The Dark Phoenix and it’s Importance to Will Byers’ Story (does he have powers?)
(I have absolutely zero idea how much sense this makes because I obviously wrote this from a comic fan pov. so PLEASE lmk if it’s literally nonsensical!! I tried to break it down but you never know! Also I’m so sorry to anyone who might’ve already had any of these ideas, I haven’t seen any yet but please point me in their direction if you have!!)
At the very start of Stranger Things, right after the D&D campaign ends and the boys are racing home, Will turns to Dustin and says something most people gloss over:
“I’ll take your X-Men #134”
To someone who isn’t a comic fan it could just be seen as a nostalgic, nerdy throwaway line, a little color for the ‘80s setting. But if you dig deeper, as you can with basically everything in this show, X-Men #134 is anything but random. It’s the issue where Jean Grey, a beloved member of the X-Men, begins her descent into becoming the Dark Phoenix, a being of nearly limitless power, created out of pain, manipulation, and isolation.
And maybe, just maybe… it’s also a mirror for what’s been happening to Will Byers all along.
(TL;DR at the end!!)
01. Possession and Identity: Will as the Black Queen
In the comic, Jean Grey is manipulated by a villain called Mastermind, she’s mentally broken down and pushed to become someone she’s not. He doesn’t just control her actions. He rewrites her identity. She becomes the “Black Queen” of the Hellfire Club and she’s not at all herself anymore, failing to recognise her friends and fellow X-men.
Will’s arc across Stranger Things Season 1 and 2 follows a disturbingly similar path. In Season 1, he vanishes into the Upside Down, taken by a force no one understands. In Season 2, he doesn’t just come back traumatized, he comes back getting visions of the place, and is eventually possessed. He screams and seizes and freezes, loses control of his body, his speech, his mind. He’s used as a puppet by the Mind Flayer, forced to spy and hurt the people he loves.
Like Jean, Will becomes something other.
And even when the possession ends, the damage doesn’t just vanish. Jean Grey’s transformation into Dark Phoenix begins even after she escapes the Hellfire Club. And Will? He still hears Vecna. Still feels the cold. Still seems changed, he’s given the new ability to sense when he’s near.
02. Isolation, Repression, and the Price of Silence
One of the deepest wounds Jean Grey suffers, and one of the reasons she becomes the Dark Phoenix, is isolation. Her friends don’t understand what she’s going through. She’s overwhelmed by emotions and powers too big for her to carry alone. Her breakdown isn’t just caused by ‘supernatural’ elements, it’s also personal. And this is incredibly similar to Will’s story.
During Season 3, we see Will become more alienated from the group. The others are falling in love, growing up, finding themselves. Will can’t. He keeps secrets. His queerness is visible, though I’m not going to expand on how exactly because it’s obvious, and so is his loneliness. He doesn’t have what the others have, or at least he doesn’t believe he does. We see in Season 4 that he believes El will always need Mike and so he’s willing to sacrifice his feelings and any potential relationship that could be there, so that El and Mike can be happy together. He’s repressing his feelings so that his friends can have theirs.
And this repression is eating him alive. Just like Jean.
03. The Powers Theory: Is Will the Phoenix of Hawkins?
Here’s where it gets interesting.
In X-Men, Jean Grey doesn’t just host the Phoenix Force. She becomes it. Her powers don’t just come from mutation or science, they’re something cosmic, a gift and a curse. What if Will’s time in the Upside Down (or even just from birth depending on your theory) left him with something similar?
We already know he’s different. He can sense Vecna. He has a link to the Mind Flayer that no one else does, not even El. What if that connection isn’t just psychological? What if it’s evolving?
Picture this:
Will starts having visions again.
The boundary between his mind and the Upside Down blurs.
Maybe he moves things without touching them.
Maybe he starts to hear the thoughts of things that shouldn’t be in this world.
What if the Mind Flayer didn’t just use Will as a vessel? What if it awakened something in him? This time, different to Season 2 as he would be a more independent entity, and his abilities would have mutated (lol) over time.
04. Byler: Love, Grief, and the Power of Knowing
Season 4 gave us one of the most emotionally gutting moments in the series: Will’s monologue to Mike in the van, pretending to talk about El, but really talking about himself. You can see it all over his face. (He’s literally crying, it’s all over his face.)
Mike doesn’t see it. Not yet. But Season 5 might finally bring it to the surface. (As the Duffer’s did say the scene will pay off!)
Here’s the theory:
What if Will’s powers, or his connection to the Upside Down, grow stronger the more isolated he becomes? (This idea also links to birthdaygate.) What if the key to grounding him, to saving him, isn’t just a typical solution we’ve seen, such as music or an exorcism… but emotional honesty?
Jean Grey’s ‘downfall’ was sped up by betrayal, secrets, and emotional distance. Will’s redemption might come through the opposite: truth. Potentially a confession to Mike, not only of his feelings but admitting to his strange masked-truth speech he gave to him. Maybe even a kiss (I hope omg)!
Maybe Mike does love El, but also, we know he’s confused about his feelings, and also potentially his sexuality (there are so many videos and posts about this). Byler is absolutely more than subtext, which is evident by the confirmation of Will’s feelings. Even if it isn’t this way for Mike (which I personally seriously doubt) Will’s arc could still hinge on being honest about his feelings and coming into his own and letting his friendship with Mike either develop into something more (or just become a stronger and deeper friendship if you’re not a Byler)! We already know he’s taking a leading role this season so it’s the perfect time!
05. Endgame: The Boy Who Was Gone
Like I said, the Duffers have confirmed: Season 5 is Will’s season.
It started with him. It ends with him.
Whether he dies to save Hawkins (he better not omfg), explodes into some terrifying new force, or finally comes into his own as a hero, Will is the heart of this show. He’s the one who disappeared in Season 1. The one who no one knew how to help in Season 2 (and who ended up helping them despite being possessed). The one who’s always been watching from the edges, especially in Season 3/4.
But in Season 5, he’s not on the sidelines anymore. Maybe Will Byers is Hawkins’ last hope. Maybe he’s the lock, the gate, the weapon or the key.
But either way, that little line about X-Men #134? It wasn’t just a comic book reference. It was a HUGE hint about Will Byer’s future as a character!
TL;DR: If Jean Grey became the Dark Phoenix by being isolated, manipulated, and ultimately overwhelmed by power, then Will Byers might be following a similar path. Season 5 could see him developing powers, confronting the Upside Down in a more active way, and facing his feelings for Mike in a climactic emotional arc.
Also I just want to add that one of the first things said in the comic, majorly hints at the Season 4 plot with El and her mind fighting along with Will’s mind being taken over by the Mind Flayer in Season 2, so I’m not crazy!!
punkflower swinging around together and hobie showing miles loads of places for graffiti in his dimension so then hobie sits there and watches as miles gets to work then once miles is done and is back home he starts looking around for another good spot? yes pls
