Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1 Reveals Max’s Fate After Vecna’s Curse

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Season 5 of Stranger Things returns to the heartbreaking story of Max and what happened to her after being cursed by Vecna. The first part of the season slowly reveals the truth about her fate, but instead of providing answers, it creates even more questions and suspense.

What happens to Max in Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1?

The first part of Stranger Things season 5 finds Max still in a coma. Lucas frequently visits her at the hospital and plays Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” hoping to bring her back. While she doesn’t show any signs of waking up, her physical health has improved – her broken bones have healed, and she’s no longer wearing a neck brace. However, it seems she’s still unable to see, a lasting effect from Vecna’s curse in the previous season.

Max is still stuck inside Vecna’s mind. She tells Holly that she actually died during season 4, but something pulled her back before she fully woke up in the Rainbow Room. Now, she’s exploring Henry Creel’s memories within Vecna’s mind, trying to find a way to escape. She gets close to breaking free when she hears “Running Up That Hill,” which creates a doorway to her hospital room, but it disappears before she can reach it.

In the third episode, “The Turnbow Trap,” Max tells Holly about a safe space in Vecna’s mind – a cave near the Creel house – that Vecna can’t access. She decides to hide there, stating he’s unable to follow her, which protects her. The series hasn’t revealed why Vecna is blocked from entering this cave.

Lucas still believes there’s hope, not knowing Max can actually hear the music even while unconscious. Vecna soon realizes Max is fighting to break free. Max urges Holly not to let Vecna discover what she knows, and asks Holly to go back to the Creel house by herself.

The first book concludes with Max still trapped, and her survival hinges on her and Holly escaping Vecna’s mental world before he uses other children to change reality. The second book, coming out December 25th, will reveal if Max can return to the real world.

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2025-11-27 07:06