Level 5 escapees
| Level 5 escapees | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location: | formerly Level 5 |
| Purpose: | To seek revenge (Knox, Jesse) To make money (Flint, The German) To meet their families (Noah, Stephen, Dennis, Maury) To reclaim their "territory" (Samedi) |
| First appearance | The Second Coming |
| Known members: | Noah Bennet, Stephen Canfield (deceased), Echo DeMille (deceased) Dennis (deceased), Eric Doyle, Michael Fitzgerald (recaptured), The German (deceased), Flint Gordon, Jr. (deceased), Howard Grigsby, Jesse Murphy (deceased), Maury Parkman (deceased), Tina Ramierez (recaptured), Baron Samedi (neutralized, possibly recaptured), Benjamin "Knox" Washington (deceased) |
| Equipment used: | Their abilities, guns, a taser, a pneumatic syringe |
The Level 5 escapees are a group of prisoners, categorized as "villains" by the Company, which were held in Level 5 of Primatech Research. They escaped after a showdown between Elle and Sylar. Most of the escapees are evolved humans, yet one of them is former Company agent Noah Bennet, who returned to temporary service for the Company after his escape.
History
The Second Coming
Some of the prisoners, namely Flint, Knox, and Peter Petrelli (trapped in the body of Jesse Murphy) are seen in their cells.
The Butterfly Effect
During a showdown between Elle Bishop and Sylar on Level 5 of Primatech Research, Elle unleashes a massive discharge, which blows out Level 5's power grid, releasing a dozen prisoners.
Shortly after their escape, some of the escapees make their way to a gas station, where the German and Flint terrorize several customers, beating them to death and burning them alive. Peter Petrelli, stuck in Jesse's body, calls his brother, informing him of his future-self's presence. However, Knox abruptly ends the call and informs "Jesse" that it's time to go. They flee in a stolen vehicle.
One of Us, One of Them
Four of the escapees, under the assumed leadership of Knox, arrive at the First Federal Bank of New York in Poughkeepsie. As they are entering, Knox feels Peter's fear, who claims it is nothing. After Flint threatens the customers with his ability, the German breaks into the safe, and empties it of all its money. Shortly after, the police arrive, and Knox announces the robbery is not just about the money. The German threatens Knox, yet Knox senses his fear and punches his hand through the German's body, killing him.
Knox later reveals they robbed the bank to attract the man in the horn-rimmed glasses. He asks Jesse questions about his past life, and realizes that it is not Jesse who is answering the questions. Once Noah enters the bank, the hostages are released, and Knox takes Noah aside. He confronts him about his confinement in Level 5, and claims it is his turn now to punish Noah. Peter, using Jesse's ability, sends Knox flying across the room. Soon thereafter, Sylar enters the bank. He stops Knox from punching Noah, and kills Jesse, stealing his ability. While Knox escapes, Flint is captured again.
Angels and Monsters
After Claire takes off, intending on capturing the escapees, Sandra and Meredith look through the Noah's files to see who she may have gone after. Sandra notes that Stephen Canfield can harm Claire in a way she cannot heal from, and Meredith worries that Claire went after Eric Doyle, who she claims is a horrible person. Meredith decides to go to see Doyle to check if he's got Claire.
Claire enters Stephen's house and, using a taser, she incapacitates him. After hearing that his incarceration in Level 5 was due to an accidental use of his powers, Claire decides not to bring him in, but rather help him get in touch with his family. Soon thereafter, Noah and Sylar break into the house, intending to capture the escapee. Stephen decides to flee and, to cover his escape, opens a vortex that almost kills Claire.
Later that day, Claire, Noah and Sylar track Stephen down to a park where he is waiting for his family. Claire promises he won't be harmed, but Noah puts a gun to his head and tries to force Stephen to get rid of Sylar in exchange for being allowed to go free. Torn between his morals and his freedom, Stephen decides he cannot kill another human being, and instead opens a vortex and throws himself inside.
Meredith is forced to eat dinner with Eric at his residence. There, Eric controls her actions and forces her to kiss him.
Dying of the Light
Knox watches as Hiro 'stabs' Ando. He then leaves as Daphne gives them instructions.
Claire and Sandra go to save Meredith from Eric Doyle. He plays a dangerous game of Roulette with them, getting Claire to shoot Meredith, but there is no bullet in the gun. He then makes Sandra shoot Claire, and, when she regenerates, Claire knocks him out. They call Noah, he subdues him and takes him back to Level 5.
Maury casts another illusion impersonating Linderman, telling Daphne to go talk to Matt. Later, Daphne breaks back in to Level 5, letting Flint out again on Arthur's orders. She offers Sylar the chance to let him go, but he refuses.
Later, Knox takes Adam Monroe to Arthur Petrelli, and Adam tells him that he is not scared of Knox. When he hears what Arthur tells him, Adam becomes frightened and tries to escape, but Knox uses his power to stop him. Knox watches on as Arthur kills Adam.
Usutu paints a picture of the villains that Hiro must stop to save the world. They include Knox and Flint.
Flint, Maury, Daphne, and Knox watch as Arthur takes Peter's powers from him.
Eris Quod Sum
Daphne visits Arthur, where Knox and Maury are present. Knox picks up on Daphne's fear. Arthur tells Daphne to kill Matt, to Maury's outrage. Arthur casually kills Maury using his telekinesis.
Later, Knox comes after Matt and Daphne. Matt uses his ability to trick Knox into thinking he has killed them.
Flint tells Arthur that he has sealed off the building, but Sylar says that Peter has already escaped.
Noah and Meredith go to Isaac's loft to collect the cocoons that contain Mark Spatney and other victims.
Usutu gives Hiro his Usutu's paste so he can go on a spirit walk to find out more about the villains.
Graphic Novel:Viewpoints
Sylar hunts down three escapees: Dennis, Tina Ramierez and Michael Fitzgerald. He finds them in Dennis' ex-girlfriend (Rachel St. John's) home, in Chicago, Illinois. Sylar breaks into the house and finds out that the escapees know him, and want him to join them. Sylar refuses and kills Dennis, and then neutralizes Michael and Tina with telekinesis. Company agents then proceed to recapture Michael and Tina and send them back to Level 5.
Villains
Hiro's spirit walk reveals the past of Flint: he and his sister, Meredith Gordon, were partners in crime, until they were both captured by the Company. Flint was locked up, but Meredith was trained up to become an agent by Thompson. She frees Flint after he claims the Company were going to allow him to become an agent, and they both try to escape. Thompson finds them on a train, and in the struggle, Meredith is recaptured (but after discovering her reason for hating the Company, Thompson lets her go), the train is wrecked, and Flint escapes. According to his Assignment Tracker profile, he was recaptured by Thompson and relocated to Level 5 in Hartsdale.
It's Coming
Flint and Knox are sent on assignment to capture the catalyst (Claire Bennet). They go to Peter's apartment to capture Claire, and she confronts them, thinking they are there to recapture Peter, while Peter flees down a fire escape. After she throws herself out of a window and gets up again, she and Peter escape into the sewers, with Knox and Flint in pursuit. Knox easily captures Claire, but Peter returns and taunts Flint into unwittingly igniting a gas leak, and Peter and Claire escape. Later, Knox and Flint return to Pinehearst to watch Arthur sketch the eclipse.
The Eclipse, Part 1
The Haitian is hunting for his brother and Level 5 escapee, Baron Samedi, who was involved in drug trafficking, slavery and kidnapping, in Haiti. Samedi now use his powers to make the Haitian Vodou believers he is a god, and built an army ruled by feat. The Haitian meets Nathan and Peter on the way, but they were founded by Samedi. The Haitian and Peter escaped but Nathan was captured by Samedi and his men.
Flint is at Pinehearst with Arthur. Like the others, he no longer has his powers due to the eclipse but physically threatens Mohinder, warning him to find a way to restore their powers.
The newly recaptured Eric Doyle and Danny Pine are seen in their cells.
The Eclipse, Part 2
Nathan is locked up in a prison with two Haitian girls who will be sold to slavery. Samedi pays him a visit and tell him he can't stop him, since he is just a human. He then takes Marie with him and prepares to rape her, but the Haitian knocks him unconscious and ties him up. Peter, Nathan, and the Haitian struggle with Samedi's men, but they manage to take down them. Samedi, having regained his power, confronts them. Nathan flies him into a car, but he is unharmed. Then, the Haitian neutralizes his brother with his ability.
Flint is assigned to watch Mohinder as he works for a solution to the eclipse power loss. When Mohinder hesitates, Flint beats up Mohinder and briefly tortures him with a cigarette lighter. Later, Mohinder try to trick him, but it didn't work so he clubs him in the head with a microscope. After a brief struggle, Mohinder viciously beats Flint, leaving him hospitalized.
Our Father
Flint and Knox are seen patrolling the Pinehearst halls. Neither seem pleased that Nathan has taken over for his father.
Dual
Knox and Flint go to Mohinder's Pinehearst laboratory. They find Peter preparing to destroy the formula and find common cause: they want to make sure no one else can gain abilities and threaten their unique status.
Peter sent Knox to see Nathan and keep him prisoner until the formula is destroyed by him and Flint. Nathan attacks Knox and tries to incapacitate him, but Knox gains the upper hand. As Knox is about to kill Nathan, Tracy intervenes and kills him with her ability.
Flint painfully restrains Mohinder in return for Mohinder attacking him earlier. Flint renders Mohinder unconscious and helps Peter tip over the batches of the formula, then prepares to burn down the entire building. Peter objects and Flint prepares to kill him as well, but Nathan hits him from behind. As Nathan attacks Peter, Flint prepares to incinerate Nathan. Peter flies out with Nathan and the laboratory explodes in flame.
Noah releases the remaining Level 5 prisoners, and tells Eric Doyle, Danny Pine, and Echo DeMille that the first of them to kill Sylar will be guaranteed his freedom. Doyle asks what happens if they try to escape, but Noah warns that Sylar has sealed the building.
Later, Echo is found by Noah with his throat slit, and Pine's severed metallic arm is found on the ground by Meredith. As Sylar attempts to assault Meredith, Doyle appears and stops Sylar in his tracks with his ability. He claims Meredith as his own, but Sylar only asks him if he really thinks he can control him. Sylar concentrates on Doyle for a moment. Doyle's nose starts to bleed, then he falls onto the ground with his eyes twitching in his head.
Notes
- In an interview, writers Joe Pokaski and Aron Coleite said, "Now everyone is out." Assuming Howard Grigsby was still imprisoned in the facility at the time of the grid failure, he would have escaped with the others.