IT: Welcome To Derry Episode 7: What Are the Deadlights? Pennywise’s True Form Revealed

The latest episode of HBO’s horror series shows the evil at the heart of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 7 reveals the terrifying power of the Deadlights. The show airs every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max. This episode, titled “The Black Spot,” launched on December 7, 2025. It features the real horror behind the clown’s disguise. The story shows how the creature uses the Deadlights against two important characters. This changes the entire season and raises the stakes for the upcoming finale.

The Deadlights in Pennywise’s Mouth Explained

The orange lights seen in Pennywise’s throat are not a simple special effect. They are the monster’s true form. The clown is just a mask the creature wears to scare its victims. The real monster is a cosmic being from another dimension. Its natural form is something the human mind cannot understand. Looking at it can break a person’s mind.

In Stephen King’s stories, these are called the Deadlights. They come from a place known as the Macroverse or Todash Darkness. They are a raw form of alien energy that is pure evil. The lights can cause death, madness, or leave a person in a frozen, comatose state.

“The Deadlights are the true form of the creature behind Pennywise. Pennywise is only a clown disguise. The real being is a cosmic monster.”

This episode does more than just talk about the Deadlights. It shows them in action with full horror.

What Happened to Ingrid Kersh and Will Hanlon?

In Episode 7, two characters see the Deadlights. Their fates are left uncertain.

First is Ingrid Kersh. She is the daughter of Robert “Bob” Gray, the real man who was Pennywise the Clown. For a long time, Ingrid believed the monster was her lost father. She did terrible things to please it. At the Black Spot fire, she finally confronts the creature. She realizes it is not her father. Pennywise tells her, “I ate him”. It then opens its mouth, and the Deadlights blast Ingrid. She is left floating in the air, her eyes milky white. She is taken away on a stretcher, awake but with a menacing look. She may now be under Pennywise’s control.

The second victim is Will Hanlon. He is a young boy in 1965. Will is important because he is the future father of Mike Hanlon, a key member of the Losers’ Club. At the end of the episode, the military makes a dangerous mistake. They remove one of the ancient pillars that trap Pennywise in the woods. This wakes the creature from its hibernation early. Pennywise, wearing war paint, attacks Will in his own kitchen and hits him with the Deadlights. The episode ends with Will’s fate unknown.

The Deadlights in Stephen King’s Universe

The concept of the Deadlights is not new. It is a major part of Stephen King’s connected universe.

• The Creature’s True Essence: The Deadlights are not just a weapon. They are the creature known as IT. Its life force and soul exist as these swirling lights. Every other form it takes is just a shape it makes to scare people.
• Effects on Victims: In past stories, seeing the Deadlights has terrible results. In the novel and the 1990 miniseries, the bully Henry Bowers saw them and went insane. Bill Denbrough’s wife, Audra, was put into a catatonic state. In the recent movies, Beverly Marsh and Richie Tozier were both hit by the Deadlights. They were saved by their friends.
• Connection to Other Stories: The Deadlights also appear in other Stephen King works like The Dark Tower series and Insomnia. They are linked to a larger evil force in King’s universe.

Why Pennywise Uses the Deadlights as a Last Resort

The show suggests Pennywise does not use the Deadlights on every victim. It seems to be a last resort. The common link between victims like Beverly, Richie, Ingrid, and Will is their strong will. They are either not scared of Pennywise or have a powerful belief they are fighting for.

Using the Deadlights might be the creature’s way of trying to control those who are hardest to break with ordinary fear. In Will Hanlon’s case, the attack may also be a strategic move. Pennywise could be using Will as bait to lure his friends and their protector, Lilly Bainbridge, into a trap.

What This Means for the Season Finale

The reveal of the Deadlights changes everything for the Season 1 finale, which airs on December 14, 2025.

The fate of Will Hanlon is the biggest question. Since he must survive to father Mike Hanlon, someone will likely save him. It could be his mother, Charlotte, or another member of the group. His experience may leave him permanently changed.

Ingrid Kersh is likely to return as a tool for Pennywise. Her creepy glance at the children as she was taken away hints she is no longer herself. She could become a major threat.

Finally, the actions of General Shaw have made things worse. His plan to use Pennywise as a weapon to control the American people has backfired. By breaking one of the containment pillars, he has unleashed the creature ahead of its natural cycle. Now, the heroes must find a way to stop it for good.

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