Pilot

Convinced that humanity is on the cusp of an evolutionary step that could unlock its true potential with undreamt-of abilities, Professor Mohinder Suresh finds himself facing skepticism from both the students in his genetic science class and his fellow faculty members in India. When he learns that his father – upon whose theories his life’s work is based – has died under mysterious circumstances in New York City, Suresh leaves his teaching career behind to find out what really happened. Before he leaves India, he stops by his father’s office to pick up his research on humans with extraordinary abilities – and someone else is already there for the same reason.

In Las Vegas, single mother Niki Sanders and her electronics-savvy son Micah find themselves on the run when her debt to a mob bass named Linderman comes due. She leaves Micah with a friend and then goes home to pack, but Linderman’s hired hands are waiting for her. Niki blacks out, and when she awakens, she finds that the thugs have been brutally killed – and sees someone who is both herself and not herself in the mirror, urging her to stay quiet. In Odessa, Texas, high school cheerleader Claire Bennet demonstrates an amazing ability to one of her friends, taking a deliberate fall from a great height and surviving unharmed – the latest of several stunts that would be lethal to anyone else – but she later draws attention to her ability by pulling a man from a burning train wreck. In New York City, Congressional candidate Nathan Petrelli grows concerned as his younger brother Peter talks endlessly about a series of dreams and visions in which he believes he can fly. Artist Isaac Mendez awakens from a drug binge, discovering several pictures that he doesn’t remember painting, and he’s certain that they describe future events. His girlfriend Simone, who has hired Peter Petrelli as a day nurse for her dying father, convinces Peter to help Isaac; along the way, Peter has a chance encounter with Suresh, now working as a cab driver. Simone finds Isaac unconscious, and Peter finds Isaac’s most recent paintings – a picture of Peter flying, and a picture of a mushroom cloud erupting in the heart of NYC. In Tokyo, office worker Hiro Nakamura continues his own experiments, having discovered the ability to stop or even reverse time simply by intense concentration; his friend Ando is not impressed. Hiro practices another ability – teleportation – and ends up in New York City. However, when Peter Petrelli, inspired by the painting, decides to practice the ability that he’s certain he possesses, the results are less conclusive…

Season 1 Regular Cast: Santiago Cabrera (Isaac Mendez), Jack Coleman (Noah Bennet), Tawny Cypress (Simone Deveaux), Noah Gray-Cabey (Micah Sanders), Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman), Ali Larter (Niki Sanders), Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura), Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennet), Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder Suresh), Leonard Roberts (D.L. Hawkins), Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli)

written by Tim Kring
directed by David Semel
music by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman

Guest Cast: Cristine Rose (Angela Petrelli), Ashley Crow (Sandra Bennet), Thomas Dekker (Zach), Shishir Kurup (Nirand), James Kyson Lee (Ando Masahashi), John Prosky (Principal), Deirdre Quinn (Tina), Brian Tarantina (Weasel), Richard Roundtree (Charles Deveaux)

Notes: The character of Mr. Bennet, not made a regular until later in the season, was originally billed simply as “Horn Rimmed Glasses” in early press releases. The scene in which Claire sticks her hand into a kitchen disposal and removes it again, mangled but rapidly healing, drew complaints from In-Sink-erator, the maker of the disposal. Though this first episode of Heroes is officially given the simple title Pilot, fandom has dubbed it both Genesis and In His Own Image. An extended cut of the pilot was shown as San Diego Comic Con 2006, and an even longer cut assembled by Tim Kring, including a central character who was omitted from the rest of the series, is included on the season 1 box set. This synopsis describes the broadcast version of the episode rather than either of those extended versions.

LogBook entry by Earl Green