User:Milbury/Sandbox
One day, during one of Ned's frequent attempts to force Doyle to enjoy the beach, Ned gave his nephew's ragged finger puppets to his dogs as chew toys. Watching the last keepsakes of his childhood destroyed sent Doyle into rage, causing his power to manifest for the first time: Doyle forced his uncle to swim away from shore and drown in the Pacific.
Afterward, Doyle experimented eagerly with his power while waiting to be arrested for Ned's murder. But the police investigation concluded that Ned had been caught in a riptide while beachcombing. The escape emboldened Doyle in the months ahead. Left with his uncle's house and assets, Doyle opened a moderately successful marionette theater, entertaining children with intricate shows but clashing constantly with parents and business relations. Behind the theater operations, Doyle carried out an increasingly more brutal pastime: the kidnapping and torture of those whom he felt had slighted him.
Doyle met Claire Bennet's birth mother, Meredith Gordon, at an antique flea market, where Meredith was admiring a rare 19th century marionette. In Company interviews, Doyle claims he fell in love at first sight and felt that he and Meredith were meant to be together. But despite Meredith's initial politeness and Doyle's increasingly desperate attempts - including abduction and manipulation - he was unable to make her love him, to his deep frustration. The Company made its initial bag and tag of Eric at this point, and Meredith survived.
