Meredith Gordon

Meredith Gordon
Portrayed by	Jessalyn Gilsig
First appearance	The Fix
In-story stats
Known ability	Pyrokinesis
Nickname	Cool aunt with flamethrowing action
Gender
Age	35
Home	formerly Mexico and Kermit, TX (see other residences), currently Costa Verde, CA
Residences	formerly an apartment in Kermit and a trailer in the Forever Young Trailer Park, currently the Bennets' residence
Significant other	formerly Nathan Petrelli
Child	Claire Bennet
Sibling	Flint

Meredith Gordon was a one-time-lover of Nathan Petrelli who became the mother of his child; Claire Bennet. Meredith faked her death after Company agents came for her, and believed Claire to have perished in the collapsing building until many years later, where Meredith reconnected with her daughter. She is an evolved human with the ability to control and manipulate fire.

Character History

The Fix

Claire finds out from the Haitian that her mother died in a fire 14 years ago. Checking old newspaper reports, Claire finds a report that Meredith Gordon died in a fire in Kermit, TX, at the age of 21, along with her 18-month-old daughter. Calling everyone named Gordon in Kermit, Claire reaches a woman who claims to be Meredith, her birth mother.

Distractions

Claire visits Meredith at her trailer park home in Kermit, TX. Meredith describes how she thought Claire had been killed in the fire and then wandered for years afterward, only returning to Kermit a few months ago. When Claire demonstrates her self-healing ability, Meredith demonstrates her own power to create fire. After the visit, Meredith gives Claire a necklace, and places a call to Claire's biological father, Nathan Petrelli.

Run!

Meredith tells Nathan that she has received a visit from their daughter, Claire, and asks if there's anything he would like to do. Nathan offers $100,000, which Meredith accepts. When Claire visits and asks again about her father, Meredith says that he would disappoint Claire, but that he has offered the two of them $50,000, of which Claire is entitled to half. She also tells Claire that she is planning to return to Mexico. When Nathan later visits Meredith to deliver the money, Meredith tells him that Claire would like to see him if he's interested, but he tells Meredith that she did well to keep them from meeting.

Company Man

Claude wonders whether the Company was aware of Meredith's daughter before ordering Meredith to be bagged. Then, Mr. Bennet reports to Kaito that they believe Meredith died in the fire.

Graphic Novel:Hell's Angel

In 1992, Mr. Bennet and Claude go to Meredith's apartment in Kermit for a "bag and tag". When they enter, however, they are thwarted by a destructive fire.

The Butterfly Effect

After the criminals of Level 5 escape, Noah Bennet decides to attempt to capture the escapees. He hires Meredith to keep an eye on his family when he is away.

One of Us, One of Them

After Claire expresses a desire to skip school so she could seek out and capture evolved human criminals like her father, Meredith meets her in the driveway. Claire asks if Meredith can teach her to fight, and Meredith tells her to get in the car; she's playing hookey today. Meredith takes her to an empty shipping container, and they lock themselves in, saying this is how Claire will have to learn. Meredith produces flames from each of her hand that heat the container's interior as well as consume the oxygen. As conditions in the container begin to grow intolerable for Claire, Meredith relentlessly asks her why she wants to learn to fight, not accepting Claire's claim that she wants to be able to help people. Finally, Claire admits that she wants to fight so she can get revenge, and Meredith douses the flame.

Angels and Monsters

Meredith comes into the kitchen and asks Sandra what's wrong and where she thinks Claire is. Sandra replies by showing Meredith Noah's files on the Level 5 escapees and states that Claire must have gone after one of them. Meredith reminds Sandra that Claire can heal so she'll be okay. The two women look through the files, and Meredith recognizes Eric Doyle's picture and describes him as a bad man. Meredith says that his old address is not far and that is where she will start looking for Claire. Sandra tells her to wait and says she can help, but Meredith creates fire in her hand and asks Sandra, "Can you do this?"

Later, Meredith is sitting with Doyle, eating spaghetti. Doyle pours some wine and Meredith tells him to go to hell. Despite her objections and disgust, she obeys his every command. Doyle smiles and forces Meredith to eat more spaghetti and then to kiss him.

Dying of the Light

Eric Doyle and Meredith discuss their former relationship and Doyle's desire to resume it. Doyle forces Meredith to stab herself in the neck with a broken wine glass, but it is only a minor wound.

Claire and Sandra arrive at Doyle's Marionette Theatre and Claire tries to rescue a petrified Meredith. Doyle uses his power to control all three women and forces them to play Russian roulette. Claire has Sandra shoot her, then as Doyle thinks that she is dead, she attacks and subdues him from behind.

Noah arrives to return Doyle to lockup and attempts to recruit Meredith for The Company.

Heroes Evolutions

According to a tip in the assignment tracker map, Meredith has been linked to a series of fires across the U.S. and Mexico.

According to Eric Doyle's assignment tracker profile, Meredith met Eric at an antique flea market, where Meredith was admiring a rare 19th century marionette. Meredith was initially polite, but Eric became increasingly desperate. Despite abducting her and manipulating her, he was unable to make her love him. When the Company bagged and tagged Eric, Meredith survived.

Evolved Human Abilities

Meredith has the power of pyrokinesis, the ability to create fire (The Fix). In addition to creating fire, she seems to be resistant to some of the consequences of its use; her flames heated the walls of a shipping container enough to burn Claire's hands, and they consumed enough oxygen to nearly suffocate Claire, but Meredith showed no discomfort from the heat or lack of oxygen (One of Us, One of Them).

Memorable Quotes

"Some family."

- Meredith (to Claire) (Distractions)

"There are some things you can't fight, Claire."

- Meredith (to Claire) (One of Us, One of Them)

"Go to hell you filthy..."

- Meredith (to Eric Doyle) (Angels and Monsters)

Notes

• Since "Meredith Gordon" has been reported dead, she may be using a different first name now, at least for legal purposes. However, no one has yet referred to her by any other name, and she may have spent enough time out of the country for this to be a non-issue.
• After the fire, Meredith Gordon lived several places before returning to Kermit, TX:
  • Cuernavaca, Mexico — 50 miles South of Mexico City. (Of possible interest, Unnamed #6 was listed in Chilpancingo, Mexico, which is 90 miles from Cuernavaca.)
  • La Paz, Mexico — There are at least 16 La Paz, Mexicos, none being particularly close to either Cuernavaca or Kermit.
  • Meredith tells Claire that she "just got back to Kermit a couple of months ago". (Distractions)

Trivia

• Her first name, Meredith, is of Old Welsh origin, and its meaning is "great, noted ruler" or "sea lord".
• Her last name, Gordon, is of Old English and Gaelic origin, and its meaning is "large fortification".

See Also

• For others that could be considered Claire's parents, see Claire's parents (disambig).

Fan Theories

Please refer to Theory:Meredith Gordon for fan-created theories and other speculation.