Claire's tape

Claire's tape
Zach reviews Claire's tape.
First mentioned:	Genesis
Owned by:	Claire Bennet
Current status:	destroyed by Claire Bennet; subsequently re-created

Claire's tape, originally filmed by Zach, documents Claire Bennet and many manifestations of her regenerative powers. After Zach loses his memory, he and Claire recreate the tape. Claire later films yet another tape by herself.

About

Genesis

At an abandoned refinery, Zach films Claire's attempts to purposely kill/injure herself. In one clip, Zach films Claire jumping from a platform about 80 feet high, hitting the ground face first, and surviving. She appears to only have broken some ribs (protruding through her skin) and dislocated her shoulder. She pops her shoulder back into place and announces to the camera that this was her "sixth attempt," though based on Zach's reaction this is probably the first she's had him tape. She doesn't notice the broken ribs until after Zach points them out. She reinserts them and they heal instantly.

Subsequently Zach records Claire running into the fiery train wreck.

Don't Look Back

Zach tries to talk to Claire all day, eventually catching up to her on the football field. He tells her that the tape which was in his backpack is now missing. It turns up in the hands of Mr. Bennet who doesn't appear too surprised at what he sees.

Nothing to Hide

Zach brings the tape back to Claire, saying that he found it under his bed while looking for his PSP even though he looked there "like fifty times". Lyle Bennet finds it and watches her jump off the structure and get hit by a car. Lyle announces that he's going to put the tape on YouTube and "make, like, a million dollars." After a tense situation, Lyle agrees to give the tape back to Claire.

Homecoming

In the Union Wells locker room, Claire confronts Jackie, saying "You're trying to be me." Claire reveals to Jackie that she knows the newspaper clipping is false, and that Jackie did not rescue anybody from the train wreck — it was Claire. Jackie tries to deny her previous falsehood, but Claire counters: "I have it on tape."

Fallout

Mr. Bennet tells Claire that he knows about the tape. At his urging, Claire gets the tape from Zach and smashes it with her foot. Later, she discovers that both Lyle and Zach, at the hands of the Haitian, have lost all memory of the tape.

Godsend

Claire takes a memory-challenged Zach back to the abandoned refinery. She tells him that the first tape they made was for her to show her parents; now she will make a tape for Zach and so she'll never forget what she can do. Claire tells Zach that he is making many of the same comments he made the first time. She climbs to the platform, and Zach reluctantly films her falling. When he approaches, still filming, Claire announces her name and says, "As far as you know, that was attempt number one."

Graphic Novel:Elle's First Assignment, Part 2

As Zach and Claire walk home from the abandoned refinery after filming Claire's sixth test of her ability, Elle watches from afar through binoculars and realizes she just missed them. However, she noticed the two looking at a tape and decides to take a new approach to her assignment.

Elle knocks on the front door of Zach's home and he answers, asking Elle who she is. She invites herself in and tells him her name is Cindy--she's in his fourth period English class and he told her he'd let her copy his notes. Zach doesn't recall that ever happening, but Elle ignores him and checks to see if Zach's parents are home. After asking for the tape and submitting to the fact flirting with Zach is futile, she resorts to threatening him with a ball of electricity. Before Elle can use it, Noah comes in and pistol whips Elle, knocking her out.

Noah asks Zach if he's all right, and Zach says he is and thanks Noah for saving his life. Zach asks Noah why his friend is there, and Noah replies by telling Zach he's going to make sure Elle never bothers him again. After that, Noah and the Haitian turn to Zach and Noah asks where the tape Elle was talking about is.

The Butterfly Effect

After she gets attacked by Sylar, Claire no longer feels any pain. She questions her humanity and makes another tape, one that she operates herself. She starts out by saying how she is questioning if she's even human and if she can get killed. She walks onto a railroad track and then announces, "My name is Claire Bennet and this is attempt #7." A train appears, but Peter flies into the shot and gets her out of the way.

Gallery

• 
  Claire Bennet leaps from an 80-foot structure.
• 
  The jump is recorded on Zach's camera.
• 
  Claire's dislocated shoulder quickly healed.
• 
  Claire's tape shows her violently hitting a windshield.
• 
  Claire's power allows her to survive full-speed vehicle impacts, mangled limbs, and broken bones.
• 
  Lyle is horrified when he finds the telltale tape.
• 
  Zach films Claire a second time.
• 
  Claire recreates her earlier actions, this time for Zach.
• 
  Claire begins to make another tape, this time planning to throw herself in front of a train.
• 
  Peter ruins her attempt by flying in and removing her from the tracks.

See Also

• For storyboards from the scene in The Butterfly Effect in which Peter saves Claire, see here.