Episode 1: Genesis

Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia), a young care worker, dreams of flying across the New York city skyline. He confides in his brother Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) who also appears in his dreams. Nathan, a ruthlessly pragmatic politician, is standing for election and worries that these fanciful musings could jeopardise his election goal.

Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) leaves his post as a lecturer at Madras University to follow his father’s footsteps in New York. His father, a pioneering genealogist, believed that evolution had already taken a step forward. He believed that there were people in the world who were pushing the boundaries of human capabilities. He had traveled to New York to carry on his research and to find these unique individuals.

On hearing the news that his father had been murdered whilst driving a cab, Mohinder decides to continue his fathers work. He goes to his father’s flat in India to gather some papers but finds that someone else is also tracking his father’s work.

Single mother, Nikki Sanders (Ali Larter), is attacked by two men who claim she owes them $50,000. Nikki blacks out as the men become forceful and awakes to a scene of devastation. Both men have been brutally murdered. In shock, she catches her reflection in the mirror which is smiling at her. Could this be her guardian angel?

Claire Bennet (Haylen Panettiere) is a high school cheerleader who cannot be harmed, despite all her attempts. She enlists the help of a classmate to film her as she falls 80 feet with no effect. When passing a burning wreckage, she dashes in and saves a man from certain death, much to the amazement of the firemen. She slips away again, avoiding their puzzled inquisition.

Comic book fanatic Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) is an office drone in Tokyo. Desperate to be unique, he believes he can bend space and time, a power that will lead to teleportation. His office friend Ando Masahashi (Jason Kyson Lee) is skeptical but when he appears to have transported himself from a Tokyo tube train to Times Square in New York, Hiro can barely believe his luck.

Artist Isaac Mendez (Santiago Cabrera) is struggling with both his disturbing new powers to predict the future and his heroin addiction. Whenever he is under the influence of the drug, he paints chillingly prophetic pictures of the future. His girlfriend Simone Deveaux (Tawny Cypress) finds him in an overdose induced stupor, mumbling about a nuclear explosion and points to a new picture of New York in flames.

Peter steps off a rooftop, inspired by a picture of him flying painted by Isaac. He does not fly and plummets towards the street, but is saved by his brother Nathan. As they both hover bemused in each others arms, Nathan cannot hold his brother and Peter slips from his grasp.

Episode 2: Don’t Look Back

Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) wakes up in hospital with Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) at his side denying all knowledge of flying. Peter’s mother arrives to visit and tells him of his father’s chronic depression. She says that he did not die of a heart attack but committed suicide. She is worried that it is a genetic disorder as Peter is showing many of the same traits as his father. Later Peter confronts Nathan on a rooftop and forces him to confess to flying. He does and adds that Peter had been flying as well.

Claire (Hayden Penettiere) encounters bad news at school when her cameraman classmate tells her that the video tape of her fall and her fire rescue has gone missing. Unbeknown to her, mysterious father figure (Jack Coleman) has the video.

Mohinder strikes up a friendship with a young lady who knew his father. She says that he suspected someone was watching him. They find a hidden disk containing important information and also hear a chilling telephone conversation between his father and a mysterious killer named Sylar.

In New York, Hiro (Masi Oka) sees a comic book featuring himself. He takes the comic but is shocked to read that the whole story is a complete depiction of Hiro’s discovery of his power and conversations with his friend Ando (Jason Kyson Lee).

Isaac Mendez (Santiago Cabrera), the author of Hiro’s comic, is in hospital following his overdose. He speaks about a giant explosion, destroying the city but his girlfriend Simone (Tawny Cypress) worries about his drug-fuelled delusions.

Nikki leaves the shocking sight in her garage to pick up her son. She stops the car to look at the camera which recorded the incident but blacks out again after watching it. She regains consciousness four hours later in a change of clothes. She returns home with Micah (Noah Grey-Cabey), and finds all traces of the incident gone. There are a set of keys for a new car across the road. She finds the bodies in the trunk and a map of where to take them. She drives to the spot on the map to find a shovel waiting for her.

Matt Parkham (Greg Grunberg) is an NYPD policeman with ambitions. He has failed all the tests for promotion but finds he can now read minds. Matt starts to hear the voice of a young girl whilst at a gruesome murder scene. When he tracks down the girl to a specific hiding place, he arouses suspicion rather than praise and is arrested.

Hiro tracks down Isaac’s studio and finds a dead body with half the head cleanly severed and the brain removed. The police arrest a bewildered Hiro. They find his story difficult to believe but call Ando in Japan on his instruction. However, Ando claims his colleague has been missing for five weeks. The interview is cut short by a startling explosion. Hiro quickly closes his eyes to teleport and finds himself back on the Tokyo train.

Episode 3: One Giant Leap

Nikki (Ali Larter) is busy burying the two bodies in the Nevada desert when she comes across a skeleton. She notices a skull engraved ring on its finger. Nikki takes the ring, remembering that her estranged husband’s gang wore the same design. She suspects her husband’s gang carried out a bank robbery and he turned on his fellow gang members, killing them all and pocketing the cash.

Hiro (Masi Oka) shows his friend Ando (Jason Kyson Lee) the comic he picked up in New York, back in their Japanese office. The comic depicts everything down to the very conversation they have. To prove his sincerity, Hiro follows the story in the comic and saves a school girl from a speeding van by stopping time. A stunned Ando agrees to accompany Hiro to America in an effort to change the future. They land and head to Las Vegas.

Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) attempts to recreate his flying experience but fails. He reads a book by Mohinder’s father about genetic modifications and speaks to Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) about it. But his brother is only concerned with his impending election. At a political rally, Nathan makes a speech to the press. He mentions his father’s depression and suicide. In an attempt to empty his closet of potential skeletons he also mentions Peter’s apparent suicide attempt, which infuriates his younger brother. But this does not dent Peter’s new found confidence who shares a passionate kiss with Simone (Tawny Cypress).

Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) and new friend Eden (Nora Zehetner) find a notebook of his father’s, containing names and address of people with ‘special’ abilities. They visit the address of the enigmatic Sylar and discover a room with details, photos and more addresses of people suspected of having these extra powers. However, when Mohinder returns with the police, claiming he has found his father’s murderer, the room is completely empty.

Meanwhile, Matt (Greg Grunberg) is being interrogated by the police. He manages to convince the detective of his abilities by genuinely reading her mind. She takes him to see the little girl he rescued from the crime scene. However, they encounter Sylar attacking the girl. Matt and the detective chase after the mysterious character but he vanishes after demonstrating his powerful telekinetic powers.

Claire attends a party after the High School football team win. Here she gets together with the team Quarter Back Brody Mitchum (Matt Lanter) who has
been a long term admirer of her. However, the fairy tale ends when he tries to rape her. Claire tries to run away but Brody trips her and she lands on a wooden spike which impales her head. She is shocked when she comes to on the autopsy table with her chest cavity wide open.

Episode 4: Collision

Matt (Greg Grunberg) wakes up after passing out in a bar to find himself strapped to a table in a laboratory. Claire’s father (Jack Coleman) stands over him and tells him that he is not in a hospital and that they are running tests on him. Matt struggles but is soon subdued by Mr Bennet’s mysterious right hand man (Jimmy Jean-Louis) and his memory of the event is wiped.

Nikki (Ali Larter) is told that if she sleeps with a travelling politician, Nathan (Adrian Padsar), then Mr Linderman will forgo her debt. She meets Nathan, who is there to receive some campaign funding from Mr Linderman, in a casino and they immediately make a connection. They talk in Nathan’s bedroom, it soon becomes clear that there is a genuine bond between them but Nikki leaves when she finds out he has a wife.

As she gets into the lift, one of Linderman’s entourage attacks her and threatens her son if she does not go through with the arrangements. Nikki’s alter ego takes over, savagely beating the man and then returns to Nathan’s bedroom for a night of passion.

Ando (Jason Kyson Lee) persuades Hiro (Masi Oka) to use his powers to cheat in the casinos. However, they upset some of the other punters with their relentless ‘fortune’. They are thrown out of the casino and hotel, only to meet a disgruntled gambler in the alleyway and are beaten up.

Claire (Hayden Panettiere) wakes on the autopsy table. Her body was dumped in a lake by Brody (Matt Lanter) after the attempted rape went disastrously wrong. Her wounds soon heal over and she runs home. Claire goes to school the next day, much to Brody’s shock, and pretends nothing happened. But she is approached by another girl who was attacked by the school’s Quarter Back. With revenge on her mind, Claire waits after school to get a lift with Brody. She drives and smashes the car into a wall.

Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) awakes in bed with Simone (Tawny Cypress) however, she seems reluctant to start a new relationship. He is further angered by a visit from Nathan who offers him money to lay low for a while as his actions could jeopardise the election.

Isaac (Santiago Cabrera) is starting to accept his power and realises his importance. He is determined to save the New York from the bomb. He takes a large hit of heroin in order to paint the future.

Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is losing faith in his father’s quest. He is nothing but sceptical when Peter visits and tells him about his powers. Peter takes him to see Isaac but there is no answer when they reach his studio and Mohinder becomes increasingly doubtful. On the train home, Peter is shocked to find that time has stopped still. Hiro visits him from the future and tells him he must go back to Isaac’s. They must save the cheerleader to save the world.

Episode 5: Hiros

The Hiro from the future (Masi Oka) speaks to Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and tells him that he must go back to Isaac’s to learn more about their future. When he arrives at Isaac’s (Santiago Cabrera) studio, the artist is angered over his relationship with Simone. Peter is more interested with Isaac’s latest paintings, he arranges them to show a story but the final picture is not finished. To Isaac’s surprise, Peter takes on his power and finishes the picture which shows a sinister figure standing over the body of Claire (Hayden Panettiere).

Matt’s (Greg Grunberg) wife is furious as he awakes back in his house with no explanation for his absence. However, he starts to use his powers to second guess her and lays on a romantic day, catering to her every need. He stops by the convenience store and manages to prevent a potential armed robbery. However, he soon becomes overwhelmed by the number of voices he hears in his head.

Claire’s father (Jack Coleman) and his partner (Jimmy Jean-Louis) appear in Nathan’s hotel room and take him away but he soars into the sky to escape. He lands by a roadside diner where he meets Hiro who is alone after his friend Ando (Jason Kyson Lee) abandoned him. Hiro talks to Nathan about his own powers and his vision of the future. Nathan gives him a lift back to Las Vegas but seems sceptical of Hiro’s claims.

Nathan sees Nikki (Aki Larter) in the hotel who does not remember what happened the night before. She apologises and tells him that Mr Linderman will now use the video of their tryst to blackmail him. But he uses his skills as a politician and turns the situation to his favour. He says that if Mr Linderman is willing to go to such extreme lengths, he must be worth more money and asks for $4 million for the campaign.

Claire tells her father about the attempted rape whilst in hospital. Mr Bennet then goes to speak to Brody. The boy seems disturbed by the whole incident, claiming that Claire is not human and that he intends to sue. However, Mr Bennet is unfazed and brings in his accomplice to wipe his memory completely. When Claire comes to apologise to Brody, he has no recollection of who she is or even what his own name is.

Nikki returns home to find the police there waiting for her. They tell her that her fugitive husband, D L (Leonard Roberts) has been spotted in the area. Initially fears are quashed when a stranger approaching the house is Ando who has come to the house because of Nikki’s website. He leaves and returns to his friend in Las Vegas, however, it becomes clear that D L has slipped into the house undetected.

Episode 6: Better Halves

Mr Bennet (Jack Coleman) tells Claire (Hayden Panettiere) that he has found her biological parents and has arranged for them to come round. They meet and there is an awkward tension. Claire’s expectations are dashed when she realises the only medical issues they have are diabetes and a history of cancer. However, Mrs Bennet (Ashley Crow) tells Claire that they once sort her biological parents because they were worried she had a disease as a baby.

However, all is not as it seems. Mr Bennet has a mysterious conversation with the biological parents, casting aspersions over their authenticity. He also receives a phone call from Eden (Nora Zehetner), who is spying on Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy). She relays everything and states that Mohinder is leaving New York to return India. But Mr Bennet seems appalled when Eden tells him of the prophecy from the future Hiro, “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”

Ando (Jason Kyson Lee) and Hiro (Masi Oka) come across the high rolling gambler who they cheated. He takes them to another poker game, claiming that he knows they cheated, just not how they did it. He wants them to win his money back in another poker game. As the stakes rise, Ando realises that one of the other players has a gun pointed at him under the table. They both go to the toilet and plot an escape when there is a commotion outside. The friends flee through a window when they see blood tickling through the door. But Hiro is mortified that he could not save them.

Nikki (Ali Larter) finds her estranged husband D L (Leonard Roberts) in the house. He professes his innocence and believes that he has been set up on the charge of murdering his bank raid crew and stashing the money. Instead he says that he pulled out of the job and his place was taken by a woman. They reunite and seem happy again. But there are questions when he says that she got up to go out in the middle of the night.

Nikki says she will help him clear his name but when they go to speak to D L’s old associates, who were the people Ando was playing poker with, they find a scene of murderous devastation. Nikki tells her husband that she has seen this before and tells him what has been happening.

Nikki’s alter ego speaks to her, saying that it was her that set up D L and tells her where the money is. She advises Nikki to take the money and run away with Micah, otherwise he will be taken away from her. When Nikki finds the money in a case in the loft, an outraged D L confronts her. The alter ego takes over again, knocking D L away. But the husband, who has his own powers, somehow thrusts his hand into Nikki’s chest. As she passes out, he leaves with Micah and the money.

Episode 7: Nothing to Hide

Zach (Thomas Dekker), Claire’s cameraman class mate, comes to see Claire (Hayden Panettiere) and gives her the video of her trying to kill herself which he found. Her little brother, Lyle (Randall Bentley) finds the tape, watches it and is astonished by what he sees. He staples her hand and watches in amazement as the wound heals itself. He runs away with the tape but it convinced to return and keep quiet for the good of the family.

Just as everything seems to be going so well for Matt (Greg Grunberg), he hears his wife’s (Elizabeth Lackey) thoughts and suspects her of cheating. He arrives for work and is whisked away by the FBI for what they suspect is another Sylar murder. However, on further investigation it becomes clear that this is something new. A doctor has been savagely burnt and has a huge radiation reading. They find a man whose wife is terminally ill and was being treated by the doctor. When he said he could not do anymore for her, the husband reacted violently and burnt him with his radiation touch.

Matt receives good news at the end of the day, hearing that he has been put forward for the inspector interviews rather than the exams. However, he reads his friend’s thoughts and realises that he has been sleeping with his wife.

D L (Leonard Roberts) and Micah (Noah Grey-Cabey) are on the run from Nikki (Ali Larter) with the bank raid money. They come across a burning car wreckage. They are joined by Ando (Jason Kyson Lee) and Hiro (Masi Oka), who help him. As D L reaches in through the glass and pulls the driver free, Hiro stops time as the gas tank explodes.

A mark on Nikki’s shoulder appears only when her alter ego, Jessica, takes control of her body. This symbol has been seen on the necklace of Mr Bennet’s assistant and was seen at one of Sylar’s crime scenes. Micah, who has the power to mend electronics, telephones his mother, but speaks to Jessica who says she has taken over until everything has been sorted out.

Nathan’s mother, Angela (Cristine Rose), arranges a family brunch with a top journalist. It will be the first interview where his disabled wife, who was handicapped in a car accident where Nathan was driving. However, the interview soon turns sour when the journalist questions his links with Mr Linderman and a mystery blonde woman. Peter saves him by saying that Nathan had been looking for mental treatment for Peter.

Simone (Tawny Cypress) comes to see Peter with bad news. Her father, who Peter was caring for, died overnight. Just before he died, he said that Peter would save the world. Also, Isaac has gone with all of his paintings. Peter tells her that he needs one of Isaac’s paintings to complete the story but she has already sold it to Mr Linderman.

Episode 8: Seven Minutes to Midnight

Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) returns to India to scatter his father’s ashes. He is greeted by family and friends and is given back his job at the university in his father’s old office. An old flame approaches him with a dream job offer but he must leave his father’s research behind him. As he clears out the office, Mohinder starts to have visions about his father’s reluctance to leave for New York. His mother tells him this is true and that he had a sister, Shanti, who died when she was just 5 years old. His father (Erick Avari) considered her to be ‘special’.

In another vision, Mohinder is lead by a young boy (Javin Reid) to his father’s murder in New York. The boy holds out his hand and presents him with the key to a locked drawer. Mohinder then wakes up and opens the drawer to find a secret file on Sanjob Iyer, the boy from the visions.

Ando (James Kyson Lee) and Hiro (Masi Oka) meet attractive young waitress Charlie (Jayma Hays) in a diner. She demonstrates her special memory power by learning Japanese in a matter of minutes but they are being watched by the shadowy figure of Sylar (Zachary Quinto). When a co-worker finds Charlie brutally murdered in the store cupboard, Hiro is determined to use his powers to go back and save her. Ando expresses concern and is clearly distressed when Hiro does not return on the count of five, as promised, but suddenly appears in an old photo with Charlie on the wall.

Matt (Greg Grunberg) has been suspended for punching his superior officer but is asked by Audrey (Clea Duvall) to help interrogate Ted (Matthew John Armstong), the radioactive man. Matt talks to Ted and it soon becomes clear that they have very similar experiences, both describing an encounter with a Haitian man, Mr Bennet’s associate, and both baring two small scars on their necks. But they run out of questioning time, and Ted is taken away to prison.

Matt struggles to come to terms with his relationship with his wife (Elizabeth Lackey) as she confesses to the affair. Before he has a chance to make a decision on their future, Audrey calls to tell him that Ted has escaped.

Mr Bennet (Jack Coleman) has Isaac (Santiago Cabrera) in a secured unit with Eden (Nora Zehetner) looking after him. Claire’s father is the head of a secret organisation, tracking people with special abilities but now Mr Bennet desperately needs Isaac’s help to save his daughter Claire (Hayden Panettiere) from Sylar. The artist is determined to turn his life around and stop the drugs for good. However, Mr Bennet’s sinister hold over Eden takes effect as he forces her to administer Isaac with a shot of heroin so that he can paint the future.