Stranger Things’ Most Iconic Eleven Detail Is Borrowed From 43-Year-Old Stephen King Character

One specific detail surrounding Eleven in Stranger Things was directly inspired by a Stephen King character introduced in a popular 1980 novel. Since its inception in 2016, Netflix’s hit show has fully embraced the ’80s and any pop culture from that era. While this is a no-brainer considering Stranger Things’ timeline has been set in the ’80s, the Duffer Brothers have taken the setting to another level by using their series as a love letter to some of the most memorable movies, songs, and historical events to come from the decade.

Stephen King, of course, has been a major inspiration throughout the first four seasons of Stranger Things. When Stranger Things begins, it’s November 1983, meaning King had been churning out horror novels for over a decade at that point. Not only are some Stephen King books seen or directly mentioned in the show, but specific elements developed by the author match the Duffers’ claim that King was a significant influence for Stranger Things‘ development. The premise alone, following a group of kids facing off against an unknown evil force, borrows from IT. Also, some of the most prominent details surrounding Stranger Things‘ main characters borrowed aspects of notable ’80s characters.

Eleven’s Nosebleeds In Stranger Things Pay Homage To Firestarter’s Andy McGee

Though Stranger Things has branched out into several intriguing storylines since season 1, Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven remains the center of it all. Since her mysterious arrival, strange occurrences have plagued Hawkins, Indiana, and its residents. Much of this was revealed to be connected to her time in Hawkins Lab and Henry Creel’s transformation into Vecna, which simultaneously created a link to the Upside Down; it was always made clear that Eleven was special. In fact, Eleven’s iconic nosebleeds when she exerts her powers have a fun connection to Firestarter‘s Andy McGee, a Stephen King character who debuted in 1980.

After partaking in a government experiment with his wife, Andy McGee developed mind control powers he referred to as the “push” in Firestarter. When using his powers for too long, Andy commonly experienced dangerous side effects, including nosebleeds, headaches, and even brain hemorrhaging. The consequences of the prolonged use of powers seen in the Firestarter book and the subsequent movie adaptations in 1984 and 2022 were clearly taken when developing Eleven’s nosebleed side effect in Stranger Things. The character, in general, could also be seen as a nod to Firestarter‘s main character, Charlie McGee, who served as Andy’s daughter with powers.

Stranger Things Borrows Other Key Elements From Stephen King’s Firestarter

Aside from the nosebleeds caused by the exertion of powers, the details surrounding Andy and his powers depicted in Firestarter inspired other important Stranger Things details. In the Netflix show, Eleven acquired her psychokinetic powers after her mother, Jane, was experimented on as part of Stranger Things‘ Project MKUltra. This was similar to King’s Firestarter, where the government-sanctioned experiments stemmed from an agency known as The Shop. The agency oversaw the experiments through injections with a drug called Lot Six in the same way Hawkins Lab secretly conducted Project MKUltra.

Whereas The Shop deemed their experiments a failure, Stranger Things was focused on the children of those experimented on, giving the show a more sinister aspect to Hawkins Lab. Charlie, of course, was targeted after her powers were revealed, making The Shop the antagonist of Firestarter. While Eleven also carried a sense of importance, Dr. Brenner and his lab were already tapping into something much more dangerous. He certainly remained a villain leading up to his death, but the effects of Brenner’s experiments caused Vecna to grow more dangerous. Firestarter may have been an inspiration, but it was also only a jumping-off point for Stranger Things and Eleven.