Butch Bowers

"Take a look at him now, boys. Ain't nothing like a little fear that'll make a paper man crumble."

- Butch Bowers to Vic and Belch after intimidating his son.

Oscar "Butch" Bowers is a major antagonist of Stephen King's It​ and its 2017 film adaptation of the same name. He is the racist and abusive father of Henry Bowers and the widowed spouse of Henrietta Bowers.

He was portrayed by Stuart Hughes in the 2017 film.

It (novel)
Butch is a farmer and ex-marine who reputedly went insane and psychotic after being relieved of his duties. Butch hated all foreigners as well as American citizens of different colored skin, and hated women, because in his own words, women are "whores". Butch tortured and simultaneously influenced his son, Henry. He taught him essentially how to hate, through his beatings and drunken tirades to his own crimes against those that were lower than scum in his eyes.

Butch hated his neighbor William " Will" Hanlon, since in the past, he killed all of his chickens and tried to carve a swastika onto his property before Will threatened to shoot him. On a daily basis, Butch would beat his son and wife, the latter of which eventually left after he nearly beat her to death.

This upbringing resulted into Henry's bullying nature. He even went so far as to kill Mike Hanlon's dog with poisoned meat and like the horrible man he is, Butch rewards his son with a beer for his deed.

After a violent and aggressive rock fight between the Losers' Club and Bowers Gang, Henry's insanity slowly worsens, not only from It's influence, but also his father's as well. Butch was killed by his son, who slit his throat while he was sleeping with a switchblade provided by It.

Upon returning to home, Henry was eventually convicted for Butch's murder (as well as the rest of the killings that occurred throughout the summer), and had been arrested by the cops, who had been looking for him.

It (miniseries)
Butch is not seen in the miniseries, but he is briefly mentioned by Henry when he got detention for insulting Benjamin "Ben" Hanscom in front of the class, claiming that his "old man will tan his hide.".

It (2017 Film)
Rather than being an insane farmer and ex-marine, Butch is shown to be working as a police officer. He does not show much of the insanity or racism he was portrayed with in the book (though it can be hinted based on Henry's behavior). He first appeared outside the school when Henry starts bullying the Losers but stops when he sees Butch watching.

Shown by a one deleted scene while he is not insane he does still beat his son at home and is a alcoholic smoker. He was so angry at Henry for stealing his gun and that he was going to use it to shoot a cat, he yells at Henry and abuses him by shooting to the ground in front of Henry's feet, causing him to breakdown in front of his friends and Butch says that "nothing but a little fear to make a paper man crumble".

Later, Henry finds his switchblade in the mail which he had lost earlier while chasing Ben Hanscom. He enters his home where his father is sleeping in a nearby chair and, at Pennywise's insistence, presses the top against the side of his neck and unsheathes the blade into his neck, killing him.

​Trivia

 * Butch is a major antagonist in It as he is responsible for Henry Bowers, the secondary antagonist, being an abusive and obnoxious psychopath.