Reginald "Belch" Huggins

Reginald "Belch" Huggins is a minor character in the IT novel, the 1990 miniseries, and the film adaptation & its sequel (in a flashback). He was one of Henry Bowers' two friends.

Biography[]

Personality[]

In the films. While a member of the Bowers Gang, Belch doesn't seem nearly as psychopathic as Henry and Patrick. This is shown when Henry was trying to carve his name into Ben's stomach, with Belch being shocked by this and actually wanting him to stop. He was also shocked and disturbed when Henry attempted to kill a cat for fun until he was stopped by his father. Despite this, Belch still helps Henry and his friends terrorize kids around the town. When Belch is bullying other kids, he uses his size and somewhat good strength as a way of intimidation. Although his and Vic's bullying is more childish and simple bullying compared to Henry and Patrick's more depraved and horrific actions.

Regardless, Belch still seemed to be one of the more humane bullies amongst the Bowers Gang. In the books, it is hinted that he may have become gentler if he grew up into an adult and could have even redeemed himself.

IT (novel)[]

He was very big for his age, standing 6 feet tall and weighing 170 pounds at 12 years old. He had gotten his nickname because he was able to articulate belches of amazing length and loudness. He was the only kid to hit a home run over the fence at the back of the Tracker Brothers' lot. He once kicked kid named Owen Phillips in the seat of his pants for laughing at him when he got hit in the head with a baseball. Not much is known about his parents, although it's mentioned in the novel that his father is dead. He also has a part-time job delivering the Weekly Shopper. He was described to have a Yankee baseball cap, but his outfit wasn't described. It was unknown if he wore sneakers or at the very least wore engineer boots like Henry or Vic.

On the last day of school Belch, Henry, a Victor Criss catch Ben Hanscom walking home from the library and antagonize him for not letting Henry copy his test. Belch and Vic hold Ben's arms as Henry threatens him with a Buck knife. At first none of the boys really expect Henry to use the knife but when Henry actually cuts Ben's stomach Belch screams "Jeezum-crow Henry don't really cut 'im!" Before Henry is able to finish, Ben kicks Henry in the belly and flees into the Barrens. While the three bullies look for Ben they come across Bill Denbrough and Eddie Kaspbrak. Henry, Victor, and Belch kick apart the dam they were building and leave.

On one late July afternoon, Henry, Victor, Belch and a sociopathic boy named Patrick Hockstetter were down at the Junkyard (where they had blown up some M-80's on the day of the rock fight) lighting their own farts with Henry's lighter. After a brief argument, Belch and Victor both leave, having chores to do back at home. Little did the two boys realize what was going to come next down at the Junkyard if they had not left earlier that day.

IT (miniseries)[]

Belch is 6 feet tall though fourteen years old rather then twelve and the biggest and strongest of Henry's friends, and the most loyal to his sociopathic nature. He had curly brown hair and a khaki-green battledress jacket, giving him a more greaser-type appearance.

Belch is seen with Henry and Vic (the bowers gang) at school, when they bully Ben and later, Bill and Eddie, and when they get into a rock fight with the Losers Club. Later in the summer, the Bowers gang go into the sewer to kill all the Losers, after Vic dies. Henry and Belch end up finds Stanley.

30 years later, Pennywise appears in Juniper Hill taking the form of Belch, talking to a full-grown Henry Bowers, where he encourages Henry to escape to seek vengeance upon the Losers. Henry speaks to Belch, only to be quieted by a guard. "Belch" then says Henry does not need to speak, for he can communicate telepathically. Through thoughts, Henry is convinced to attack the Losers. Pennywise then helps Henry escape by taking on the form of a Doberman Pinscher to attack an orderly who tried to thwart Henry's flight to freedom.

IT (film)[]

He drives a blue Trans-Am and serves as the driver of the Bowers Gang. However, while still stronger than the rest of his friends, Belch is more heavily built than earlier depictions and is dwarfed in terms of height by Patrick Hockstetter, making him shorter than the rest of the Bowers Gang. Along with the rest of the gang though, he is given a more modern appearance and even wears a baseball cap.

On the last day of school at Derry High School, the bullies watch Bill, Richie, Eddie, and Stan pass them by at the end of the day. Whilst harassing them outside of the school, Belch opens belches in Eddie's face. Later while driving the gang through Derry, he ambushes Mike Hanlon, who had just had a disturbing encounter with Pennywise, by driving his car through the alley of a butcher shop that he was delivering meat to and almost running him over. He flips Mike off before driving away.

Henry and his gang, including Belch, ambush Ben Hanscom outside of the library and drag him to the local kissing bridge. Belch helps Vic hold Ben down by his arms while the group harasses him, with Patrick threatening to light his hair "like Michael Jackson" with a makeshift blowtorch. Belch becomes shocked when Henry uses his switchblade pocket knife to carve his name into Ben's stomach, only getting as far as the H before he kicks Henry and falls over the bridge and down the hill. As the Bowers Gang gives chase, Patrick and Belch are ordered to continue pursuing Ben when he flees into the Barrens while Vic stays behind to help Henry find his knife, which he lost while tumbling down the hill. While searching for him, Patrick orders Belch to search the forested area of the Barrens, while the former searches the river area (which is the direction Ben fled into). Patrick wounds up in the sewers and gets devoured by Pennywise.

Later, the Losers notice the Trans-Am next to Mike's bike and hear the yells of the Bowers Gang bullying, and go to help Mike, who is being tormented by the thugs who are trying to force him to eat some of the raw meat that he was delivering to the butcher shop, which leads to the rock fight.

Later, Belch is again shown with Henry and Vic when Henry is shooting objects into pieces for fun but becomes alarmed when he considers shooting a cat dead for fun. Its clear Belch is disturbed by Henry and struggles to hold the cat still. However, Butch Bowers, Henry's father, comes over and scares Henry into submission by shooting the ground with his pistol. Belch is shown later with Vic as Henry sits in front of the Trans-Am, clearly scared of his father. Vic asks if Henry is okay, and Henry doesn't answer, as he just walks over to the mailbox, completely oblivious to all else, and there is a balloon hovering over the box. Inside, Henry finds his lost pocket knife, and murders his father.

Death[]

IT (novel)[]

Belch, Victor, and Henry follow the Losers into the sewer where they encounter It in the shape of Frankenstein's monster. The monster decapitated Victor and sent his flying head into the stonework of the sewer. Belch stepped in front of the monster when it lurched at Henry. Belch tried to fight but it peeled off the left side of his face down to the skull.

IT (miniseries)[]

Belch holds Stan for Henry. A pipe then breaks and the deadlights come out of it which raise Belch and twist him in half, the deadlights then pull him into the open pipe where he is killed.

Appearances[]

Trivia[]

In a scene cut from the movie, Henry kills Belch along with Vic and takes Belch's Trans-Am, driving it to the Neibolt House. This is unlike the novel and the original film, where Belch and Vic followed Henry until their deaths at the hands of IT. It's unknown if Belch and Vic's bodies were ever found. However, as the scene was deleted from the film, it's unknown if it's still canon; in case it isn't, maybe Belch and Vic survived the film unlike the book and miniseries.
In a deleted scene, Belch and Victor drive to Henry's house to pick him up. Belch tells Henry that Patrick's whereabouts are still unknown but Henry states he doesn't care. Henry orders Belch to drive after they see Mike ride by on his bike and Belch proceeds to drive off.
His family is unknown.
His death won Golden Chainsaw on the Kill Count of the IT miniseries by Dead Meat.