Mike Wheeler

{{Hero Infobox Excellent D&D player Master strategist Attend the Snow Ball with Eleven (succeeded) {{Quote|You want her? You have to kill us first!|Mike in The Upside Down.}} Michael "Mike" Wheeler is one of the main protagonists of Stranger Things.
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 * -|Season 1 = [[File:Mike Wheeler S1.png]]
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 * fullname = Michael Wheeler
 * alias = Mike Paladin Dungeon Master
 * origin = Stranger Things
 * occupation = Hawkins Middle School Student President of the Hawkins AV Club
 * skills = High Intellect
 * hobby = Playing board game's with Friends
 * goals = Find Will and rescue him (succeeded) Defeat the Demogorgon (succeeded)Destroy the mind flair (succeeded)
 * family = Ted Wheeler (father) Karen Wheeler (mother) Nancy Wheeler (older sister) Holly Wheeler (younger sister)
 * friends = Will Byers, Eleven (girlfriend), Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Max Mayfield, Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers, Jonathan Byers, Steve Harrington, Bob Newby, Scott Clarke
 * enemies = Demogorgon, Mind Flayer, Demodogs, [[Troy and James
 * type of hero = Pure Good Child Victim

He is portrayed by Finn Wolfhard, who also portrayed young Richie Tozier in It: Chapter One.

When his friend, Will Byers, mysteriously went missing, he and his other friends, Lucas and Dustin, made it their mission to find him. However, while searching for Will, they stumbled upon the escaped Eleven instead. Mike soon discovered that she knew something about Will's disappearance, enlisting her help in finding him. During their time together, Mike and Eleven formed a strong attachment to one another. While happy that Will had returned home safely, he was greatly devastated by Eleven's sacrifice to defeat the Monster.

History
Mike was part of the Wheeler family, living in Hawkins, Indiana with his mother Karen, his father Ted, and his two sisters Nancy and Holly. Nancy suspected their parents never truly loved one another, and that they married solely to have a "perfect nuclear family".

Mike was best friends with Lucas Sinclair and Will Byers from a young age. In grade four, Dustin Henderson arrived at their school and joined their friend group. They would often gather at Mike's house to play Dungeons & Dragons; this hobby was developed as early as 1979. The four boys had a great relationship with their science teacher Mr. Clarke, and they were members in the AV Club he ran. They would take part in the annual science fair, winning almost every year.

November 6
On the evening of November 6th, 1983, Lucas, Dustin, Mike, and Will played Dungeons & Dragons in Mike's basement. Mike, acting as Dungeon Master, summoned a Demogorgon, which ultimately defeated Will's character. While they looked for missing die, Karen insisted it was time for his friends to leave; shortly after this, Dustin, Lucas, and Will cycled home.

November 7
The next day, Will did not show up to school, which perplexed Mike, Lucas, and Dustin. As they played with Mr Clarke's newly delivered Heathkit, they were summoned by Principal Coleman to talk with Chief Hopper who told the boys that Will was missing. He asked the boys about Will's way home the previous night, and they told him Will had took the road where Cornwallis and Kerley met. The boys casually referred to this road and the surrounding forestry as Mirkwood. The boys investigated their friend's disappearance that evening, searching through Mirkwood as heavy rain fell; this is where they accidentally encountered an escaped Eleven. The boys brought Eleven to Mike's basement where Mike provided her clean clothes. After some argument among themselves, the boys allowed her to stay in Mike's basement. Mike made a pillow fort for Eleven to sleep in and nicknamed her "El".

November 8
Mike skipped school the next day to accommodate El, providing her breakfast as well as showing her his house. El recognized Will from a photograph and suggested to Mike that bad people were looking for her. After school, Dustin and Lucas came to Mike's house; they discussed Eleven and what could have happened to Will. Lucas said that they should tell Karen about Eleven, but El used her telekinesis to prevent him from opening the door to leave. Later that evening, El attempted to explain Will's situation; she flipped their Dungeons & Dragons board upside down and then placed Will's player piece on top followed by the Demogorgon piece. This gave Mike, Lucas, and Dustin a vital clue as they continued to theorize about what happened to Will.

November 9
The following morning, Mike discussed with Lucas and Dustin and decided to meet El after school and commence "Operation Mirkwood" so that she could lead them through the woods to find evidence relating to Will. Before leaving, Mike gave his watch to El and requested her to meet with them at 3:15 pm. After school, the group traveled together to look for Will.

They eventually arrived outside the Byers house, where El said Will was hiding. This statement confused the three boys because, logically, Will could not be there. After seeing police cars race by, they followed in pursuit on their bikes. They saw what appeared to be Will's corpse being dragged out of the local quarry; this lead the boys to feel distraught. Mike, thinking Eleven had lied, questioned her. When she failed to answer him, Mike rode back home in tears. Later in the basement, Mike grieved the loss of his friend. However, El tampered with his radio to project the sound of Will quietly singing, proving to Mike that he was still alive.

November 10
The next day, Mike showed this to Dustin and Lucas, who wondered if Will had become a ghost. After further discussion the boys decided to bring El to their school so she could use the Heathkit to communicate with Will, which was much more powerful than the boy's portable radios. The kids bike to school, passing through downtown Hawkins After dressing Eleven in a pink dress and blonde wig to help her blend in, the boys brought her to Hawkins Middle School. Mr. Clarke told the group that they had to attend an assembly for Will's death before they could use the radio. During the assembly, the bully Troy made crude jokes about Will, which angered Mike and lead him to confront him after the assembly. Troy attempted to hit Mike, but Eleven froze him in place and made him urinate on himself, much to the amusement of the boys and their classmates. They continued to the Heathkit. With El tapping into the device, they overheard Will talking to his mother through a temporary portal to the other dimension; however, the radio overheated and caught on fire before anything else could be heard. After returning to Mike's basement, the boys theorized that Will was stuck in the Vale of Shadows, a "dark echo" dimension of death and decay, which El labeled the Upside Down.

November 11
At Will's funeral, the boys discussed the possibility of alternate dimensions with Mr. Clarke. He described scientific ideas and concepts, utilizing the metaphor of the flea and the acrobat. He mentioned that a gate between dimensions would have adverse affects on the electromagnetic field in their dimension. Later that day, Dustin experimented with a compass, noticing that the needle did not point towards true north, and the boys guessed that there must be a gate nearby influencing the electromagnetic field, like Mr. Clarke had said. The kids search for the Gate The group followed their compasses believing it would lead to the Gate. However, Eleven was manipulating the compasses for the boys' safety because she considered it too dangerous. When the boys realized that El had been doing this, they argued about her; Mike was more sympathetic and trusted her, while Lucas was critical of her manipulation. The two boys ended up fighting; Eleven used her powers to push Lucas off Mike and into the air, injuring him. This angered Mike and left El upset; she vanished from the scene.

November 12
A rift grew between Lucas and the two other boys as they continued to argue about Eleven. Mike and Dustin went in search of El, while Lucas attempted to once again find the Gate.

While Mike and Dustin continued searching for El, they were ambushed by a revenge-seeking Troy and his friend James, who both brandished knives. They were chased to the cliff-side overlooking the quarry. Troy threatened Mike by telling him he would cut out Dustin's teeth unless Mike jumped from the cliff. Dustin, Troy and James watch in wonder as Mike is levitated to safety Finding no other alternative, Mike decided to jump. As he did, Eleven returned and intervened. Using her telekinesis, she levitated Mike back to the cliff-side before injuring the bullies who then fled in terror. As El fell to the ground due to over-exertion, Mike reached her and asked if she was okay. El apologized, claiming she was the monster for having opened the Gate. Mike comforted her, saying she wasn't the monster because she saved him. Mike, Eleven and Dustin then reconciled sharing an embrace together before returning to Mike's house.

The three had to leave Mike's house quickly when Lucas informed them over radio that the 'bad men' where coming. They reunited with Lucas as they cycled away. However, as the agents were closing in on them, Eleven used her powers to throw a van, letting the group escape and evading Dr. Martin Brenner and the agents of Hawkins National Laboratory. The group hid from agents in an abandoned bus in the Junkyard. Chief Hopper found them, taking them to the Byers household to meet with Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy. Together they broke into the middle school and created a makeshift sensory deprivation tank for El to use to enhance her psychic abilities. They learned that Will was alive but barely surviving in the Upside Down.

Showdown with the Demogorgon
Mike reveals his feelings for Eleven. While Hopper and Joyce infiltrated the laboratory and Nancy and Jonathan set a trap for the Demogorgon, the boys and Eleven remained at the school. Mike talked to El about their future life together. He invited El to be his date to the Snow Ball school dance. When he explained the Snow Ball, El didn't understand that people go with "someone that you like". In order to help her understand, Mike kissed her, revealing his feelings for her, and El accepted his invitation. The kids running from agents As part of an agreement with Dr. Brenner to gain passage through the Gate, Hopper revealed El and the boys' location to laboratory officials. Agents broke into the school, capturing El and the boys. Eleven killed most of the agents using biokinesis to crush their brains; however, this drained her of energy and strength and caused her to collapse. Without her protection, they were recaptured, but the Demogorgon, attracted by pools of blood spilling from dead bodies, burst through the school wall via a temporary portal. The surviving agents were distracted and were forced to release El and the boys. Mike cries bitterly as Eleven vanishes. The four took Eleven and ran in panic to Mr. Clarke's classroom, where Mike tried to comfort her by promising that he would go to the Snow Ball with her. The Demogorgon broke in and attempted to kill them. El intervened using telekinesis to pin the Demogorgon against a wall while also immobilizing Mike to prevent his intervention. El looked back at her friends and told Mike goodbye before turning to face the Demogorgon. She used the last of her remaining power to disintegrate the Demogorgon, disappearing to the Upside Down in the process. Mike was left in tears as the boys frantically looked for her in the classroom.

When Eleven awoke, she stumbled along the hallways of the Middle School to find Mike. Eventually, she found a portal to the real world. Once she was back in the real world, Eleven found her way to the Wheeler residence. She saw Mike being interrogated by the police through a window, catching his attention and making the officers suspect she was nearby. Eleven was forced to leave and hide in the woods. The boys visit Will in hospital Mike, Dustin, and Lucas were the first visitors aside from Jonathan and Joyce to see Will in the hospital. They caught up with Will, telling him about all the events which transpired in his absence.

December
One month later, the four boys once again played Dungeons & Dragons. Mike summoned the Thessalhydra, but this time his friends' characters triumphed over the enemy. As Will was picked up by his brother Jonathan and Lucas and Dustin play-fought, Mike missed Eleven and looked back longingly at her old pillow fort, which he had kept in perfect condition in her memory.

Calling Eleven
Following her disappearance after the showdown with the Demogorgon, Mike tried to communicate with Eleven. He called her every night from the blanket fort using his Supercom.[1]  Unfortunately, he never got any responses.

October 29
On the evening of October 29, 1984, Mike was sitting in Eleven's blanket fort when Dustin contacted him asking how much money he had for the arcade. After stealing money from Nancy's piggy bank, he, along with Lucas and Dustin, went to the Palace, with Will joining them soon after.

When Dustin lost a game of Dragon's Lair, Lucas gloated about still having the top score. Dustin countered that he still had the top score in Centipede and Dig Dug, but Keith, an arcade employee, informed him that was no longer the case. Checking the scores, the boys discovered that an unknown person using the alias “MADMAX” had beaten Dustin's scores on both. Keith stated he would tell them the identity of MADMAX in exchange for a date with Nancy, though Mike refused these conditions. As they were arguing, Will began having an episode, being in an abandoned version of the arcade in the Upside Down. Mike noticed, and was able to snap Will out of it by calling his name. He then led Will back inside.

October 30
Mike tries to communicate with Eleven for the 352nd day. In Mr. Clarke's class the next morning, the boys witnessed a new student, named Max, arrive. Because of her name's similarity to the alias used at the arcade, they suspected she was MADMAX, and they decided to spy on her after school. Will was called out as Joyce had come to take him for checkup, which prompted Mike, Dustin and Lucas to speculate about his health. That night, Mike tried contacting Eleven from the pillow fort for the 352nd day in a row. As he was about to give up, he heard what he believed to be Eleven, however, the voice faded as Dustin began talking. He told Mike that their assumption of Max being MADMAX was correct, but Mike, disappointed upon realizing the voice wasn't Eleven's, disregarded the information and turned the Supercom off.

October 31
Will explains his episode to Mike. The next day, the boys went to school dressed in their Ghostbusters costumes, only to discover that no one else had dressed up for Halloween. That night, as the boys were trick-or-treating, Max jumped out and scared them with her Michael Myers costume. She then joined them in their trick-or-treating. Mike wasn't happy about this, and reluctantly walked ahead, leaving Will behind as he began having another episode. Mike eventually found him, again snapping him out of the episode and taking him back to his house. Eleven visits Mike in the Void, but he is unaware of her presence. Back in the Wheelers' basement, Will told Mike about his vision, detailing how he saw a huge shadow-like creature in the sky. Mike promised that he wouldn't tell anyone about Will's vision.

Later, Mike tried contacting Eleven again, revealing that he wished she was there. Eleven, who was simultaneously visiting him in her mental void, was about to make contact. Before she could do so, Mike, unaware of her presence, left.

November 1 Edit
Dustin brought a strange creature, which he had named D'Artagnan, to school the following day, showing it to Mike, Lucas, Will, and Max. He explained he had found it in his trashcan and that he believed the creature to be some sort of pollywog. When Dustin concluded that he had discovered a new species, Lucas suggested that he show the creature to Mr. Clarke. However, after noticing it resembled a slug he had thrown up the year before, Will realized Dart originated from the Upside Down and informed Mike. Mike prepared to attack Dart. Before Dustin could show Mr. Clarke, Mike took Dart and urged everyone to meet again in the AV club room, excluding Max. When Dart started to emit a screeching sound, the boys tried to open the proton pack, but Dart broke free and they witnessed it growing a pair of hind legs. Mike then tried to attack Dart, which caused it to flee and run loose throughout the school.

As Mike was looking for the creature, he encountered Max in the boys' locker room. She followed him to the gym, where she tried to convince him to let her join the party as their “zoomer” by performing some skateboard tricks. While this was happening, Eleven, who was at the school in order to see Mike, witnessed them together. Jealous, she used her powers to pull Max's skateboard out from under her, causing her to fall. As Mike helped her up, Max explained that it felt like a magnet had pulled her board. Suspecting Eleven to be the cause, he quickly ran through the gym's doors, however, Eleven was gone.

Will eventually found Dart in a bathroom; it screeched, causing Will to run away. Soon after, Dustin arrived to retrieve Dart. When the others arrived, Dustin hid Dart under his hat and lied saying he had not seen it or Will. Mike found Will out in the field as he was having another episode. However, this time he did not snap out of the vision, even as Joyce tried to pull him out of it. While everyone watched on helplessly, Will was being overwhelmed by the shadow monster. After the creature had finished its attack, Will finally woke up.

November 2
The following morning, Lucas, Mike, and Max – who had no knowledge of the creature's location – searched for Dart in a dumpster behind the school. Later, Mike grew worried upon noticing Will's absence and tried calling the Byers' residence in order to check up on him, but received no response. He then told everyone, sans Max, to meet in the AV room. There, he explained to Dustin and Lucas that, on Halloween night, Will had a vision of a shadow-like creature. He then decided that he would go to Will's house to acquire more knowledge while Dustin and Lucas would look for Dart, since catching him could provide a vital clue on what was going on with Will.

After school, Mike went to the Byers' house to check on Will where Joyce initially didn't allow him inside. When Mike mentioned the shadow monster, however, she let him in. Mike tries to calm Will. Will explained his connection with the shadow monster, saying he was able to see what the monster saw. Mike tried to make the best of the situation, saying that it was a good thing because Will's connection to the Shadow Monster could lead to them figuring out how to stop him. He also assured Will that they wouldn't let the monster spy back on him.

November 3
Mike was awoken the next morning by Will, who had witnessed Hopper trapped beneath Hawkins through his connection with the Shadow Monster. While they were able to figure out where Hopper was in Will's drawings, they did not know the actual location. Mike & Will surprised to see the agents. Just then, Bob arrived, and because of his talent in solving puzzles, Joyce enlisted his help. Bob realized that the drawings were a map of Hawkins, and was able to pinpoint Hopper's location. Arriving at the location, Joyce and Bob descended into the tunnelswhile Mike and Will waited above ground, who witnessed the agents arriving. Eventually, Hopper was found entangled in a mass of vines. After freeing him, soldiers from the lab arrived and urged them to leave shortly before burning the tunnels. Suddenly, Will collapsed and as Mike tried to ask him what was wrong, Will began convulsing on the ground. Will was asked by Dr. Owens if he recognized Mike Mike went along with Joyce, Bob, and Hopper to Hawkins Lab, where Will was quickly treated.

November 4
When Will awoke, he could not remember Dr. Owens, Bob, or Hopper, and was barely able to remember Mike. In a test involving a severed vine from the Upside Down, Owens asked if Will could feel anything as another scientist used a blowtorch to burn the vine. Through this, they determined that Will had some sort of “virus” that connected him to all other infected hosts in a hive intelligence.

Back in the infirmary, Will informed Mike of a way they could possibly stop the Shadow Monster. Using images that the lab personnel had taken of the map, Will directed the scientists to an area, stating “he doesn't want me to see there.” Trapped by the Demodogs in Hawkins Lab, Mike, Hopper, Joyce & Owens witness Bob restoring the power system As soldiers traversed the tunnels, Will revealed that the Shadow Monster made him deceive the soldiers. Realizing it was a trap, Mike tried to warn the scientists, but it was too late; the soldiers were ambushed and killed by a pack of Demodogs. Shortly after, Demodogs began invading the lab. To prevent the Shadow Monster from knowing their location, Mike urged them to sedate Will. Hopper, carrying Will, guides Mike and Joyce out of the lab. Once Will was unconscious, the group took refuge in a surveillance room, where they witnessed the lab being overrun by Demodogs before the power went out. To restore the power and allow them a way out, Bob volunteered to go down to the basement and reset the breakers. Once the power was restored and the doors unlocked, Mike, Joyce, Hopper, and Will made it to safety while Owens stayed behind to guide Bob. Just when it seemed Bob was safe, he was tackled and killed by several Demodogs. Outside, the group met up with Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, Dustin, Lucas, and Max. Together, they escaped the lab.

At the Byers' house, Mike was unwilling to just sit and wait for help, and started speculating with Lucas, Dustin, and Max about the Shadow Monster's weakness. When they realized that the Shadow Monster controlled everything in a hive mind, they compared it to the Mind Flayer, a monster from Dungeons & Dragons that similarly controls the minds of its victims. They also speculated that, if they killed the Mind Flayer, they would kill everything it controlled. Mike and the others plan to interrogate Will. Mike then proposed that, in order to discover the Mind Flayer's weakness, they'd have to take Will someplace he couldn't recognize and try to get through to him. After making the backyard shed unrecognizable, they attempted to interrogate Will. While the Mind Flayer had taken over a majority of Will's mind and body, a part of Will managed to subconsciously signal to them in Morse code. Deciphering his message, they discovered the way to stop the Mind Flayer; closing the Gate. Soon after, the phone in the Byers' kitchen rang, giving away their location.

November 5
Mike finally reunites with Eleven As the house was being surrounded by a pack of Demodogs, the group armed themselves. Before the pack could attack, however, Eleven arrived and eradicated them. Mike became relieved to see her alive and the two embraced each other. After an emotional reunion with Eleven, Mike discovered that Hopper had been hiding her the whole time and angrily blamed him; though they quickly reconciled. Eleven promises Mike that he will not lose her again. When Eleven assured that she could close the Gate, Mike pointed out that it might also kill Will. So, together, the group came up with a plan: Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy would exorcise the Mind Flayer from Will's body while Eleven and Hopper would go to the lab and close the Gate. Before leaving, Eleven promised Mike that he will not lose her again.

While waiting at the house, Mike, who was concerned about Eleven, planned with Lucas, Dustin, and Max and decided they'd distract the Demodogs by burning the tunnels so Eleven and Hopper could safely reach the Gate. Before they could begin their plan, Billy arrived looking for Max. Steve tried to intervene, but the two ended up in a fist fight. With one of the syringes used to sedate Will, Max was able to puncture Billy's neck, making him lose consciousness. Using Billy's car, Max drove the group to the pumpkin patch where the entrance to the tunnels was located. Making their way to the hub, they doused the entire area in gasoline and set it ablaze.

On their way out of the tunnels, Mike was caught by the vines. As Steve helped him out, the group encountered Dart. Recognizing Dustin, Dart did not attack and was easily distracted by Dustin giving it another Three Musketeers bar, allowing the group to escape. Since the tunnels were burning, the group hurried to escape, but Steve and Dustin fell behind. Surprisingly, instead of attacking them, the Demodogs were relocating somewhere else. Mike and the others presumed that they were going for Eleven. As the group reached out of the tunnels, they witnessed the lights glowing brightly, indicating that Eleven managed to close the Gate.

December 15
Mike and Eleven dance together at the Snow Ball. On December 15, Mike attended the Snow Ball with his friends for the first time and waited for Eleven who arrived shortly after. When Mike and Eleven reunited again, Mike stated that she looked beautiful and asked if she wanted to dance. Eleven agreed, and they danced together and shared a kiss.

November 10
The next day, Mike showed this to Dustin and Lucas, who wondered if Will had become a ghost. After further discussion the boys decided to bring El to their school so she could use the Heathkit to communicate with Will, which was much more powerful than the boy's portable radios. }}