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NOTE: This page is only about the version of Henry Bowers in Stephen King's original novel and 1990 TV adaptation. For his 2017-19 film adaptation, see here.
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Villain Overview

I'll kill you all!
~ Henry Bowers vowing to kill the Losers Club.

Henry Bowers is the secondary antagonist of the Stephen King novel It and its 1990 miniseries. He is the local bully, the Losers Club's arch-rival, the leader of the Bowers Gang and the puppet of the bloodthirsty trans-dimensional fiend known as IT.

In the 1990 miniseries, he was portrayed by Jarred Blancard as a child, and by Michael Cole as an adult.

Personality

Henry is abused by his crazed, alcoholic, and psychopathic father, Oscar "Butch" Bowers who taught Henry to be a racist. Due to his dysfunctional upbringing, Henry has developed an abusive attitude and hostility towards his environment, becoming a known bully across the town who targets defenseless people and occasionally even animals. One of the things the boy fears and hates the most is his own father and misplaced that anger gathering his gang and pay his insecurities onto the Losers' Club, sometimes going as far as using weapons such as a knife to mutilate his victims, which frightened even some of his thugs.

After his contact with Pennywise/IT, Henry began to be even more sociopathic and dangerous than before, displaying signs of schizophrenia (though justified since his hallucinations were provoked by Pennywise). He is incredibly sadistic and depraved murdering Mike's dog, trying to rape Beverly and trying to carve his name on Ben's stomach. He is also very prejudiced and racist.

That being said, Henry's actions seem mostly motivated out of anger from being beaten by his father and manipulation by It than genuine sadism. He showed regret for leaving Victor and Belch to die at the hands of It and was disgusted by Patrick Hockstetter's hobby of killing animals with his fridge.

In the miniseries, his father is shown to be merely strict rather than abusive, and Henry doesn't have any excuse to commit bullying, patricide, murder and similar unlawful acts. He resorts to attempted murder over mere defeat in rock fighting alongside having an incredibly disturbing serious mental illness making him think murder is legal. Similar to the novel he is racist, sexually harasses Beverly and hates Stanley for being Jewish.

Appearance

Book

As a kid, Henry adopted a Grease-esque physique, he wore a pink (brown in the TV mini-series) leather jacket and oiled his black hair. He was slim and athletic as a kid. But when he got older, he had white hair from his encounters with IT, and was very chubby, and was always seen wearing a blue jumpsuit with a white shirt underneath. After death, his corpse had the unnerving habit of shifting its position slightly so it looked like he was going to revive as an undead being.

Miniseries

In the miniseries, Henry's leather jacket was brown, had blue jeans with engineer boots, and his hair was black with an elephant's trunk. His clothes from the mental institution remained the same as in the book as did his white hair.

Relationships

Parents

Oscar "Butch" Bowers was an extremely abusive father to Henry and Henrietta Bowers left Henry with his abusive father in 1956. During the summer of 1958, when Henry really snapped, he killed his father and attempted to kill others. He was arrested and convicted of his fathers murder and some others, and Henry expressed no remorse for killing his father in the novel, or any of the adaptions.

Victor "Vic" Criss

Henry respects Vic and looks up to him as a friend. However, this friendliness is unrequited. Victor is scared of Henry as he asks the Losers if he can defect to them. When Bill rejects his offer, Vic warns them about Henry's insanity and then he becomes more fearful of his leader, a fear justified because Henry abandons Vic when IT attacks.

Reginald "Belch" Huggins

Henry does seem to like Belch, as they messed around together because of their brute strength and similar views. Belch was only too happy to follow Henry's orders. Although Belch would never resort to grievous bodily harm however, protesting when Henry went that far.

Patrick Hockstetter

Patrick is the only individual worse than Henry. Thus, even Henry fears him, especially after Patrick reveals to Henry his mad habit of stuffing dead animals in the freezer. Patrick and Henry are likely bisexual and are implied to be attracted to one another; Beverly witnesses both boys masturbating in a junkyard, with Patrick using his hand to masturbate Henry, who apparently enjoys it. He then offers to perform oral sex on Henry, but Henry is suddenly embarrassed and strikes out at Patrick before leaving. Shortly afterwards, Patrick is killed by IT. Henry presumably did not miss him.

Peter Gordon

A good friend of Henry's at first, Henry relied upon Peter for his social standing and appreciated Peter's willingness to be mean for the sake of it. However Henry had no time for romance and when Peter made it clear he cared more for his lover Marcia than Henry's twisted plans, Henry snapped and threatened to even kill Peter. Its unknown if he killed Peter or if IT did.

Moose

Moose is seen by Henry as just a disposable sidekick. Moose is too dumb to appreciate anything, and thus it is assumed Moose doesn't care what Henry thinks of him, just so long as he gets in on the action.

IT

Henry admires, is terrified, fearful, envious and is appreciative of IT for several reasons. One, because IT freed him from his abusive father's control. Two, because IT asked Henry to fulfil a lifelong goal of his, killing the Losers. Three, because Henry knows IT has unlimited power and wishes to use some of it. Four, because Henry has been aided by IT several times so he probably, deep down, feels IT is more like a father than Butch was.

The Losers Club

Henry hates the Lucky Seven to the point where he calls them the Losers. He despises each for a different reason (often nonsensical). He bullies Bill for his stutter, Eddie for being a hypochondriac, Stan for being Jewish, Richie for being a loudmouth, Ben for his weight and for not letting him copy test answers, Beverly for being a girl and Mike for being black.

Quotes

IT (Novel)

Finish your treat, N****rdog. How'd you like that, N****rdog? Did you like your lunch, you sh***y mutt?
~ Henry killing Mike Hanlon's dog with tainted meat.
Hello, ni***r. I'm gonna make me a tarbaby, you're not black enough, but I'll fix that. N**ern***ern***er! Now you're black! Now you're REEEEELY black! Now you're as black as midnight in a MINESHAFT! I killed your dog, black boy!
~ Henry Bowers after bathing Mike Hanlon in mud.
I was the one who killed your dog, ni***er.
~ Henry Bowers to Mike Hanlon.
I know you, kid. I know you, too. Where’s your glasses, four-eyes? Well, son of a bitch! The Jew and the fatboy are here too! That your girlfriend, fatboy? I got bones to pick with a lot of you, but I can let that go for today. I want that n***er. So you little s***s buzz off.
~ Henry Bowers confronting the Losers Club/Lucky Seven.
I'll kill you, you little f**king pansy.
~ Henry Bowers threatening Patrick Hockstetter.

1990 TV Miniseries

You're dead, fatboy.
~ Henry threatening Ben.
(Ben: What do you want?) I want to teach you something, porky. You like to learn new things, don't you? I want to make sure you remember my name. (Ben: I'll remember, Henry, I'll remember.) How am I gonna make sure, huh?
~ Henry before trying to carve his name into Ben's stomach.
Well, whaddaya know? The fat boy, the Jew, and the sissy. Four eyes and the patch girl, too. N***er, you know how to pick them: the Losers' Club.
~ Henry to Mike Hanlon and the rest of the Lucky Seven.
The n***er here lives down the street from my daddy and me. (Mike: Give it here!) And given me and my daddy grief for a long, long time! You like fireworks, boy, huh? What do you say to "Rocket in your pocket"?
~ Henry to Mike Hanlon
I'll kill you all!
~ Henry after being humiliated by the Losers.
Hello, n***er. I'll pay you back. I'll pay you all back.
~ Henry Bowers while attacking Mike Hanlon.
Belch
~ Henry's Last word thinking Belch is still alive.

Trivia

  • Despite being the leader of the Bowers Gang, he is not as evil as Patrick Hockstetter, whose vile behavior comes purely from his own mind, unlike Henry, whose evil comes from his hatefully abusive father. In the TV miniseries, however, Patrick doesn't appear and Henry's father is strict at worst and is only implied to have whipped Henry at least twice (and for a good reason as Henry got in trouble). In the movie Henry's dad is still abusive however, Patrick is far less evil and sadistic than Henry though Henry's evilness level is subtracted by his lack of importance to the plot.

Navigation

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Novels/Novellas
Carrie: Carrie White | Mortimer Snerds (Chris Hargensen, Donna and Mary Lila Grace Thibodeau, Helen Shyres & Tina Blake) | Margaret White | Billy Nolan | Ralph White
Salem's Lot: Kurt Barlow | Richard Straker | Marsten House
The Shining: Overlook Hotel | Jack Torrance | Hotel Caretaker | Grady Sisters | Lorraine Massey
Children of the Corn: Children of the Corn (Isaac Chroner & Malachai Boardman) | He Who Walks Behind the Rows
Rage: Charlie Decker | Mr. Decker
The Stand: Randall Flagg | Barry Dorgan | Bobby Terry | Harold Lauder | Julie Lawry | Lloyd Henreid | Nadine Cross | The Kid | The Rat Man | Trashcan Man | Whitney Horgan
The Long Walk: The Major | Gary Barkovitch
The Dead Zone: Greg Stillson | Frank Dodd
The Mist: The Mist | Mrs. Carmody
Firestarter: Captain Hollister | Doctor Herman Pynchot | John Rainbird
Roadwork: Barton George Dawes | Sal Magliore
Cujo: Cujo | Joe Camber | Stephen Kemp
The Running Man: Damon Killian | United States of America
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: Samuel Norton | Byron Hadley | Sisters (Bogs Diamond) | Elmo Blatch
Apt Pupil: Kurt Dussander | Todd Bowden
The Body: The Cobras (John "Ace" Merrill, Richard "Eyeball" Chambers, Billy Tessio, Charlie Hogan, Vince Desjardins, Jack Mudgett & Norman "Fuzzy" Bracowicz)
Christine: Arnie Cunningham | Christine | Repperton Gang | Roland D. LeBay
Pet Sematary: Wendigo | Church | Gage Creed | Rachel Creed | Timmy Baterman
Cycle of the Werewolf: Lester Lowe
The Tailsman: Morgan Sloat
Thinner: Billy Halleck | Tadzu Lempke | Cary Rossington | Duncan Hopley | Gabe Romani | Gina Lempke | Richie Ginelli
Dolan's Cadillac: Jimmy Dolan
It: It/Pennywise | Bowers Gang (Belch Huggins, Henry Bowers, Marcia Fadden, Patrick Hockstetter, Peter Gordon & Vic Criss) | Alvin Marsh | Butch Bowers | Richard Macklin | Tom Rogan | Christopher Unwin | Webby Garton
Misery: Annie Wilkes
The Tommyknockers: Tommyknockers | Nancy Voss
The Dark Half: George Stark
Secret Window, Secret Garden: John Shooter
The Langoliers: Craig Toomey | Langoliers | Roger Toomey
Needful Things: Leland Gaunt | John "Ace" Merrill | Danforth Keeton III | Brian Rusk | Wilma Jerzyck | Nettie Cobb | Hugh Preist | Father Brigham (Father Meehan) | Reverend Rose
Gerald's Game: Gerald Burlingame | Moonlight Man | Tom Mahout
Dolores Claiborne: Joe St. George
Insomnia: Atropos | Crimson King
Rose Madder: Norman Daniels
The Green Mile: William Wharton | Percy Wetmore
Desperation: Tak | Sheriff Collie Entragian
The Regulators: Tak
Bag of Bones: Max Devore | Sara Tidwell | Roggete Whitmore
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: God of the Lost
Dreamcatcher: Byrus | Mr. Gray
Black House: Charles Burnside | The Crow Gorg | Mr. Munshun
From a Buick 8: The Buick
Cell: Phone Crazies | Raggedy Man
Lisey's Story: Andrew Landon | Jim Dooley | Long Boy
The Gingerbread Girl: Jim Pickering
Duma Key: Perse | Undead Victims
Under the Dome: Jim Rennie | Junior Rennie | Phil Bushey | Leatherheads
1922: Wilfred James | Henry James | Shannon Cotterie
Big Driver: Lester Norville | Ramona Norville
A Good Marriage: Robert Bob Anderson
11/22/63: Lee Harvey Oswald | Frank Dunning
In The Tall Grass: Ross Humboldt | Cal Demuth
Doctor Sleep: The True Knot (Rose the Hat, Crow Daddy, Grandpa Flick, Barry the Chink & Snakebite Andi) | Andy Hallorann
Bill Hodges Trilogy: Brady Hartsfield | Morris Bellamy
Gwendy's Button Box: Richard Farris
The Outsider: The Outsider
Fairy Tale: Gogmagog | Elden | Petra | Kellin | Hana | Red Molly | Peterkin | Christopher Polley

Short Stories
Cain Rose Up: Curt Garrish
The Mangler: Bill Gartley | The Mangler
The Boogeyman: The Boogeyman
Trucks: Westway Refrigerated Truck | Bulldozer
The Ledge: Cressner
Jerusalem's Lot: Philip Boone | James Boon | The Worm
Quitter's Inc.: Mr. Donatti | Quitters Inc.
The Crate: Crate Beast
Crouch End: The Children | The Goat with a Thousand Young
The Monkey: The Monkey
The Raft: Lake Blob
Word Processor of the Gods: Richard Hagstrom | Roger Hagstrom
Gramma: Gramma Bruckner
The Night Flier: Dwight Renfield
Low Men in Yellow Coats: Harry Doolin
Blind Willie: Raymond Fiegler
Why We're In Vietnam: Ronnie Malenfant
Lunch at the Gotham Café: Guy

Films
The Shining: Overlook Hotel (Lloyd, Lorraine Massey & Hotel Caretaker) | Jack Torrance
Creepshow: Creepshow Creep | Crate Beast | Nathan Grantham | Richard Vickers | Upson Pratt | Wilma Northrup
Cat's Eye: Cressner | Mr. Donatti | Quitters Inc. | Troll
Maximum Overdrive: Bubba Hendershot | Camp Loman | Happy Toyz Truck | Ice Cream Truck | M274 Mule | Vending Machine
A Return to Salem's Lot: Judge Axle
Creepshow 2: Creepshow Creep | Creepshow Bullies | Lake Blob | Sam Whitemoon | The HitchHiker
Sleepwalkers: Charles Brady | Mary Brady | Sleepwalkers
Pet Sematary 2: Gus Gilbert | Renee Hallow | Clyde Parker | Zowie
The Mangler Trilogy: Bill Gartley | The Mangler | Lin Sue | The Mangler Virus
The Rage: Carrie 2: Rachel Lang | New Bates Football Players (Mark Bing | Coach Walsh | Brad Winters | Eric Stark | Lou Stark | Tracy Campbell | Chuck Potter | Monica Jones | Jay)
Creepshow 3: Creepshow Creep | Rachel
The Dark Tower: Randall Flagg
It: Part One: It/Pennywise | Bowers Gang (Henry Bowers, Vic Criss | Belch Huggins & Patrick Hockstetter) | Alvin Marsh | Butch Bowers | Leroy Hanlon
Pet Sematary (2019): Wendigo | Ellie Creed | Church
It: Part Two: It | Henry Bowers | Tom Rogan | Christopher Unwin | Webby Garton
Doctor Sleep: The True Knot (Rose the Hat, Crow Daddy, Grandpa Flick, Barry the Chink & Snakebite Andi) | Overlook Hotel (Jack Torrance, Hotel Caretaker & Lorraine Massey)
The Boogeyman: Boogeyman
Salem's Lot: Kurt Barlow (Richard Straker, Mike Ryerson & Danny Glick)

TV Series
Salem's Lot: Kurt Barlow | Richard Straker
The Stand: Randall Flagg | Harold Lauder | Julie Lawry | Nadine Cross | The Rat Woman | Trashcan Man
The Shining: Overlook Hotel | Jack Torrance | Hotel Caretaker | Lorraine Massey
Storm of the Century: André Linoge
Rose Red: Professor Joyce Reardon | Ellen Rimbauer
Under the Dome: Big Jim Rennie | Junior Rennie | Phil Bushey | The Kinship (Christine Price & Dawn Sinclair-Barbara)
The Mist: The Mist | Mrs. Carmody | Adrian Garff
The Outsider: The Outsider

Other
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: Ellen Rimbauer

See Also
The Dark Tower Villains

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