How to Stop an Exploding Man - Recap

After killing Linderman, D.l. collapses from his wound, but tells Niki to get Micah out. She tells him she can’t do it on her own and as Linderman’s guards respond to the gunshots, they come in to find an empty room.

Molly recognizes Matt from Los Angeles and asks if he’ll keep her safe like he promised. He recognizes her and glares at Mohinder and Bennet, who have him at gunpoint.

Hiro comes out of the dojo, wondering where Ando has gone. Hiro’s father Kaito tells him to ignore Ando but Hiro refuses, insisting his father keep faith in him. Kaito gives him the family sword and Hiro teleports away.



At Isaac’s loft, Sylar begins painting the future, sketching out a standoff between himself and Peter at Kirby Plaza. Once he recognizes Peter, he slashes at the painted figure.

Angela visits Nathan and tells him of Linderman’s death, and that the plan is still underway. Nathan insists that he isn’t necessary to set off the explosion.

Phasing through walls, D.L. gets Niki to a lower floor and tells her to keep going, that she’s the stronger of the two.

Over Thompson’s dead body, Bennet explains to Mohinder and Matt how the Company has become corrupted. Molly complains of a sudden illness. Bennet gets a call from Claire who tells him that Sylar has killed Ted and gained his ability. She puts Peter on the line and Bennet tells him that he’s the only one who can stop Sylar and they’re working to fix their “tracking system.”



Peter and Claire drive to meet Nathan, even though Claire warns against it. Using Matt’s abilities, Peter reads her mind and sees that she doesn’t trust him now either. Peter explains to Nathan what’s going on and that he needs his help. However, he reads Nathan’s mind and realizes how he’s involved. While they talk Claire runs away and Angela finds her. Peter tries to get away from Nathan to find Claire, turning invisible, but Ted’s power overwhelms him and he collapses.

Bennet tries to get Mohinder to help Molly get her ability work so they can find Sylar. Molly explains that she can find anyone except for one person, who is much worse than Sylar, and they can find her if she tries to find them. Bennet redirects her to Sylar, who places him at Isaac’s loft. Bennet calls his daughter but Angela takes the call. Angela derides Bennet for not watching over the daughter that was assigned to him, and that she and Nathan are taking Claire and themselves to safety. He asks to talk to Claire and tells her to go with the Petrellis but get away from them later. He tells her he doesn’t know where Peter is, but he has a plan and gives her his love. After hanging up, he tells Matt that they need to find Peter to stop Sylar, but Matt insists that he’ll dispose of him no matter what it takes.

Peter is dreaming of seeing his other self on the roof of the Deveaux building, pushing Charles Deveaux in his wheelchair with Angela Petrelli present. The other Peter leaves them and meets with Simone, saying that he’s no hero but her father is. The “real” Peter listens as Charles and Angela talk about Linderman’s plan and that Peter is the key to stopping them. Angela disagrees, insisting the explosion must occur so Nathan can lead the world, but Charles disagrees. Angela wishes him well despite their differences and leaves… and then Charles addresses the dreaming Peter, realizing that he is somehow “there.”



Ando arrives at Isaac’s loft with the sword, but slips on the blood and Sylar disarms him. Reading the 9th Wonders! comic, Sylar sees how it predicts his death but insists Hiro can’t kill him. Sylar demands to know where Peter is and when Ando can’t answer, he prepares to cut off his head. Hiro teleports in and gets Ando’s sword, but Sylar threatens to kill Ando before Hiro can stop time. Hiro chooses to save his friend, teleporting them both away.



Niki finds an open door and an unconscious Micah, with Jessica seated near by. Niki can’t understand how Jessica can exist as a separate person, particularly when Jessica attacks her.

Matt gets to Isaac’s loft but Sylar has already left. Seeing the painting of Kirby Plaza, Matt heads there. He calls and tells Mohinder that Sylar is coming, but Molly tells Mohinder that Sylar is already there.

Claire asks Nathan and Angela why they’re not trying to stop the explosion, and Nathan claims it’s inevitable. They insist that Peter will survive no matter what, since he has Claire’s ability. Nathan hugs her and asks her to trust him, offering her the chance to be part of their family. Claire insists she already has a family and leaps out the window. Hitting the ground below, she regenerates and runs away. Nathan considers going after her but Angela says not to.



Jessica and Niki fight, with Niki all but helpless against her stronger “self.” However, when Niki is knocked into a mirror that shatters, she sees the “real” Jessica in a shard of glass, who tells her she’s not fighting herself. Niki attacks “Jessica,” her strength manifesting, and knocks her unconscious. Unconscious, “Jessica” reverts to Candice, and the image of Micah disappears as well. Niki finds Micah in a closet and rips it off its hinges with her strength.

Mohinder and Molly find the injured D.L. and try to get him out by the elevator. It’s disabled and they take to the stairs.

Hiro teleports Ando to Yamagato Industries and says he has to continue his quest alone. Ando reminds Hiro of the heroic stories Hiro told him, and how Hiro will be a legend as well. Hiro takes the sword and teleports away.

In Peter’s dream, Charles explains that Peter is there to learn how he will save the world, and that love is all that matters. The “past” Peter wheels Charles away and Bennet wakes up Peter, having located him using Molly. Bennet explains he’s paying Peter back for saving Claire by helping him stop Sylar. Peter wonders what will happen if he can’t stop his own radioactive abilities, and Bennet assures him that he’ll kill Peter himself.

The guards on the stairwell are closing in on Mohinder, D.L., and Molly when Niki and Micah arrive. Niki seals the door while Micah uses his power to summon the locked-down elevator so they can escape.

Peter and Bennet arrive at Kirby Plaza, but Sylar takes out Bennet and starts choking Peter telekinetically. Matt arrives and shoots Sylar, who stops the bullets and throws them back at Matt, wounding him. Mohinder, Molly, D.L., Niki, and Micah come out of the Kirby Plaza building and Mohinder sees to Matt. Sylar takes out Peter with a parking meter to stop him from exploding, but Niki attacks Sylar. Peter mimics her strength and attacks Sylar, telling Niki to go with her family. However, Peter’s hands start to glow and Sylar boasts that he’s the hero for trying to stop Peter.



Hiro teleports in and stabs Sylar in the chest. Peter tells Hiro to kill him next, but Sylar throws Hiro across the plaza, forcing him to teleport away before he hits the wall. Sylar collapses from blood loss as the lives of his victims flashes before him… and then his own.

Peter continues to glow and Claire arrives, taking the gun from her father. Peter tells her to kill him but she wonders if there’s another way. Nathan flies in, telling Peter there is a way to change the future. The two brothers express their love for each other, then Nathan grabs Peter and flies him up into the sky. Everyone looks on as high above, the explosion occurs.



In the aftermath, Matt is taken away by the EMTs while Molly holds Mohinder. Bennet prepares to take Claire home, and when she points out that their home burned down, he says that wherever their family is, that’s their home. And a streak of blood extends from where Sylar lay to an open manhole, as a cockroach crawls on the cover.

End of Volume 1

Volume 2: Japan, 1671

Hiro falls out of the sky and finds himself in a field. He turns and sees a band of Japanese samurai heading toward him, preparing to fire arrows. He turns to run and sees another samurai flying a banner with a familiar symbol, and Hiro recognizes him as Takezo Kensei. Both sides draw their swords and prepare to attack, but shadow passes over the sky and everyone looks up to see the cause: a solar eclipse.




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