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The Bowers Gang are the secondary antagonists in the Stephen King novel It and its film adaptations. They are Henry Bowers's minions and bullying rivals of the Lucky Seven whom they cruelly called "The Losers Club".
Nature[]
The Bowers Gang prominently acts to humiliate and bully kids in the town of Derry. Originally, the gang had a code by which they simply attacked kids and left adults alone. However, as the summer holidays progressed and Henry's sanity worsened, they went after adults too, in one case, Henry threw a rock at an old lady's car when she stopped to help Beverly. The Bowers Gang is also quite perverted and Henry sometimes indicates he wants to rape Beverly.
Most of their actions are driven out of pure spite, for instance, Henry picks on Mike just because Mike is black. Henry is the leader of the gang, while Vic Criss is the second-in-command (secondary leader) and Belch Huggins is the muscle man, being bigger than the others at six feet tall (despite being 12 years old). Patrick Hockstetter is the evilest and most psychopathic of the gang. Peter Gordon is most likely the most intelligent of the gang after Vic and is mentioned as a kid who likes to act tough but really isn't brave enough to try anything on his own. Moose Sadler is a bit mentally handicapped, which Henry most likely takes advantage of. Gard Jaegermeyer is just flat out stupid. It is debatable whether Marcia Fadden is a member of the Gang, she does have an affinity for Henry Bowers and Peter Gordon and for being mean to kids younger than her but she's much too cowardly to do anything by herself without Peter to protect her. She only appears once or twice in connection to Peter but it's presumed she's a member of the Gang cause of her provocative nature and the fact she's Peter's girlfriend.
History[]
It (1990)[]
As in the novel, Henry and the Bowers Gang are portrayed as the local bullies and antagonistic classmates of the Losers' Club, though only Patrick Hockstetter's absent from this adaptation. Here (most likely being that this version takes place in 1960), the Bowers Gang are given more greaser-type appearances than in the novel, as they are all seen wearing unzipped jackets, and the smarter bullies of the gang (Victor "Vic" Criss and Peter Gordon) are shown to be more unscrupulous, the one exception being when Henry tries to carve his name on Ben Hanscom with a switchblade and Vic tries to object by commenting "Come on. Don't really cut him". Additionally, Vic and Belch's deaths in the miniseries differ well from the novel as rather than killing them in the form of Frankenstein's Monster, It kills them in the form of the "Deadlights", first killing off Vic, who had separated to ambush the Losers per Henry's instructions and later Belch when he was holding Stan Uris when Henry was preparing to kill him, only for Belch to be sucked through a pipe by the Deadlights and eaten.
It (2017)[]
Henry Bowers and his gang again appear as antagonists to the Losers' Club. This time, Peter Gordon and Moose Sadler are absent from this adaptation and (contrary to both the novel and miniseries), rather than having little to 0 difference in the same age as the Losers, the Bowers Gang are portrayed as older teens. Reginald "Belch" Huggins is also portrayed somewhat differently than in the novel and miniseries. While still being the most physically strong yet clumsy bully of the group, he is more stockily-built and more average in height, being dwarfed by the taller Patrick Hockstetter (both facts being contrary to Belch's earlier depictions of being bigger and taller than the rest of his friends, standing six feet tall, though no older than any of them).
Their personalities have changed as well. Patrick is the least physically violent and seems to enjoy pyromania. Belch is normally horrified by Henry's actions as opposed to Victor. Henry also is slightly nicer than in the novel and especially miniseries as he gives Bill Denbourgh as "free ride" from his bullying to due Georgie's disappearance.
In the film, the gang first appears at the school. They mildly bully the Losers outside but leave them alone due to Henry's dad watching them. The gang later mildly harass Mike in an alley before leaving. The gang the bullies Ben Hanscom and Henry attempts to carve his name on Ben's stomach but Ben escapes. Patrick's then killed by Pennywise. After being defeated by the Losers in a rock fight, Henry goes insane and is manipulated by IT into killing Victor and Belch. Henry is pushed down a well by Mike when he tries to kill him but survives and is arrested.
It Chapter Two (2019)[]
Only Henry and Patrick return. Vic and Belch are dead due to Henry murdering them under Its influence. Henry is locked up in a mental asylum due to murdering his father. Patrick returns as a zombie, gives Henry his switchblade back, and helps Henry escape the mental asylum. Henry attacks Eddie and cuts him in the mouth. After that Patrick drives him to the library where Henry attacks and overpowers Mike but is killed by Richie before Henry can kill Mike.
Members[]
- Henry Bowers (leader)
- Vic Criss (second-in-command)
- Belch Huggins
- Patrick Hockstetter
- Peter Gordon
- Gard Jaegermeyer (not official member)
- Steve "Moose" Sadler
Trivia[]
- Cause of her romance with Peter Gordon, Marcia Fadden is sometimes considered a member of the Bowers Gang, at least in the novel.
- Peter Gordon, Vic Criss and Belch Huggins were perhaps the most humane of the Bowers Gang and the only ones closest to redeeming themselves.
- In fact in the novel, it is suggested if Belch had lived til he was an adult, he may have actually learned to be gentler.
- Henry Bowers seems to bind the gang together through manipulation, fear, and brutality, even though its mentioned that Vic and Belch really are his best friends, the others only seem to hang about with him through fear of his brutality. In the movie they get along much better even Patrick Hockstetter despite Henry not caring about Patrick's disappearance and killing Victor and Belch (albeit under It's influence).
- Peter Gordon, Moose Sadler nor Gard Jaegermeyer is in the 2017 film and Marcia Fadden instead appears to be friends with Greta Bowie (Keene in the film) and Sally Mueller.
- Steve and Peter appear briefly, in the It miniseries, seen during the Mike chase and rock fight scene. Patrick is confirmed to not be in the It miniseries.
