final threat (or at least, have her possessed by it)? What more momentous or terrifying foe could the Duffer Brothers create than Eleven, who\u2019s seen off every other monster so far?<\/p>\n

All we\u2019re saying is that it might be time to crack open some of your old Chris Claremont comics. The clues are all there if you look for them.<\/p>\n

Stranger Things 4 is now streaming on Netflix, with part 2 coming on July 1st. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi<\/a> page or our full TV Guide<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong>Check out our guides to the\u00a0<\/strong>best series on Netflix<\/b><\/a><\/span>\u00a0and the\u00a0<\/b>best movies on Netflix<\/b><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n