Dr. Martin Brenner is the overarching antagonist of the Netflix original series Stranger Things, serving as one of the two main antagonists (alongside the Hawkins Demogorgon) of Season 1, and an anti-hero in Season 4.
He was a senior research scientist and director of Hawkins National Laboratory. Brenner raised some child test subjects, like One, Two, Eight and Eleven, in his lab, testing and pushing them to the limits of their psychic abilities through various kinds of experiments. In an experiment to locate One after his disappearance, Brenner indirectly unleashed a monster from another dimension into Hawkins, allowing Eleven to escape the lab. In the following week, Brenner and his team searched for Eleven while investigating the newly opened gateway to the other dimension.
Countdown To Chang's Guide To The Galaxy[]
Chapter 2[]
Martin Brenner who was spefically who was looking for both Lincoln and Lydia alongside Dr.Owens. Lydia questions his need for them, and Dr.Brenner tells the two that it has to with his orderly One. Lincoln and Lydia both understand question the name and The 2 doctors explain the history of Brenner, how he learned of psychokinetic abilties by taking Henry Creel into his custody and how he reproduced these abilities in child test subjects and the history that led him to Hawkins and dealing with the Demogorgon. Brenner and Owens both know Lincoln and Lydia are aware of it and they faced it.
Lincoln and Lydia both give glances and are not amused about dealing with the Upside Down again. Brenner states he knows they closed the dimenison and managed to kill the creature and deal with the mysterious things he knows about. Lincoln asks Dr.Brenner how he knows this, Brenner tells Lincoln he used to work for M.A.L.I.C.E but he was fired by the leader for getting too close to the truth like he was co-oprating with someone who knew Brenner and he feels it's Henry Creel out of revenge towards him for failing him. Owens more optismically believes Lincoln and Lydia are who can stop this and that for how much they don't stand each other, they know the two can deal with both Henry and The head of M.A.L.I.C.E.
Brenner and Owens disucss the possibliy that The Smoking Man is after the former in revenge for suriving and that Henry Creel is his partner who is after Brenner as well for haivng endured so much torture at Brenner's hands, and being forced to work for him as an orderly for the Hawkins Lab for decades, Brenner considers Henry to be to be his greatest failure after losing all his test subjects at his hands, and wants nothing more than to find him in the Upside Down and kill him and knows that Lydia and Lincoln have gone in there so they know something.
Dr.Brenner looks at this and recalls it was like the one he found in Hawkins and that M.A.L.I.C.E's leader is trying to use this thing as a power to claim power. He suspects that it may be just the start and that he senses Lydia is an answer to this with her connection to the Infinity Stones, spefically the Mind Stone which could be using to eavesdrop on the thoughts and communications of the soviets and maybe weaponsize the use of the Mind Stone . Lydia isn't pleased about this idea but realizes Dr.Brenner is the only source to the man who went after both her and Lincoln to get answers, though Brenner may also know about the Upside Down so Lydia decides she will need to help Brenner. Brenner does advise Lydia may need to be pushed near her limits more if she wants to deal with this.
As for Lincoln, Brenner and Lincoln both seem to have a common foe and Brenner tells Lincoln that if he wants answers who is after him, he will need to not look for the suriviors but investigate possible monster or alien life. Lincoln mentions the polar bear, Brenner asks for a reference to him and Lincoln refers to Jimmy's appearance and Brenner decides to go take a look for the info he needs
Chapter 3[]
Back at the Lab, Brenner and Owens are doing their own research. They have an diasgreement over how to handle things as Owen is more gentle to Brenner and his more sink or swim approaches. Brenner states that these dangerous things they put the kids through is the only way to prepare them for The Smoking Man and also for Henry and that he knows they are capable of holding up and Cassandra and Kelly can help with this. Owen calls him on this, as they're kids and it's no different from his treatment from his own subjects. Owen states that he wants to help them, and that why havn't they told Lydia or Lincoln about CSM, Brenner states he won't say something until he finds the real plan he is up too. But Henry is more serious as Brenner puts it, He needs the two to find Henry so them or Brenner himself can kill Henry for everything he has done.
Owens states he would floor Brenner with he wasn't so good at his job. Owens has even being secretly being working on clearing the charges for Lincoln and Lydia in what they're dealing with.
Lydia states like they know who's behind of all this going on. Brenner states that he does have some knowledge though he is stilling working on what The Guy's plan is. Lydia asks about this, but Brenner stops her right there and tells both her and Lincoln about Henry and what he did to his family, and his attempts to control him through a chip to negate his powers and use as an orderly
Lincoln and Lydia both realize Brenner is trying to find Henry as a way of atoning for screwing him over, due to not being able to feel gulit for his own actions and Brenner wants to kill him for masscring his test sujects
Brenner warns them that Henry doesn't just kill a person, but absorbs their essence into himself, thus growing increasingly powerful with each murder he commits. So Lincoln and Lydia may have a uphill battle when he shows himself finally.
Dr.Owens intterupts and tells Lincoln and Lydia that he senses something up once more and that that it's that Conspiracy that is going on. .
Owens and Brenner both look a bit more carefully in all this and Brenner knows that who ever the Conspiracy targets with them, this is will be when They make a move and his men can get the info needed.
Lincoln and Lydia see Brenner and they learn from him that he has been looking into Operation Countdown, who the two learn he looked into. Brenner tells them that The person is charge of the operation is The Smoking Man, the former head of M.A.L.I.C.E and his former employer
Lincoln and Lydia look carefully and they learn of Operation Countdown truth as Brenner lets them do so. Upon them looking into it they learn his real name is Carl Gerhard Busch Mulder and Lydia realizes he must be Mulder's biological father and Lincoln isn't sure what to say as this is the man who attacked his family, caused the separation of Team Free Will and leaked Lydia's secret. Lincoln states is this guy really behind all this
Brenner states that he indeed is and he used to work for him, but he was also in service with Henry Creel/One/Vecna who CSM assisted.
Brenner even states he has looked further into Operation Countdown and thanks to his look into things, he has something bigger in mind than any one could have managed in mine. God hood and not just god hood harnessing God as power and asks if they know about Unowns.
Brenner informs Lincoln that the real power source of CSM's Sources to try and get are in the winter region of Sinnoh, as the Solceanon Ruins contain Unown. Lydia asks what about The Ruins of Alph, Owens states that was one placed that was dealt with and admits that both of them know Team Free Will dealt with them
Lincoln states he and Lydia indirectly did, Brenner and Owens suspect that The Smoking Man is trying to harness the powers of the Unown or something even more powerful, considering it's the region of Sinnoh. So they need to go over there and investigate what they know about Sinnoh
Chapter 4[]
Dr.Brenner decides to get to Sinnoh immediatly, dragging Sam Owens along with him for the ride to Sinnoh. He suspects a Demogrgon might emerge here due to the cold weather that he looked into about it. Owens call him out on being more fasciatned with that creature than dealing with CSM.
Brenner states that he is just using what he knows about them to think in case CSM is still in contact with Henry. Brenner believes that if The Smoking Man does know than he can try and force him into finding Henry so he or the kids can defeat him. Owens is unwilling to risk Lincoln and Lydia to Henry. Brenner surpisngly agrees and says that those kids may not be ready for him yet, but only with his help can they.
The two doctors do find Dawn and infrom of why Lincoln and Lydia want Dawn's help before they arrive and afterwards. He joins Sam, Dawn, Kelly and Cassie in discussing The Smoking Man and his plans in Sinnoh, calling the latter a lunatic while he is at it.
Said Luanitc shows up and CSM is intend to kill Dr.Brenner so he doesn't reveal anymore to the kids. Brenner informs he's too late, Lincoln and Lydia both know about Henry and once he remerges they'll be more capable of dealing with his associate. The Smoking Man doesn't really care about that and that the Mind Flayer was his ally, not Henry Creel. Lincoln and Lydia both decide to attack the CSM themselves and stop his other goons from getting them, Brenner brought his own goons to deal with The Smoking Man's henchmen
After some struggles, they are forced to get away to Twinleaf and Sandgem to find Professor Rowan and later on Doc Brown. They are then tasked to find the plates of Arecus so they can have Arecus help them in some respects against what he is planning.
Brenner has been revealed to captured some of the pokemon from Lost Tower near Solceanon City with his men and he has them released so he can test Lincoln and Lydia's resolve as with The CSM after him, he needs to up their testing.
Content with their progress, he makes it clear that they are living up to his expectations and that he may have to think about his next move regarding The Smoking Man and testing them. Though he does take a little time to play with the Rotom from the Old Chateau like it was like one of the subjects he had before Henry slaughtered them.
Chapter 5[]
Brenner joins Cassie and Kelly on their own side of things, He does some of his own research and learns Henry did indeed make contact with the CSM. But also a blue skinned clock guy, as well but his file is hacked before he can tell them this as Brenner just figured out The Smoking Man was allied with Dr. N Tropy at some point.
Brenner attempts to inform Cassie, Kelly, Lincoln and Lydia of this, though his associate Sam Owens at least does here him out on what Brenner found. The Doctor and Kelly realize someone dropped 3 bombs in the region and have Cassie investigate the situation.
Chapter 6[]
Dr.Brenner joins the others in trying to obtain Heatran and the final 2 plates respectfully. As a result of this he is targeted by CSM's forces who want to stop him from leaking Dr.Nefarious Tropy's existence to Lydia. He is protected by May, Dawn and his men from Jimmy, Bob and Mandible. Brenner feels that The Smoking Man is out to kill him because he knows too much on his alignments with Henry and N.Tropy, he decides to make sure the kids know to stick to CSM.
This ends up being for naught, when he is shot fatedly by CSM and his armed forces when he saves Lydia and Lincoln from him. He dies, but not before saying he was trying to help them be ready for One/Henry Creel and leaks a description of who Dr. Nefarious Tropy to Lydia but succumbs to his injuries before he can say his name.