Chapter 49
Blackout
Part 1 of 2

Mohinder Suresh came to New York City to carry on his father’s research.  Unfortunately, few shared their belief in select individuals developing strange and fantastic abilities.  In his travels, he found his own unique trait.  Within his immune system, he carried the only known cure to a rare virus.  The same virus which killed his sister, Shanti…

Mohinder Suresh is continuing his quest to find those with special abilities.  To help them, he needs funding, so he heads to a top research hospital.  While there, he is met resistance by the boss.  Apparently, this particular hospital is having problems with their power…it keeps failing, and they keep losing patients because of it.  He has no time to deal with Mohinder’s foolish fantasies, and moves on about his business (which entails meeting someone from Primatech Paper).

Mohinder finds himself in one particular patient’s room, looking at his medical chart.  He has the same symptoms as Mohinder’s late sister Shanti.  He convinces the patient that his blood will heal him of his mysterious sickness. 

As he pumps his blood into the ailing man, he gets no results.  He is confused, as this worked for Molly Walker…until the lights go out again…and lightning bolts burst from the man’s body.

The easter egg this week is a production shot of Sendhil Ramamurthy and Adair Tishler.

We begin back in Japan after the events of the season finale.  Ando, confused about what he should do after Hiro drops him off, goes back to work for Hiro’s father at Yamagato.  He has taken over Hiro’s old job, but his heart yearns for more adventure.  “I’ve been on incredible adventures in America.  I can be a hero, and like Clark Kent and Peter Parker, my day job is my public persona.”

He sees Kimiko, Hiro’s sister, and the object of Ando’s undying passion.  He immediately swoops in for the “flirt”, but she shuts him down pretty quickly.  One of his co-workers tells him that pursuing her is a waste of time…”You’re no superhero, Ando.  Face facts.  She won’t even remember your name.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.  You’ll see.”

That night, Ando is “staying late at work”, which is stalker-talk for waiting for your opportunity to pounce.  Kimiko starts to leave the office, and Ando offers to walk her home.  She reluctantly agrees.

When they emerge from the office, they are shocked to see a biker gang is waiting, swords drawn.  “I have a bad feeling about this,” Ando says.

Turns out, the leader of this gang, Fumio Fukazawa, is an old flame of Kimiko’s, and he has one thing on his mind.  Ando is unsure about whether he has what it takes to stand up against the gang, and when they start their charge, he and Kimiko flee.   Ando ends up going face-first into a fountain, which distracts the gang long enough for Kimiko to commandeer one of their bikes. 

After a brief chase, Kimiko and Ando are cornered by the gang.  Kimiko whispers that she is scared, but Ando reassures her, saying the he will protect her with his life.  When he turns to stand up to the gang, they suddenly become frightened, and speed away.  Ando seems to have saved the day…he’s Kimiko’s hero, and they kiss.

From a nearby rooftop, her father watches sword drawn.  He sees that Ando has proved his worth, and is deserving of his daughter.

The easter eggs for this week and last are a promotional image of Kimiko Nakamura and a behind the scenes shot of Missi Pyle.

Chapter 46
Golden Handshake
Severance Pay
Part 4 of 4

The search for Fusor took a deadly new turn.  Both Haram and Claude realize their assumptions about the killer have led them down the wrong path.  But now Fusor has turned the tables and directed her lethal powers onto Haram…

Click here to catch up: 1, 2 and 3.

Fusor is drawing all the life out of Haram.  She tells him, “Rollo was my cute distraction.  He kept you off my scent for years.  But you wouldn’t leave well enough alone.  You made Rollo nervous.  Which made him a lot less cute.  Now be quiet and die.”

Meanwhile, Claude is reaching for a nearby branch.  Fusor hears him, but when she turns to look, he is gone.  He has turned invisible, and, hidden from her view, he hurls the debris at her, nailing her right in the temple.

Haram struggles to his feet, and Claude pleads with him to help free him so they can apprehend Fusor.  Ignoring him, Haram approaches Fusor.  “Think you should know what it feels like,” he says, grabbing her hands and placing them on her own face, “havin’ your whole life sucked away from you…”  With that, she dissolves into a cloud of dust.

Claude chastises Haram, saying that they were supposed to take Fusor in alive.  Haram doesn’t care…he is done with the company.  Claude pleads with him to wait…to give him some time to find a suitable replacement.  They agree that Haram will give Claude six months.

A little bit later, Claude is entering the Primatech offices.  He comments to the receptionist that his partner seems to be late, and asks if he has arrived.  With that, she introduces him to his new partner, Noah Bennet.  Claude is angry that Haram broke his promise, but before he can protest the receptionist opens the door for him, saying “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Claude.  He’s retired.  Now hurry in.  Mr. Thompson is waiting for you both…”

The End

The easter egg this week is a behind the scenes shot of Masi Oka as Hiro.

Chapter 45
The Golden Handshake
One More for the Road
Part 3 of 4

Narrowly escaping death, Haram and Claude renew their hunt for the killer Fusor.  They soon discover Fusor has found new prey…and find a shocking clue to Fusor’s true identity…

Read chapters one and two to get caught up. 

Haram and Claude are close on the Heels of Fusor, who is making her way up to the roof.  Suddenly, a body of a worker comes tumbling down, crashing down into a car and crumbling to dust. 

Haram is chasing Fusor across the rooftop, taking pot shots at her as he runs, and drawing the attention of everyone on the ground.  He is worked into a fury, saying, “This is my last run — I’m not leaving without taking her out!”

Claude responds, “You’re not in this alone!  We’re partners, damn it!  Calm down and strategize and we can close this!”  Together, they enter a park where Fusor dissapeared.  Hearing a rustling in the underbrush, Haram rushes in, only to be trapped by a tree that Fusor has used her power to cause to collapse.

Claude is trapped, but before Haram can get back to him, Fusor emerges.  “Foul little man.  You made me run,” she says.  “I hate running.  It makes me thirsty…”

She puts her hands on him, causing him to shrivel up.

To be continued…

The easter egg this week is a behind the scenes shot in Sylar’s mom’s house.

Chapter 44
Golden Handshake
An American in Paris
Part 2 of 4

Before Noah Bennet, Claude, the invisible agent for the company, partnered with a different man: Haram.  Together, they trailed Fusor, an elusive killer with a withering touch.  Haram had a grudge against Fusor, who had escaped Haram several times in the past.  Haram, unfortunately, found the tables turned on him when Fusor laid a deadly trap for the company men…

Sorry for the delay on this post, the comic not posted last night like normal.  Click here to get caught up on last week’s installment.

Haram is crawling out of the riviera, pulling the shrivelled, disembodied arm that used to belong to the body that was dragging him down to the depths.  When Claude touches the arm, it falls apart.

In the narative, styled as his ”status report”, Claude has this to say: “Subject Rollo Fusor took two hostages.  Haram moved in to rescue; I circled to intercept Fusor’s escape.  On arrival, one hostage dead – dehydrated – the other – a decoy who attempted to murder Haram.  I was force to choose between Fusor’s cature and my partner’s life.  This should in no way be recorded as another field loss for Haram, though.  If our roles were reversed things would probably have turned out the same…probably.”

After receiving new intel, the duo track Fusor into Paris.  As they are surveying his location, Haram muses, “Ironic, huh?  Fusor was my first case – eleven years ago – and I botched it.  Now he’s my last case and I botched it again.”  He goes on to say that he looks forward to the time that he can put Fusor behind him and retire. 

Fusor’s MO is to find rich, wealthy, lonely men and, with his female accomplice, win them over “with promises of a menage a trois and Lord knows what else.”  Once they’ve taken their fortune, Fusor will literally suck them dry, and move on. 

Outside the door where Fusor, his accomplice and the soon-to-be victim are residing, Claude reminds Haram that Fusor’s power only works on organic material, so he needs to be sure that he keeps his skin covered up.  He is interrupted by a scream.  They burst into the room to find a shrivelled body on the floor, and a shadow looming on the open balcony.  Haram immediately opens fire, but the body does not fall.  They approach slowly, to find that the body of the man, thought to be Fusor has also been sucked dry. 

“Forget the butler,” Claude says.  “It’s always the girl.”

They both make for the roof in pursuit.

To be continued…

The easter egg this week is a behind the scenes shot of Masi Oka.

Chapter 43
Golden Handshake
Man Overboard
Part 1 of 4

For years, Claude, the invisible man, worked side by side with Noah Bennet, the man in horned-rimmed glasses.  Together, these “company men” risked their lives to save the world.  Or so they thought.  Claude grew uneasy with his assignments, questioning who benefited from their work.  Discovering this, the company gave Bennet his most difficult assignment:  kill Claude.

But before Bennet, Claude had a different partner, the man called Haram…

17 years ago…

STATUS REPORT:
Location: Cote d’Azur
The French Riviera.

Notes:  Have tracked down extortionist and murderer Rollo Fusor – ’special’ whose ability to rapidly dehydrate water from whatever he touches has been used to bankrupt many in the European elite.

Considered a class ‘A’ priority by the higher-ups before he seemingly fell off the face of the planet seven years ago.  Fusor was my partner Haram’s first failed case.  Haram wasn’t about to let him get away again.

Haram is in a standoff with Fusor, taking cover on one of the bridges crossing the Riviera.  He is fumbling with a pill bottle, mumbling to himself, “Damn it!  Not now.”  The top pops off, and pills scatter everywhere.  One stops, hovering in the air. 

“Temper, temper, partner,” Claude says, becoming visible again.  “You’ve got this.  Don’t let your nerves–”

“Don’t lecture me, Claude!” Haram snaps back.  “I know what I’m doing.”

Claude convinces Haram to accept Fusor’s requests, at which point the invisible Claude will jump the criminal as he tries to escape.  When Haram approaches Fusor, telling him that he has his requests, Fusor tells him that he has explosives strapped to his hostages, Mr. Pizet and “his lovely lady friend”.  “I see anyone following me…BOOM!  More blood on your pathetic hands!”

Fusor runs from the boat, and Claude gives chase.  Rounding a corner, he sees the criminal calmly leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette.  Back on the boat, Haram approaches the hostages.  He tells the girl, who is dragging the unconcious Pizet, “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”  Pulling her blonde wig off, she replies, “No, no, love…we’ve got you.”  Swiftly, she handcuffs him to Pivet’s unmoving body, and shoves them over the side of the pier.

Pivet’s dead wait drags Haram down into the depths…

TO BE CONTINUED…

This week’s easter egg is a behind the scenes shot of Hayden Pantierre and James Coleman.

Chapter 42
Betty
Part 4 of 4

Teased and tormented by her fellow high school students, Betty found a way to strike back:  with the power of her mind.  Realizing she has the ability to create realistic illusions, she drove a vicious bully to madness.  But after her friend was wrongly struck down in retaliation, Betty decided to exact a terrible revenge…

This installment begins soon before the homecoming pep rally at Betty’s school.  Betty is watching the rumors spread around school, thinking to herself, “They act like nothing really happened.  One jock.  One loser.  No big deal.  Like the scales are balanced or something.  They talk about it…they gossip about it…but no one’s accountable…”

Betty overhears some of the in-crowd gossiping.  One of the jocks that beat up Ren is telling the cheerleaders, “It was just payback, that’s all.  But we sure as hell didn’t break any bones or throw him down that hill.  That was all him.”  He’s interrupted by the intercom telling all students to report to the gym for the pep rally.  One of the cheerleaders pulls him away, saying that they have other priorities.  Betty smiles menacingly, thinking, “I’ve got some new priorities now…some unfinished business.”

At the pep rally, the principal is giving a brief speech on how saddened they all are by the two tragedies that have happened at the school.  “Now, on a more positive note,” he then says, “we’ve got a homecoming game to win.  Let your buffaloes know that you’re behind them!”  As the cheerleaders come out, Betty again thinks about how fake they all are.  Using her ability, she begins to cause everyone to see horrible visions.  One of the cheerleader’s skin begins to melt off.  Some students appear to spontaneously explode.  Another cheerleader looks to be covered by terrible boils.  Then, as suddenly as it began, it’s over, and everything’s back to normal. 

“So, whatever,” Betty thinks later, watching as some of the students are carried away in an ambulance.  “I’m done with this hellhole.  Maybe they won’t soon forget how fragile they are.  How fragile we all are.  And now that I know exactly what I’m capable of, I should put it to some use, right?”  At this, she transforms into a beautiful brunette.  “From now on…they’ll all see what I want them to see.  Sometimes you just need the right name…something that sets a tone…something that goes with my new look.”

“Candice.  That’s a good name.”

The easter egg is a behind the scenes shot of Masi Oka filming in feudal Japan.

Chapter 41
Betty
Part 3 of 4 

A social outcast, Betty was teased mercilessly by her fellow high school students.  Discovering her power to create illusions, Betty quickly turned the tables on her tormentors, even driving one bully into a state of permanent dementia.  She soon learned, however, that her actions would have dire consequences…

At the end of last week’s installment, the blame for Betty’s successful attempt to drive the bully Crash insane had landed on her best friend, Ren.  As we closed, several of Crash’s friends were prepared to take revenge into their own hands.

This week, we open with Ren walking through the forest at night.  Suddenly, four of the bullies jump him, beating him badly.  He manages to break free and gets away from them, but, while trying to hide, he tumbles down a hill, leaving him unconscious.

Later, Betty comes to visit him in the hospital.  Nervously, she tells him everything…about her new power, and about how she used it to push Crash over the edge.  To prove herself, she transforms herself into Ren.  The sight of himself is too much for him to handle, and he goes into shock.  As we close out, Betty is in the hall sobbing as she hears the doctors yelling that they’re losing him…

The easter eggthis week is a glance at how they achieved the exploding man effects with physical makeup on Milo Ventimiglia.

Chapter 40
Betty
Part 2 of 4

In what could be any high school across the country, a girl overhears several cheerleaders talking about her:  making fun of her weight, her looks and her interests.  Only this time is different.  This girl is Betty.  And she’s just found out she can create terrifying images with the power of her mind…

In last week’s installment, we met Betty, an outcast at her high school who suddenly discovered that she had the ability to change what people around her see.  After having some fun with some of her “popular” classmates, she discusses with her friend Ren how much they dislike the “in crowd”.  Betty gets a mischevious smile on her face, thinking about the things she can do with her newly discovered powers…

This week, we open in the guy’s locker room after football practice.  As they begin to file out of the room, one guy, Crash, is left by himself.  Suddenly, behind him, a demonized version of his father appears.  “You call that defense, boy?  No son of mine plays like that on the field!  You’re a damn disgrace!”  He continues to demean him until Crash is reduced to a crying wreck.

The next day, Crash’s breakdown is the talk of the school.  He has gone completely insane, and doesn’t even know his own name.  Ren and Betty are talking about it during class, and Ren says how much he thought that Crash deserved what he got.  “Whoever had the means to send his soul into the abyss has my respect, big time.  I’m talkin’ national hero…my hero, anyway.”  Betty smiles sheepishly, since, of course, she’s the one responsible.

Seeing how she’s on such a roll, Betty returns to the girls bathroom, this time in the form of a cute blonde so that she can fit in with the hot girls there.  She pretends to be a new girl at school, just trying to get a feel for what’s been going on with Crash.  The girls go out of their way to bash Betty again, which causes her to lose her temper.  As a subtle threat, she asks them how they know it wasn’t somehow brought on by her “alt crowd”.

Like all rumors, this one spreads like wildfire.  Speculation becomes assumption, and slowly the school begins to believe that it was the alt crowd that was out to get Crash…possibly one member in particular.  Betty’s plan of revenge backfires when the blame comes to rest completely on her best friend, Ren.

I like where this is heading…it seems to be developing the makings of a very tragic love story.

The easter egg this week is a behind the scenes shot of Jack Coleman, Hayden Panettiere, and Allan Arkush.

Chapter 39
Betty
Part 1 of 4

High school is about education, but what one learns often goes far beyond academics.  With cliques and the desire to fit in, the social pressures can be stressful, sometimes overwhelming.  But for those gifted with extraordinary abilities, a little advantage goes a long way…

The new story arc begins “not long ago”, and deals with Betty.  Betty is an outsider at her high school.  She’s overweight, has an acne- and piercing-covered face, and dresses in all black.  We open in the girls bathroom at her school, where three popular girls are gossiping.  Eventually, the conversation turns to Betty, and the girls proceed to bash her, saying that she’s in serious need of a diet and exercise, and that she’s an extreme makeover reject.  There’s even a rumor that she was going to try out for the cheerleader squad, which amazes all the girls.

As is usually the case in these circumstances, Betty happens to be in one of the bathroom stalls and overhears this whole conversation, becoming more enraged by the minute.  As the conversation turns to more mundane things like the theme of the prom, one of the girls notices that a zit has popped up, and begins to work on popping it.  Suddenly another blemish appears, then another and another, until her face is covered in boils.  They all run screaming into the halls, but when they turn back to look, the girl’s face is spotless again.  Betty is thrilled to see the preppy girls taken down a few pegs…until she realizes that they’re hallucination was brought on simply by her thoughts. 

Later that day in the school cafeteria, Betty is talking to her friend, Ren, who is an outcast like her.  As they walk through the cafeteria, a football jock trips Ren, who falls, spilling food all over himself.  Humiliated, they move to their corner table.  Betty comments on how much she hates those guys, and Ren agrees, but says that thinking about their home life puts a smile on his face.  He knows that they are all so afraid of their parents because they know if they don’t play well in the game, it’s an automatic beating when they get home.  Betty gets a mischevious smile on her face.  To be continued…

I’m assuming that this will be Candace’s backstory, since she has the ability to change what people see around them, and I’m excited to see her story.  But this one ended a little too abruptly for me.  It could have used another page or so to really flesh out Betty and Ren’s relationship.  Hopefully, next week’s installment will smooth out the edges a bit.

This weeks easter egg:  a behind the scenes shot of Sendhil Ramamurthy and Greg Grunberg.