Another masterpiece from Stephen King. “It” is the titular main antagonist in his 1986 horror novel.
Seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, are about to face their worst nightmare — an ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges from the sewer every 27 years to prey on the town’s children. Banding together over the course of one horrifying summer, the friends must overcome their own personal fears to battle the murderous, bloodthirsty clown known as Pennywise.
Pennywise is a supernatural foe that has all kinds of nightmarish powers at his disposal to terrify his victims.
The back story
In the novel, It is a shapeshifting monster who usually takes the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, originating in a void containing and surrounding the Universe—a place referred to in the novel as the “Macroverse”. It arrived on Earth during an asteroid impact and made its home under the land upon which Derry would later be constructed, initially preying on North American tribes. It slept for millions of years, then, when humans appeared in the area, It awoke and began a feeding cycle lasting about a year, feeding on people’s fears and frequently assuming the shape of whatever its prey feared the most. After feeding, It would resume hibernation for approximately 30 years before reappearing. It has a preference for children since their fears are easier to interpret and adults are more difficult to frighten while It is in physical form. It can manipulate weak-willed people, making them indifferent to the horrific events that unfold, or even serve as accomplices.
Pennywise’s powers
Pennywise is a stunningly powerful creature with many powers. Apart from his already dread-inducing clown persona, he is also a shape-shifter. He uses this power well to terrorize and paralyze children, appearing to them when they are alone in manifestations that rouse their inherent fears. He can also play human doppelgangers with equal ease. He can influence the weather and conjure up powerful visions, replete with sounds and smells, and confuse his targets.
He is also able to read and manipulate minds, making him an absolute nightmare in every way imaginable. On the other hand, Pennywise fears a show of heart and courage as these displays weaken him and seem to limit his powers. It is these vulnerabilities that ultimately lead to his downfall.
In a world where a fear of clowns already abounds, the character of Pennywise can definitely be a handful to handle, even for hardcore horror aficionados. In fact, a lot of people have actually admitted to developing this fear directly as a result of the character of Pennywise. For horror fans, the masterful portrayals of Tim Curry and Bill Skarsgard have also contributed significantly to cementing the absolute horror of this character, while Stephen King definitely loved him enough to include him in multiple other novels.
Who is Pennywise afraid of?
Maturin the turtle of massive size. Both being interdimensional entities, their powers are at the same level, meaning that the turtle could kill IT if it wanted to. It makes sense that IT is afraid of Maturin – but the viewers and readers also have genuine grounds for cosmic terror.
They are said to be siblings. While the turtle is god-like and good, Pennywise is pure evil.
Who or what is Pennywise?
It Is Actually An Ancient Cosmic Force Of Destruction
It is the real monster behind the monster. If you want to get technical, It is an alien, but It’s origin goes well beyond that. It is actually an ancient cosmic deity. A god of destruction, not just of our world, but of multiple worlds and even multiple universes.
You’ll float too
In the movie, Pennywise says “They all float down here. You’ll float, too”, referring to the floating bodies of the many victims that have been dragged to the sewers and… well, you know the rest.
Red balloon
Red balloons are Pennywise’s calling cards, and he often uses them as bait to kidnap children. It also signals that Pennywise is close, if not already present.
What to add a Pennywise cardboard cutout to your horror collection?
