Henry Bowers and Victor Criss

Henry Bowers and Victor Criss are two of the most feared bullies in Derry, Maine, during the summer of 1958. Victor, with his Elvis pompadour slicked with Brylcreem and his engineer boots, is Henry's constant companion in terrorizing the Losers' Club. Their relationship is defined by Henry's dominance and Victor's uneasy loyalty, a dynamic that becomes increasingly strained as Henry's behavior grows more erratic and violent.

Identity and Role

Victor Criss is a sixth-grader who, along with Belch Huggins, forms the core of Henry Bowers's gang. He is described as having a combed-back Elvis pompadour gleaming with Brylcreem, and he wears cleats on his engineer boots that drag and tap as he walks. Victor is not the instigator of the gang's cruelty—that role belongs to Henry—but he is a willing participant, often laughing at Henry's jokes and joining in the beatings. He is present for the attack on Ben Hanscom on the last day of school, where he holds Ben's arm while Henry carves an "H" into his stomach. He is also part of the group that chases Richie Tozier through Freese's Department Store and that ambushes Beverly Marsh on Kansas Street.

Arc Through the Plot

Victor's arc is one of gradual, horrified realization. He is present for the apocalyptic rockfight in the Barrens, where he fights with a cool, detached effectiveness, throwing rocks with the skill of a fastball pitcher. However, he is ultimately driven off by Bill Denbrough, who threatens to split his head open. After the rockfight, Victor begins to show signs of unease with Henry's increasing violence. He is reluctant to participate in the chase after Mike Hanlon, and he is visibly disturbed when Henry throws an M-80 firecracker at Mike. This unease culminates in the sewers, where Victor, Henry, and Belch chase the Losers. When It appears, Victor is the first to die, his head torn off by the monster he perceives as Frankenstein. His final, terrified scream is heard by the Losers, marking the end of his complicity.

Relationships and Conflict

Victor's primary relationship is with Henry Bowers. He follows Henry's orders, but he is not as blindly loyal as Belch Huggins. He questions Henry's plans and shows a flicker of independent thought, particularly when he tries to leave the dump after the fart-lighting incident. His relationship with the Losers is one of pure antagonism; he is a tool of their persecution. However, his death serves as a key moment in the narrative, demonstrating the lethal danger of the creature they are hunting and the ultimate cost of Henry's madness. Victor's death is a direct consequence of his association with Henry, a fate he seems to sense is coming as Henry's behavior becomes more unhinged.

Change and Ending

Victor Criss dies in the sewers under Derry in August 1958. He is killed by It, which appears to him as the Frankenstein monster. His head is torn from his body, a fate that is later confirmed when the Losers, returning as adults, find his skeleton in the abandoned tunnel, headless. His death is a brutal end to a life of bullying, but it also serves as a stark warning about the dangers of following a leader into madness. His remains are left in the dark, a forgotten casualty of the summer's horrors.

Narrative Role and Evaluation

Victor Criss serves as a secondary antagonist, a more complex figure than the purely brutish Belch Huggins. His internal conflict—between his loyalty to Henry and his own sense of self-preservation—makes him a more rounded character. He is a bully, but he is not a psychopath; he has limits that Henry does not. His death is a pivotal moment in the story, signaling that the stakes have been raised and that the monster is real and deadly. He is a cautionary figure, illustrating how peer pressure and a desire for belonging can lead to a tragic end.