Take that, science!Heroes assemble! Here's we go, part one of the supposed game-changing epic known as "The Eclipse." A good start but I feel that most of the big surprises are being left until part two. This episode also requires that you've seen each and every episode of the season, so make sure to catch up on previous recaps in case you need a quick refresher. Eyes toward the sky, let's begin.
Prologue: Mr. Petrelli is furiously sketching images yet to come. We see Nathan and Peter falling, Sylar and Elle kissing, and HRG holding the bleeding body of Claire. Lastly, he draws the eclipse once more. Elsewhere in Pinehearst, Sylar is fine-tuning his new electric powers by zapping beakers. Elle thinks he's getting pretty good at it, but he feels that he has a lot more work to do until he's as good as she is at it. He feels he has to prove himself, but when asked to whom, he doesn't say. Mr. Petrelli enters and tells Sylar that he has a mission - find Claire and bring her there. Elle wants to go too - she feels that her training with the Company more than qualifies her for this sort of mission. Arthur agrees, and says that they are a good pairing. Of course he does, he knows that they're going to end up together.
At Primatech, Angela and Claire are walking the halls, and Claire laments that all of this is always about her - after all, she's the catalyst. Angela has a plan - Nathan is going to find the Haitian, Matt is going to find Hiro, and Claire is to remain out of harm's way. Claire doesn't like this, and says she's sick of hiding. Angela leads her into Level 5 (not to lock her up, although she had thought about doing that), to show her that the Puppet Master has been contained, and to reunite her with her dad.
Peter wants to tag along with Nathan to find the Haitian. Nathan insists it is too dangerous - the Haitian is (naturally), in Haiti tracking down another Lv. 5 escapee - Baron Samedi, the voodoo god of death. Peter says that since he's lost his powers, he has no sense of who he is anymore. He suckers Nathan into taking him with him. They fly off. Speaking of flies (see what I did there), Mohinder is performing an autopsy on his deceased lab experiment when his hands start to bleed from underneath his surgical gloves. He tells Arthur that he needs the catalyst right away. Time is certainly a factor - he shows Mo the picture of Claire and tells him that this is going to happen today. Mohinder says that today is also the eclipse, so maybe there's a connection. Arthur is mad - he said that he thought it was coincidence about powers and the eclipse, but Mo isn't so sure of that anymore. Arthur says they had better prevent this because if not, the world is going to end. He shows him a picture of the Earth exploding. Everything changes today.
Old Partners, New Partners: HRG has taken Claire to Steven Canfield's old house (he was the man who could make black holes). Claire isn't surprised that this is to be her safe house - her dad is a man who likes to be in control, whether it is of a situation or of her, and that he'd do anything to keep the catalyst safe. No, he insists. He's keeping her safe, not the catalyst. Meanwhile, Sylar and Elle are at a car rental place. Sylar gets off the phone with Mr. Petrelli, keeping him regularly updated. She wants to know why he's being such a little daddy's boy - it's completely against his nature. They know that Claire will more than likely be with her father, because Sylar claims to know him so well. When he asks where the attendant is, Elle says that he's in the back calling the cops because she told him that Sylar was a serial killer and that she was his hostage. Why? Because it is true, and Sylar should be locked away. As they go to leave, the attendant enters from the back room brandishing a shotgun. Elle plays the victim, all the while egging Sylar on to kill him. The attendant is glad to help, thinking that he'll be a hero. He smashes Sylar's face with the butt of the gun. Sylar heals and tell him that he hates heroes. Uh oh.
Back at Steven's house, HRG is ripping up a floor board. He tosses it to Claire and tells her to try and hit him - after all of her begging earlier in the season, he's finally willing to train his daughter on how to defend herself. After some protesting, she finally takes a swing at him. He's able to catch the board, spin her around, and put Claire into a headlock. She's got the strength for it, but she should use her body weight behind it to try to catch him off guard. What kind of martial arts is this? Baseball!
The sky has now gone dark from the eclipse and Claire is still taking batting practice, now against a banister. HRG can see that there's something on her mind and isn't focusing on her attacks - she should use her anger and turn it into strength. He has her attack him again, and this time, she works out her abandonment issues in the process. He would always leave the family for missions and she resents him for it. She manages to actually hit him, and when he's on his knees, Claire comes close to stabbing him through the neck, but stops herself. Just then, Elle enters to break up the party. She goes to zap them, but nothing happens. She thinks the Haitian must be there with them, but he is not. HRG pulls his gun but Sylar enters. He too tries to use his powers, only they don't work. He and HRG get into a slugfest and the gun goes flying. Elle grabs it and tries to shoot HRG. Thinking that she can save him, Claire dives in front of him and gets shot in the shoulder. HRG knocks Elle out and picks up Claire, running out of the house. 
I'd fight Sylar for her.
HRG enters his house, still carrying Claire, and Sandra freaks out. Why isn't Claire healed? She wants to call 911 but they can't - the cops will question a gunshot wound, and what happens if her powers kick in, how can they explain that? No, HRG feels that he can tend to the wound himself. Claire's in a lot of pain, which is good - she's glad she can feel again. Her dad thanks her for saving his life. He's able to remove the bullet and treat her wound as best as he can, and the good news is that she doesn't have a fever, and should be ok. HRG goes to leave and Sandra stops him. He cannot leave right now, but there's something he has to do. He does leave and Sandra goes to check in on Claire. She's bleeding out again, and it is really bad. She's also unconscious!
Sylar's arm has been dislocated and he is in a lot of pain. Elle pops it back into place for him. Their powers still don't work, and now they are "just human." Sylar says it's a bit of a relief, and he feels clear headed, like he did when he first met Elle. She feels guilty for her part in turning him into a monster, but he doesn't blame her, she was just following orders. He grabs her and kisses her. Outside, HRG has a sniper rifle set up, with Sylar in the crosshair!
Welcome to the Jungle: Nathan and Peter have a less-than graceful touchdown in Haiti - they crash land, luckily, into a small lake. All of a sudden, Nathan couldn't fly. Could it be the eclipse, or did the Haitian see them coming, or was it just the country? (Note: X-Men's Savage Land, a prehistoric jungle secretly tucked away in Antarctica, has the tendency to take away powers as well). The boys head into the jungle and see a doll on a tree - it isn't a voodoo doll, it's a prayer for salvation. Hmm, I didn't know Peter was so well versed in Haitian culture. Peter wants to head in one direction, because their map shows the village they are looking for to be that way. Nathan disagrees, saying that he saw the village in the other direction when they were flying (falling) through the air. 
Jungle Boogie
After some time, they arrive at a cliff - looks like Nathan's directions were wrong. The brothers bicker, mostly about how Nathan will never admit when he's wrong. The fighting escalates and Nathan insists that he always has to be there to save Peter. He saved him from killing himself, he saved him from destroying New York, and so on. He thinks he deserves respect, but Peter can't respect him - he's just a puppet. He's been walking their father's path his whole life, and in the future, Nathan will choose Arthur's side. Nathan says that'll never happen, and they're trying to stop him. Just then, the Haitian shows up! They need his help because their father is still alive. Now if he'll just return Nathan's power, they can get out of there. But the Haitian didn't take his power, and his are gone as well. The universe must have decided to take away their powers. But for right now, the Haitian can't leave - he must stop Samedi, his brother! His brother have invulnerable skin and has used his power to instill fear in people, and is their cruel leader. Peter offers to help, but Nathan stops him, saying this isn't his fight. Just then, shots are fired at them. They are chased through the jungle by machine gun fire. Nathan is apprehended and tells them who he is. Samedi says that he knows who he is because Arthur told him he'd come. He hits him with his gun and knocks him out cold.
There's No Place Like Home: Matt and Daphne have been tasked to find Hiro - with Hiro's time travel ability, it's like having a "do-over" button. Daphne is nervous, saying that it is because she thinks that Arthur will discover she's turned on him (even though in reality she hasn't) and take away her powers. She's a betrayer, a liar, and a thief. Matt says that he trusts her. She wants to know if he really does, and he says he does completely. Just then, there's a knock at the door - it's Hiro and Ando! Ando tells them that Hiro thinks he is 10, as evident by Hiro doing the pee pee dance in the doorway. "We're all going to die" - way to stay optimistic, Daphne.
Matt tries to read Hiro's mind, but it's all in Japanese, so he's unable to translate. Daphne is surprised to see that Ando is alive (last she saw him, he had been stabbed in a bar). Ando isn't pleased to see her either, but she swears that she's a good guy now. Then comes the best moment of the season - 10 year old Hiro stares down the magical turtle and they start bopping their heads up and down. Bliss. Daphne finally breaks under the pressure and has to leave - Matt wants to know why. She says that when she asked him if he trusts her, he paused, implying that he doesn't. Being a speedster, that tiny little pause felt like a lifetime. She wants to leave, but Matt reads her mind, trying to get a hold on what she's thinking. He hears her think about Lawrence, KS, where she grew up. That's it; Daphne zips out the door.
Matt needs Hiro to teleport him to Kansas, assuming that's where Daphne's gone too. Ando is still convinced she's a villain, but Matt stands up for her. Hiro shows that a panel in 9th Wonder has them standing in a field of corn, so he teleports them to Kansas. Matt can hear Daphne's thoughts nearby, so they make their way to a farm house. The sky starts to go dark - the eclipse has begun. An older man answers the door at the house (I guess Daphne's father, they never said specifically). He says that Daphne's not home, yet she calls out, telling Matt to go away. Matt tries to Jedi Mind Trick the man into letting him in, and stares creepily at him. It isn't working. The closes the door on Matt. The man walks to Daphne's bedroom and she's in trouble. She says it's "happening again" and he'll "go get them."
Outside, Matt and Hiro are now powerless. Matt feels he can't save Daphne without his powers. Hiro won't allow this - part of the Hero's Quest is to triumph without powers. He starts throwing corn at Matt until he decides to act. Matt rushes back to the house. Ando is impressed with Hiro, asking where all of that Hero's Quest talk came from - why it is from the Saturday Samurai Matinee Showdown, of course! Their latest issue of 9th Wonder has come to an end, so they'll need to find the next one. Hiro knows that in every town in the world, there is a place where the wisest men gather. In ancient times, it would be at temples of the gods, or even a Hall of Justice. The pair make their way to the local comic shop!
Luckily for them, it's Wednesday, and any geek worth his or her salt knows that Wednesday is new comic book day. Hiro finds the latest issue of 9th Wonder, but not before two people at the comic shop (played by special guests Seth Green and Breckin Meyer) recognize our dynamic duo from the pages of 9th Wonder! Sam's Comics is about to become the unofficial geek center of the universe!
Daphne's father drives off and Matt makes a play for the house again. He calls inside, insisting that he knows Daphne is a good person. Even if the vision he experienced during his spirit walk wasn't real, he knows that he does love her. She calls to him to come inside. She is partially covered by shadows, and tells him that she didn't want him to see her like this. She comes into the light, and she's wearing leg braces and supporting herself with the kind of crutches used by people with severe paralysis. It's a very sad moment - the reason she loves her power so much is that it heals her.
Odds and Ends: Mohinder is talking into his recorder, all the while coughing up a lung. He's trying to figure out the significance of the eclipse and what the connection it has to the powers. His hands are suddenly covered in a very sticky goo. Next time we see him, he's cocooned himself up against the wall.
Tracy is on the phone with Mr. Petrelli, and she informs him that Nathan went to look for the Haitian. He thinks this is a smart move - taking away his powers would be the best way to remove him as a threat. He tells her to travel to Paris Island, a Marine training facility - "every war needs an army." Angela enters and Tracy covers, making up some lame story about having to get back to Washington.
Mohinder emerges from his cocoon, all naked and gross, but there's some good news - he's totally healed. His scabs are gone, as well are his powers. Is this just a temporary reprieve during the eclipse? He wants to leave and go find Maya (for some lovin') but Arthur won't let him leave. Flint is there to act as his muscle - even without his powers, he's a threat. Arthur wants Mo to give them their powers back. It seems Mr. P's getting a bit desperate.
Next week, part two! Will the Heroes remained de-powered? And can we expect some amazing geek dialogue at the comic shop? One can only hope! Until next time, turtle power.
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