Heroes/Claire Bennet

Claire Bennet
Heroes
Actor	Hayden Panettiere
First Appearance	1x01 - Genesis
Series Billing	Main Star
Episode Count	32 (through season 2)
Notable Episodes	1x04 - Collision Cx04 - Aftermath 1x09 - Homecoming 1x11 - Fallout

Basic Information

Claire Bennet is an 17-year old cheerleader from Odessa, Texas. She attends Union Wells High. She was adopted by the Bennets and doesn't know who her birth parents are. She was told from a young age that she was adopted, and now wonders if her biological parents have special abilities too. Despite her claims that she wants to be normal, she seems to enjoy using her powers, even when it's unnecessary, such as sticking her hand into the garbage disposal without turning it off and taking cupcakes from the oven without using hand protection. The only one who she's told of her powers is her childhood friend Zach.

Powers and Weaknesses

Powers

• Spontaneous Regeneration/Rapid Cellular Regeneration — Claire can rapidly heal injuries to herself. Although she does feel pain, she gets over it quickly.

Weaknesses

• Claire's bones can still break and she can still lose fingers and limbs, but they can regrow.
• An object embedded in her brain can cause her to die until it is removed. Presumably the complete removal of her brain or decapitation would also kill her.
• Claire isn't strong and has little combat skill.

Season One

Claire deliberately fell 10 metres to the ground, the latest in a series of tests of her healing ability. Her friend Zach was recording them all. Walking home, Claire told Zach that she's afraid that if people find out about her, she'll be considered a freak. They come across the scene of a train derailment. Claire decided to see how resistant she is to fire and asked Zach to record her as she ran in. She found a man in one of the rain cars and helps him out. A firefighter saw and assisted. When he checked her for burns, she had none. Claire ran off. At home, Claire told her adoptive mother Sandra that she wants to find out who her biological parents are. Mr. Bennet comes home — he's the same man that was in Chandra Suresh's apartment in Chennai, and Mohinder Suresh's taxicab in New York.

Claire asked her father who her biological parents were. He told her it might take a while to track them down. At school, star quarterback Brody Mitchum flirted with her before all the cheerleaders were summoned. The firefighter who checked Claire picked Claire out of the lineup, but opportunistic co-captain Jackie Wilcox stepped out and claimed she was the one who did it, to Claire's mutual relief and disgust. On the football field, Zach told Claire that the tape of her exploits is missing. Claire is shocked and worried. At home Mr. Bennet told Claire that the adoption agency will try and track her biological parents down. He said that he's not done protecting her from the world. Claire told him that he can't protect her forever. He said that he knows, and it breaks his heart.

Mr. Bennet dropped Claire off at school. She told him that after the game, she and a few friends will be going to a bonfire. He told her to be careful, and not to stay out too late. Zach told her that he still can't find the tape. Claire suggested that if someone reveals the contents, say it was all done with video editing trickery. She told Zach that if the truth got out, she's afraid she'd be labelled a freak or used as a ginuea pig, probably both. At the bonfire, Brody flirted more with Claire. He gots her to go off alone with him. Lori Tremmel watched them go off anxiously. When they were alone, Brody tried to rape Claire. She tried to get away, but fell and a sharp spike of wood embedded itself into her brain. She appeared dead.

After the "dead" body of "Jane Doe" was fished out of Red River Creek, it was taken to the morgue in Odessa, where an autopsy was performed. the coroner removed the stick from her head, but immediately had to take a phone call. He left the room. Claire healed, woke up and put herself back together. She grabbed a coat, and snuck back into her house. Mr. Bennet noted her muddy feet and Claire admitted that she had been out all night, but they just played "poker". After he left, Claire was finally able to let her control go, and she cried. Claire told Zach what happened at the bonfire, including the part about waking up on the autopsy table. She said she isn't going to do anything about it, and he was appalled. Claire doesn't want to risk her secret getting out and even if she did tell, there's no bruises and no proof. Jackie and Brody approached. Claire said that she doesn't remember what happened last night, she had way too much alcohol. Brody left hurriedly. Later, Lori Tremmel approached Claire and asked her what happened. Claire said nothing happened. Lori said that "nothing" happend to her too when she went off alone with Brody. Claire waited for Brody after school and he let her drive. She told Brody what he did, but he is unrepentant and cocky. Claire realized that Brody isn't going to stop raping women, so she deliberately plowed full speed into a wall.

Claire climbed out through the windshield. In her internal monologue, she said that she did this to Brody, not just for her, but for all the girls he did raped, and to make him think twice the next time he tries to do it again. Brody's car caught on fire, so she had to drag him to safety. The car exploded, sending Claire and Brody flying. Claire stood up, completely unharmed, and Brody groggily woke up, and noticed an unhurt Claire, asking, "What are you?"

Claire and Brody were taken to the hospital. She was kept for observation. Mr. Bennet camne to see her. She confessed to him that she deliberately crashed Brody's car on purpose because he tried to rape her, and she isn't the only one he's assaulted. She tells him there's no evidence, and begged him not to tell anyone. He promised her that no one will know. Later she went to Brody in his room and told him that what he did was bad, but so was what she did. Brody didn't remember her or his name.

Mr. Bennet told Claire that he's been in touch with her biological parents, and they're coming to see her. Claire talked with "Hank and Lisa", but the meeting was a bit awkward, and their stories don't reveal anything interesting. Later, Claire was talking with Sandra she mentioned that Mr. Benent had a hard time finding her biological parents when she was young. They were worried that Claire might have some chromosonal anomaly.

Zach came to see Claire. He found the tape of her regenerative abilities. It was behind his bed, although he thought he’d already looked there. Claire left the tape on the counter while she helped Sandra. Lyle found the tape and watched it before Claire could stop him. She tried to convince Lyle that it was all done with special effects, but he did not believe her and stapled her hand,. He saw her healing. He took the take and locke himself in the Bennet van. Claire and Zach pleaded with him to come out. Claire finally got to him when she told him that if he told anyone, their parents would think it was a mistake to adopt her and they wouldn't be a family anymore. Zach came out and handed over the tape.

Claire went to see her father at Primatech Paper to get a banner for Homecoming. While there, she saw Eden McCain.

After she hospitalized Brody, she was treated as a pariah by Jackie and all her friends, but thanks to campaigning by Zach, she still won Homecoming Queen. Zach gave her a copy of Activating Evolution that he ordered off of the Internet. Jackie mocked Zach for allegedly being gay and Claire punched her in the eye, knocking her out. Mr. Bennet grounded her for that. She was in her room reading Activating Evolution when Zach knocked on her window. He brought a ladder to help her escape. Claire asked Zach to be her date to the homecoming dance. Zach refused. He said that he likes who he is, he just wishes Claire liked who she was. Claire said that shs decided that being different isn't the end of the world. They left for Homecoming. Claire bumped into Peter Petrelli at Union Wells. He was looking for Jackie. Jackie confronted Claire in the girls locker room after all the other cheerleaders left. She told Claire that she thinks she's a menace - they used to be friends and now Claire's changed. The lights go out. Claire has a bad feeling. Jackie was grabbed by Sylar. Claire tried to pull him off her, but he telekinetically flung her against the wall so hard that she broke her arm and badly damaged her face. Jackie screamed. Claire reset her arm and stood up. Sylar and Jackie saw her healing. Jackie told her to run. She ran and bumped into Peter, who had heard the screams. When he saw Sylar he told Claire to run and keep going. He caught up to Claire in the auditorium. Peter told Claire to get to the stadium and find people - the killer doesn't want to be seen. Claire didn't want to leave him behind but he yelled for her to go. She ran, and saw Peter grab Sylar and throw both of them off the roof. Claire went outside and found Peter's broken body, with Sylar nowhere to be seen. Peter started healing when she got close. Claire was amazed to see someone like her. Peter told her to go find the police and ask for help. They exchanged first names, and Peter asked her if she's the one - by saving her did he save the world. Claire didn't know — she's just a cheerleader. Mr. Bennet found her just outside the stadium and they hugged. Claire started to tell him about Jackie, but he said he knows. Claire wanted them to go back and help Peter because he almost died, but Mr. Bennet said the police can handle it, and she is lucky to be alive. Claire told him that it isn't luck and is about to tell him of her special ability.

Claire told her father about her ability to rapidly heal. The car ride home was quiet, and when they arrived home, he confessed to her that he knew she was special before she knew, before she made tapes with Zach. Claire was upset that he didn’t tell her he knew, she told him she had felt alone. Mr. Bennet told Claire he was trying to protect her, and he had done things he isn’t proud of to ensure she had a normal life. Claire knew that Jackie was attacked because the killer thought she was Claire. Mr. Bennet told her that man had been taken care of, but there are other bad men who would go after her if they found out, which is why no one could know of her ability. Claire told him that Lyle was the only one besides Zach who knew.

Claire and Mr. Bennet went to the police station to give a statement about the attack at Union Wells. Audrey interviewed her with her father present. Claire told her that the strange man attacked Jackie, who told her to run, so she ran. Peter Petrelli saved her by tackling the killer off the roof. Claire left out any mention of unusual abilities, even when Audrey specifically asked if the killer displayed any. She asked Claire how Peter survived the five-story fall from the roof without injury, and mentioned that some of Claire’s blood was found at the crime scene, but she too seems uninjured. Claire just suggested that they were lucky and didn’t offer any more information. She asked to talk to Peter. Matt Parkman introduced himself to Claire and Mr. Bennet and told them they will do everything in their power to find the killer.

Claire went to see Peter. She asked her father to wait outside, then asked Peter how long he’s known he was special, like her. He asked her if her ability is to heal. She nodded yes. Peter told her he knew he needed to save her to save the world, but he wasn’t sure what she had to do with saving the world yet. Peter told Claire that he’s not like her, the healing was new to him, and he didn’t know he would heal when he fell from the roof. He told Claire that if it wasn’t for her, he didn’t think he’d be alive. Claire told Peter that he’s her hero as she left.

Claire called Zach and asked him to meet her at the school with all the tapes. He told her that everyone knows Jackie was the one killed, and gave Claire the tapes, which she destroyed. She told him that her father didn’t want to risk anyone else finding out about her ability. Claire told Zach that he’s probably her best friend. Zach noted that they’d only been friends for about two weeks. Claire acknowledged that it sounded pathetic.

Claire talked with Lyle and discovered that he had no memory of her ability. Worried, she called Zach and met him at school only to discover that he no longer remembered speaking to her after the 6th grade. Terrified, Claire ran home and called her father. She told him that she was afraid that a bad man had erased Lyle and Zach’s memories. She was worried because neither Lyle nor her mother were home. Mr. Bennet told her to wait for him at home. The Haitian emerged from Claire’s closet and grabbed her. Claire struggled, but the Haitian told her that he worked for her father, who sent him to make her forget, like he sent him to Lyle and Zach, and to her mother. Mr. Bennet will expect that she won’t remember anything, but the Haitian told her that it’s very important that she does remember. He asked her if she could keep a secret.

Season Two

Claire's family has moved to California, and have changed their last names to Butler. She meets a boy who can fly (West), but her stay becomes short when a man from the paper company takes her hostage because her blood has healing powers (when in the end bring her dad back to life after he is shot in the head by Mohinder Suresh.

Character History

One or both of Claire's biological parents had abilities, but when Mr. Bennet came to take them for testing, it went badly, and Claire was left an orphan. Mr. Bennet took the three year-old girl home. She's know for a long time that she was adopted. She was best friends with Jackie Wilcox for a long time, and used to emulate her. That all started to change when Claire discovered her ability approximately six months prior to the events of "Homecoming". Claire had just made the cheerleading squad and Jackie was teasing her by threatening to take it away, and in the ensuing horseplay, Claire accidentally smashed a mirror with her hand, producing a deep cut that required a trip to the hospital. A day or two later, Claire looked under the bandage and there was no trace of injury.

Signifigant Episodes

• 1x01 - Genesis: Claire rushes into a burning train and saves a man, attracting some unwanted publicity.
• 1x04 - Collision: Claire deals with the man who accidentally killed her while attempting to rape her.
• Cx04 - Aftermath: Claire drags Brody out of the car wreck she caused when it catches fire.
• 1x06 - Better Halves: Claire meets with her biological parents.
• 1x09 - Homecoming: Sylar nearly kills Claire, but she is saved by Peter Petrelli, and she learns there are others like her that have abilities.
• 1x11 - Fallout: Claire learns how far her father will go to protect her.

Memorable Moments

• Claire ran into a burning train derailment to test if shew was fireproof, and ended up dragging a man to safety.
• Claire woke up in a morgue cut in a clasic Y or V after being killed during an attempted date rape.
• She was painted in one of Isaac's prognosticative paintings being chased by a person
• After determining that Brody Mitchum was probably just going to keep on raping women, she deliberately crashed his crashed a car into a building.

Trivia

• Wildcats vs. Trojans: In the pilot episode (and promotional pictures from it), Claire's cheerleading logo has a "Trojans" logo. It was later changed to "Wildcats" for the ease of shooting, because the real school they chose to use for shooting had the same red-and-white colour scheme, but their football team was the Wildcats. The "Trojans" logo is also seen in "Aftermath", the first Claire comic.
• MySpace: Claire has a MySpace page.
• Suicide Girl: Before 1x10 - Six Months Ago, it had been suggested that she found her power when attempting to commit suicide. It has since been shown she discovered her ability after accidentally cutting her hand.
• Haden (the actor) Does all of her cheerleading stunts herself.

Quotes

• 1x01 - Genesis: [After jumping off a bridge and getting up unharmed]
  [To camera] "This is Claire Bennett. And that was attempt number six."

• 1x01 - Genesis: "Popular? Who said anything about being popular? My life as I know it is over, okay? I've got the Bishop game next week, SAT's in October, homecoming's three weeks from today and I'm a freak show!"

• 1x01 - Genesis: "I have busted, like, every bone in my body, stabbed myself in the chest, I've shoved a two-foot steel rod through my neck and I don't have a scratch on me!"

• 1x01 - Genesis: Mrs. Bennet: "So, what about you, Claire? Do anything special today?"
  Claire: "I walked through fire and I didn't get burned."

• 1x04 - Collision: "I can do this..."