Amid Halebi
| Amid Halebi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Portrayed by | Omid Abtahi |
| First appearance | Unaired pilot |
| In-story stats | |
| Known ability | Induced radioactivity |
| Alias | Engineer |
| Gender | |
| Occupations | Engineer, Terrorist |
| Significant other | Unnamed wife (deceased) |
Amid Halebi or The Engineer is a character who appeared only in the 72-minute extended unaired pilot that was shown at Comic-Con 2006 in San Diego. He had the ability to project radiation from his hands.
Character History
Matt Parkman is on the scene of an investigation into a suspected terrorist cell. FBI agents arrive and search the house, but find no trace of the engineer. They discuss his involvement in a number of terrorist plots. Matt's telepathic powers begin to emerge and he locates a member of the terrorist cell hiding under a grate.
Meanwhile, in an apartment elsewhere Amid is preparing to commit suicide by hanging himself when several armed terrorists break into his apartment. They take him off to the headquarters of their cell, where their leader questions him. The engineer, a former terrorist and member of their cell himself, and alleged 20th member of the 9/11 attacks, explains that he left the organization because he fell in love and married a Western woman, but that she has died of cancer. The leader, Joseph, tells him he wants to cause an explosion in a major city, and that he's already obtained a device — from the crashed nuclear regulatory train in Odessa, TX — but that he needs plutonium and the engineer's expertise to pull it off. Amid then demonstrates his power by causing a glass of water in his hand to boil, and explains that they won't need plutonium to cause the explosion.
Just then, federal agents, following information Matt was able to obtain from the man caught in Los Angeles, break in and shoot most of the terrorists. Joseph escapes, but Amid is arrested--and he and Matt recognize one another.
The Engineer has the ability to create radiation. He uses this power to potentially aid a terrorist plot to derail a train.
Notes
- Tim Kring has explained in interviews that the terrorist plot was removed from the story because it was considered potentially too controversial, especially for the time slot it would be aired (8 o'clock or 9).
- In the DVD audio commentary for the unaired pilot, Tim Kring explains the intended relationship between Amid and Matt: as a teenager, Amid had been a foreign exchange student who had lived with Matt and his parents. While in America, Amid grew to love the country, but his feelings changed upon returning.
- The Engineer appeared in several promotional teasers for the show, and Isaac's painting of him boiling water was left in. The prophecy was later realized differently when Ted Sprague caused a glass of water to boil. (Seven Minutes to Midnight)
- Several elements of the Engineer's story, most notably his powers and his backstory regarding his wife dying of cancer linked to his own radiation powers, have been reused for the character of Ted Sprague.
- Amid Halebi is on Chandra's list.
- The Rule of Ted was likely not conceived during writing for the pilot, due to the severe damage done to Amid's hand by induced radioactivity.
Gallery
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Amid Halebi's hand is damaged by his radiation. -
The Engineer demonstrates his radioactive power. -
