
According to the creature, frightened flesh tastes better and uses fear to "salt the meat". ITs primary goal is to feed on humans, generally preferring children over adults since they were easier to scare and manipulate. He may also get his first name from Robert "Bob" Bell, the man who originally portrayed Bozo the clown. This may be an allusion to real-life child cannibal Albert Fish, who reportedly used the name "Robert Gray" as an alias. Although, several times in the novel, IT calls itself by the name Robert “Bob” Gray.

ITs real name (if indeed, it has one) is unknown. At the same time, many people are afraid of clowns, making them an easy fear to exploit. However, ITs favorite and most common form is that of a circus performer named "Pennywise the Dancing Clown," as most small children love a clown and generally, it seems that the people in Derry happily accepted the presence of a stray circus performer.

This ability is useful for, A) appearing as the target's loved ones or friends to manipulate them or lure them into a trap or B) appearing as the target's worst psychological fear. IT can morph into any other human animal, nonhuman animal or object (including combinations thereof). The form of a female spider seems to be ITs true physical form on Earth (or at least that is the closest thing the human mind can comprehend), living deep below the fictional town of Derry, Maine. Since ITs true identity is unclear, due to its shape-shifting abilities and being from another universe, ITs real name and species are also called Deadlights, but few know this, which is why it is referred to as IT.

Although It lived on planet Earth for many years, IT originated in a void/dimension outside the regions of space known as the Macroverse. IT is a shape-shifting creature known as a Glamour who is billions of years old.
