Train wreck

Isaac Mendez's painting of the Odessa, TX Train Wreck

On October 2nd, unknown circumstances led to the fiery derailment of a train in the town of Odessa, TX. Claire Bennet and Zach cross the police line surrounding the wreck on the way home from one of her attempts. Seeing another opportunity to test the limits of her regenerative ability, Claire charges into one of the burning cars while Zach videotapes her from afar. Inside the car, she notices a firefighter overcome by the heat and smoke, whom she rescues. When a firefighter notices the lack of burns on her body, Claire flees.

Notes

• In a television news report on KVFD, it is mentioned that the train was registered to to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, but there had been no official statement as to what was the train's cargo.
  • The information conveyed by the reporter may merely be a holdover from the initial cut of the pilot episode. In an October 12th interview, executive producer Tim Kring commented that the entire terrorist subplot was too controversial to go with. The November 8th blast may therefore have nothing to do with the train derailment in the new, refined storyline.

Fan Theories

• The missing painting in Isaac's wall-sized comic may be one of his paintings of the derailment or Claire inside the train car, as this could potentially lead the Heroes to Odessa.
• The train may have been derailed in order to steal nuclear material it was carrying since it was registered to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.