For many, the terror of Pennywise the Dancing Clown began in 2017, when Bill Skarsgård donned the face paint and dragged poor Georgie into the sewer in Andy Muschietti‘s It. For others, it started decades earlier, when Tim Curry bared a mouthful of fangs in Tommy Lee Wallace’s 1990 miniseries, Stephen King’s It. And for readers, it all began in 1986, when Stephen King‘s original novel first hit bookstore shelves.

However, the lore of Pennywise runs far deeper than the sewers beneath Derry. The toothy creature is an ancient, shape-shifting evil, a malicious being who may hunt in the town of Derry, Maine, but whose roots reach far beyond Earth, into the cosmos itself.

Before It: Welcome to Derry hits the small screen, here’s the hidden history of Pennywise, everything you should know before facing what’s lurking in the dark.

What do we know about Pennywise before It got to Derry?

Pennywise is an ancient entity from the Macroverse that arrived on Earth millions of years ago, having traveled between universes and fed on fear. Drawn to humanity’s vivid imagination, especially that belonging to children, it found a species uniquely vulnerable to the terror it can inflict. The creature crash-landed on Earth during the Ice Age and sank into a long sleep beneath what would eventually become Derry, Maine.

It awoke in 1715 and began a feeding cycle that repeats every 27 years.

‘It: Welcome to Derry’ – Brooke Palmer/HBO

Who were the first victims of Pennywise?

In the book, the first known recorded victims were a party of 340 settlers from the Derry Company, who were among the first founders of Derry. In 1743, every settler disappeared without a trace. There were no bodies and no survivors.

“Ninety-one people signed the charter that made Derry. Later that winter, they all disappeared without a trace,” said the 2017 film version of Ben Hanscom (Jeremy Ray Taylor). “There are rumors of Indians, but no sign of an attack. Everybody just thought it was a plague or something. But it was like one day everybody just woke up and left. The only clue was a trail of bloody clothes leading to the well house.”

When did Pennywise first take the form of a clown?

The earliest known recording comes from a sketch provided by Mike Hanlon’s father, which was done in the “early to mid-1700s.” During this time, It begins experimenting with the clown persona.

In the 1990 miniseries, an old postcard shows a crude drawing of Pennywise the Dancing Clown juggling on the banks of the Kenduskeag River.

What happened during previous cycles when It was awake?

When It comes out of hibernation, the creature can spend anywhere from a few months to several years feeding before returning to its decades-long slumber. During this period, mass violence, tragedy, or hysteria descends upon Derry, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake.

Here are a few events that occurred when Pennwise awoke:

1850-51: Under the control of Pennywise, a man named John Markson murders his entire family with poison, then dies by suicide by eating nightshade. The chaos of the familicide causes the town to live in fear, thus “flavoring the meat” of the residents for Pennywise.

1876-79: There was a series of four lynchings during this time. Also during this time, a group of lumberjacks was completely dismembered.

1904-08: A man named Claude Heroux murdered a dozen men after several of his colleagues were found dead in what was believed to be a union dispute. Armed with an axe, he went to the Silver Dollar bar and killed those he thought were responsible. He was soon pursued by a mob and hanged. One witness later recalled seeing a “funny-looking man” at the scene, performing “tricks and flips.”

During the annual Easter egg hunt, the Kitchener Ironworks exploded, killing 108 people, 88 of whom were children. In the 2017 film, a photograph of the disaster in the local newspaper shows Pennywise’s caravan in the background.

1929 – 31: A group of Derry do-gooders kills the Bradley Gang, and the town pretends it never happened. When talking to Mike Hanlon, a witness claims to have seen a clown. In the 2017 film, Pennywise is depicted in a mural of the event.

The Black Spot nightclub was burned down by the Maine Legion of White Decency, killing many of the people inside who were trapped by the fire and the falling debris. Mike’s father, Will, was a witness to the event and saw a giant bird (one of Pennywise’s forms) holding red balloons. In the 2017 film, this event took place in the ’60s and was caused by a “cult.”

The Time of the Losers’ Club: A slew of kids go missing or are killed, including Bill’s brother Georgie, whose arm is ripped off by Pennywise. Depending on which version of It one is watching, this can be set in the ’50s or the ’80s.

‘It: Welcome to Derry’ – Brooke Palmer/HBO

Who is Bob Gray?

Bob Gray is one of the aliases used by Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

In the book, when Eddie Kaspbrak meets Pennywise, It takes the form of a homeless man with leprosy and introduces itself as Bob Gray.

In the book, when It first appears to Georgie Denbrough in 1957, it introduces itself as “Mr. Bob Gray, also known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown.”

In 2019’s It: Chapter Two, Beverly Marsh (Jessica Chastain) discovers Mrs. Kersh living in her old apartment. The seemingly frail Mrs. Kersh invites her in for tea, and things take an odd turn. During their chat, Beverly notices childhood photos, and Mrs. Kersh mentions her “father joined the circus,” then points to the old photo of a clown, heavily implying her “father” was Pennywise, or rather, Bob Gray in It’s human guise.

In an interview with Collider, Muschietti explained, “It’s definitely a nod for the readers regarding Bob Gray. But it’s also a little step towards the backstory that doesn’t intend to solve anything. But people want to sometimes know more. If you give them too much, then they are disappointed. There is something so great about the way that Stephen King manages that mystery. He gives you little crumbles here and there, but he never actually fully explains who Bob Gray is, how Bob Gray is Pennywise.”

It appears again as Bob Gray while pursuing Beverly, without It’s signature makeup.

Why does Pennywise hang out at 29 Neibolt Street?

The abandoned house at 29 Neibolt Street sits directly above the sewers, which serve as Pennywise’s true hunting ground. In Muschietti’s It (2017), beneath the Well House on 29 Neibolt Street runs a major junction of the sewer system, connecting to the Well House and ultimately leading to It’s lair beneath the Kitchener Ironworks.

In the book, 29 Neibolt Street is an abandoned house near the train yards in Derry. It’s not Pennywise’s true lair, but rather one of several surface haunts where It manifests to terrify victims. When the group investigates further, they realize the cellar connects to the sewer system, which ultimately leads to It’s actual nest deep beneath the town, near the Kitchener Ironworks.

© Warner Bros.

Who is Maturin the Turtle?

Maturin is the cosmic opposite of Pennywise, a being of light and creation rather than chaos and destruction. He existed long before Earth or the universe, said to have created the world by accidentally vomiting it up. Like Pennywise, Maturin comes from the Macroverse.

In the book, Maturin appears briefly during Bill Denbrough’s vision when he battles It in the Ritual of Chüd, a psychic confrontation that transcends time and space.

In the movies, Maturin is left out completely, as his presence complicates the narrative.

What can kill Pennywise?

It’s weakness is belief. Confidence, belief in oneself, or belief in a symbol can be used in the fight against It. Just as Pennywise uses the imagination of children against them to “flavor the meat” with fear, a strong imagination and strongly held beliefs can equally be used against It as a weapon, if wielded correctly.

It: Welcome to Derry, Series Premiere October 26, HBO Max