Pilot

"*Ready for a story about superheroes? Ugh. More TV Superheroes. Just what the world needs. Be honest, have you hung yourself yet? Or what if I told you this was actually a story about super-zeroes? Loser, achingly pathetic meta-human goose eggs. How about it? Ready to feel better about your own miserable lives for the next hour or so?*"
—Mr. Nobody breaking the fourth wall and talking to the audience

 Written by

"**Pilot**" is the first episode of the first season of *Doom Patrol*. It premiered on DC Universe on February 15, 2019.

## Synopsis

In the series premiere episode, the team – tired of being stuck in Doom Manor – decides to visit the local town while The Chief is away. However, this seemingly harmless field trip leads to some grave consequences, including an encounter with the mysterious and powerful Mr. Nobody.

## Plot

### Paraguay, 1948

Eric Morden, a nameless henchman, is taken to a Nazi, Heinrich Von Fuchs. Von Fuchs is posing as the villager cobbler, and takes Morden to an underground chamber to "enhance" him. Once Morden pays Von Fuchs, Von Fuchs places Morden in a chamber and has him recite that *"The mind is the limit"*. White lights flash in the chamber and Morden's existence fractures.

### Florida, 1988

At a manor, Kate Steele's daughter Clara cries and Kate calls to the maid, Giselle. However, in a nearby cabana, Kate's husband Cliff is having sex with Giselle. Kate goes to the cabana and Giselle steps out as Cliff arrives with Claire and assures Kate that Clara is fine. Giselle takes Clara from Cliff's arms.

Later, Cliff gets into his race car at the track as Giselle and Clara look on. Kate is at the car and tells Cliff to crash and die, and they kiss. Cliff and the other racers speed around the track, and as Cliff passes the pit he sees Kate fondling one of the members of his pit crew. Kate boasts about it over the radio, and Cliff screams in anger and loses control of his car and seemingly crashes.

Cliff's life flashes before his eyes, and he wakes up to see Dr. Niles Caulder looking down on him, working with welding tools. The race car driver flickers in and out of consciousness, seeing Caulder watching a TV show about welding, a man wrapped in bandages, and an energy being. Later, Cliff wakes up and Niles addresses him by name and introduces himself. He has Cliff nod his head to indicate that he hears him. Later, Cliff sees Niles and Rita Farr watching one of Rita's old movies, with Rita reciting the lines alongside with her movie self.

Later, Niles wakes Cliff up and asks him to remember what it felt like to move his head. Cliff does so and Niles tells him to move his head. When the driver does it, Niles smiles in satisfaction and explains that Cliff was in a terrible accident and most of his body was destroyed. Niles promises that they're close to restoring him and tells him to rest.

Niles continues working Cliff, helping him get his speech back. Cliff sees a calendar and realizes that it's 1995, and subsequently deducts that seven years have passed for him. He asks where Kate is, but Niles tells him that the world thinks that he died back in 1988. Cliff wonders what Niles did to him, but rather than answering him, Niles shuts him down instead. Later, Cliff wakes up and Rita says that Niles is a good man even if he's a little vague, and always says the truth. She explains that the only part of Cliff that Niles was able to save was his brain, and shows him a mirror, and to Cliff's horror, what he sees on the other side of the mirror is himself in a robot body. Cliff exclaims in shock and Rita turns him off.

Niles comes into the room rolling in his wheelchair and reminds Rita that he had previously said that Cliff wasn't ready. Rita however, stands by her decision and states that everyone deserves the truth. Later, Niles turns Cliff back on and assures him that he's still very much himself. He explains that they're in his home and it's a safe place for Cliff and others like him to heal. Cliff asks where Kate is, and Cliff remembers arguing with Kate and the car crash. He asks if Kate has moved on after seven years, and says that everything he remembers is bad. Niles assures him that it's disassociative memory and Cliff will soon have all of his memories, good and bad.

The bandaged man, Larry Trainor, comes in shortly thereafter. Niles introduces him to Cliff and says that Larry can help Cliff with his recovery. Larry takes Cliff around Niles' home, on a cart. Cliff asks what Larry's story is, and Larry explains that he was a test pilot for the Air Force once upon a time.

### California, 1961

Larry kisses his wife Sheryl Trainor and his sons goodbye as he goes to fly the X-15. The aforementioned plane flies up past the atmosphere and a radioactive field hits it. The field enters Larry's body and he passes out, which eventually leads the state of the art plane to fall back toward the earth. The jet crashes, and Sheryl and her children see the crash in the distance. When the technicians arrive, they find a burned and scarred Larry walking toward them, still on fire but apparently alive.

### Present Day

Cliff practices walking up some stairs and fails. Rita tries to cheer him up by mention how there's always tomorrow. Larry eventually explains that Rita was once an actress. Cliff feels frustrated as he explains that he can't do anything human. He imagines seeing his daughter Clara Steele there, and later Niles says that she might be the inspiration Cliff needs to recover his memories. Niles explains that some have stayed and some have left, but that those who leave find the world isn't too keen to accept them. He assures Cliff that there's no mechanical reason he can't walk, so it's only a matter of time.

The next day, Cliff watches car races on TV. Rita comes in and Cliff says that he's remembering. She sits with him and asks if he used to drive around and around. Cliff asks if she was in the movies, and Rita harkens back to her past.

### Africa, 1955

Rita performs a scene for her movie *Forbidden Congo* but gets distracted when she sees a focus puller missing his arm. Afterward, Rita complains to the director, Charles, saying that the focus puller is an eyesore and goes to her tent. Later, Rita does a scene with a fake crocodile on the river. A board breaks and she falls into the river, and she accidently swallows some strange chemicals in the water. They bring her to shore and everyone stares at her face in shock. One woman finally shows Rita a mirror, revealing that her face is twisted and baggy. Shocked, Rita walks off and the rest of her body changes as well.

### Present Day

Rita sits with Cliff and eats the first of three rotisserie chickens. Later, Cliff tries to go up the stairs and hears Clara's voice in his memories. Larry tells him to walk up the goddamned steps, and Cliff does so imagining Clara is helping him. He reaches the top and cheers.

Soon, Cliff is walking around Doom Manor, and then tells Niles that his family deserves to know what happened to him. He thanks Niles for everything that he's done, and Niles says that all he wanted to do was give Cliff a second chance. He then plays a recording of the phone message that Cliff left for his wife, and says that it will help Cliff understand how his brain has been altering his memories to help him cope all this time. Once Niles leaves, Cliff plays the recording. On the tape, Cliff says that he doesn't know what happened and he's going to be better.

He remember that he easily survived the crash and went onto win the race. Kate comes over and stares at Cliff, and Cliff beats the man who was sleeping with her. He then goes on to celebrate and have sex, and calls Kate and leaves a message on her answering machine tells her that he doesn't know what happened and he's going to be better. Kate picks up the phone and tells him to go on, and later he picks up Kate and Clara and drives away. As they drive down the highway however, they slam into a truck.

Niles tells Cliff that he was the only survivor of the crash, and Cliff goes berserk, screaming in rage. Once he recovers, Cliff tells Nile that he can't feel pain and says that it was shitty of Niles to bring him back.

### 1996– 2019

Cliff moves into a room at Doom Manor and sets up a race slot track. Larry and Rita join him, and one day they hear a young girl exclaiming that she's back. The girl is revealed to be Jane, also known as "Crazy Jane", and she has 64 different personas: each with their own special power. Sylvia appears to be the one is manifesting and Niles asks to speak to Jane. Hammerhead takes over and calls Niles a bitch, and Cliff and the others happen to witness it. When she sees Cliff, Hammerhead stares at him. Larry and Rita quickly leave, and Cliff refuses to let Hammerhead into his room. He says that he has cars, and Hammerhead continues insulting him. Hammerhead grabs his crotch and hits metal, and then runs off to her room.

The next day, Jane is in the yard painting. Cliff comes over and they introduces each other. Jane says that Hammerhead told her about Cliff, and she's been there since the 70's. Cliff says that he's on edge because it would be Clara's 35th birthday if she was still alive. It starts raining and Jane continues painting, and Cliff stands and watches. The Hangman's Daughter takes over and asks if Cliff remembers what it felt to be normal. She says that her painting is ruined now and everything has gone wrong, and Cliff asks her to come in out of the rain.

Life continues in Doom Manor, and Niles tells the group that he's leaving to investigate mysterious things. He tells Jane to behave and leaves. Eventually the four inmates realize that they can do anything since Niles isn't there, and Jane suggests that they take Larry's bus into the nearby town of Cloverton. Cliff and Rita come out, and Cliff agrees. Larry initially refuses, and Jane plays to Rita's ego, saying the world hasn't seen her in 60 years. After a moment, Rita tells Larry to come with them.

The quartet drive into town with Cliff at the wheel. Rita goes off on her own after asking them for money. Eventually ending up at Classic Cafe and sits at the counter.

Cliff and Jane walk through Cloverton to a toy store as the townspeople stare at Cliff's body. Jane reminds him that he said it's Clara's birthday.

Larry sits in the bus alone.

The waitress, Debra, says that Rita reminds her of the 50's actress and talks about how relatable the actress was. Rita says that she "knows" the Rita Debra is talking about, and the aforementioned waitress talks about how she how used to watch movies with her father and Rita got them through some tough times.

Meanwhile, Larry finally gets off the bus.

After they buy a stuffed giraffe, Cliff and Jane sit in the park and Cliff talks about how he forgot his daughter's birthday one year. Jane lights a cigarette and blows the smoke in Cliff's face, and asks if he feels anything.

Larry goes into a bar, sits down, and orders a drink. The bartender nervously asks him what he wants, and Larry orders a beer.

Debra talks about *Forbidden Congo* and says that Rita got replaced mid-picture, supposedly because she was a drunk. Rumor had it that Rita was doing porn afterward, and Rita starts to lose control.

Cliff figures that Jane cares a lot about what Niles thinks of her. Jane tells him to call Clara back if he wants to get his life back, and says that his shitty driving and Kate's decapitation in a car crash all over the Internet. Clara survived, and smashes Jane's phone when she tries to look it up.

Larry realizes that everyone is staring at him, and remembers how he was in love with his technician John Bowers despite the fact that Larry was married to a woman and had kids with her .

John runs to Larry as he collapses from his injuries.

In the present, Larry's chest glows.

Rita continues losing control.

Two policemen come over and ask Jane there's a problem. She changes to Hammerhead and insults one of the officers.

Meanwhile, back at the bar, Larry runs out in panic.

Cliff tries to calm things down, but his appearances doesn't help smooth things over.

Rita limps out of the cafe, her body changing. She finally collapses into a protoplasmic blob and expands, bursting out through the windows. Cars crash, and Jane and Cliff run over. Larry sees the chaos, mutters "no", and runs off after debating wether or not to help Rita.

Jane tries to get through to Rita as she oozes down the street.

Larry's energy form emerges from his chest and his physical body collapses.

Larry's negative energy form fries everything it passes through. Which inadvertently leads a school bus to crash and end up directly in Rita's path. Jane turns into a giant flame-headed energy form, and Cliff steps in front of the blob and pulls up the concrete, creating a barricade. It oozes around the sides and Rita says that she just wants to go home.

That night at the manor, the quartet watches TV and is unaware of the danger that their visit brought to Cloverton.

Niles drives into town and sees a reporter doing a piece on the destruction. He sees a donkey down the street but when he glances back, it's gone. When Niles arrives at the manor, he tells the quarter that they have no idea what they've done. Niles goes to his lab and takes out photos of the donkey, realizing that he can't hide from his enemies.

Later, Niles tells the group that the consequences are coming to the house and the town. He says that they need to run away as soon as possible and as fast as possible. However, Cliff realizes that the town is screwed. Niles complains that Jane set up the whole thing for her own amusement, and Cliff accuses him of lying to him about Clara being alive. Now he's a monster. The "Chief" says that Cliff isn't a monster, and knows that he's asking them to leave the safest place they've known to go out into a world to shun them. However, if they stay then they'll all die and Niles' life accomplishments will disappear. Cliff suggests that they stay and fight. When Niles says that they'd be doomed if they do, Cliff asks what they are now.

Larry announces that he's going with the Chief, and Rita agrees with him. After a moment, Jane says that she's going with them as well. They drive away in the school bus, but Jane says that they should turn around and help Cliff. Rita agrees and after a moment, Larry moans in despair. Jane takes that as a yes, and drives back to Cloverton, and gets out as Cliff walks into town.

Rita starts to transform. Larry puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and then helps her along.

The bus shakes and Niles mutters "Paraguay". Morden, in his new form of Mr. Nobody, appears behind him and says that it's always Paraguay.

The donkey walks out in front of the group, stares at them, and farts. The gas rises into the air and forms the words "The mind is the limit".

Mr. Nobody tells Niles that he's been observing the group for a while, and they're going to try something different. He claps his hand and a vortex appears in the center of the town, sucking everything around it in as Mr. Nobody says that the group Niles has gathered is doomed.

## Cast

### Starring

* Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane, Sylvia, Hammerhead, the Hangman's Daughter and Sun Daddy (inhabiting Kay Challis' body)
* April Bowlby as Rita Farr
* Alan Tudyk as Eric Morden/Mr. Nobody
* Matt Bomer as Captain Larry Trainor
* Brendan Fraser as Cliff Steele

### Special appearance by

* Timothy Dalton as Dr. Niles Caulder/The Chief

### Also starring

* Riley Shanahan as Cliff Steele[a]
* Matthew Zuk as Larry Trainor[b]

### Guest starring

* Julie McNiven as Sheryl Trainor
* Julian Richings as Sturmbannführer Heinrich Von Fuchs
* Kyle Clements as Staff Sergeant John Bowers

### Co-starring

* Alan Heckner as Bump Weathers
* Sydney Kowalske as Clara Steele
* Ashley Dougherty as Giselle
* Katie Gunderson as Kate Steele
* Monique Yvette Grant as Waitress
* Juan Hernandez as Valet
* Todd Allen Durkin as First Assistant Director
* Peter Leake as Director
* Daniel Baldock as Bartender
* Quinten Johnson as Cop
* Orelon Sidney as Wendy, the News Reporter
* James Fuertes as TV Tom
* Jwaundace Candece as School Bus Driver
* Caleb Williams as School Bus Kid #1
* Alton Williams as School Bus Kid #2
* Thomas Williams as School Bus Kid #3
* Vailana Antonucci as School Bus Kid #4
* Bryan Murphy as Edward
* Amanda Martins as Wardrobe Gal
* Durrell Lyons as Focus Puller
* Justin Boykin as Bus Boy

## Trivia

* The series begins with a recreation of Mr. Nobody’s origin, which was taken from *Doom Patrol #26* that was written by Grant Morrison and penciled by Richard Case.
	+ Eric Morden had first been seen in *Doom Patrol #86* (written by Arnold Drake and penciled by Bruno Premiani), when he assisted the Brotherhood of Evil during their first encounter with the Doom Patrol.
	+ Years later, Eric was on the run and came across a former Nazi in Paraguay. The Nazi experimented on Morden, and after spending some time in a device known as the White Room, he became the being called Mr. Nobody. His body and mind had both been warped, and he traded in the Brotherhood of Evil for the more surrealistic Brotherhood of Dada.
* As Mr. Nobody is recounting Larry’s origin, he talks about how Larry "crawled from the wreckage." That interesting choice of words is an illusion to “Crawling from the Wreckage”, the first arc of writer Grant Morrison’s legendary run, which began in *Doom Patrol #19*.
* Before Cliff got his robot body he wasn’t the nicest person. Rita was also a bit of a diva, and Larry was cheating on his wife with a man. This is in line with how they were portrayed in the comics before they became heroes. The original depiction of the trio’s origin in M*y Greatest Adventure #80* (written by Bob Haney and Arnold Drake, penciled by Bruno Premiani) portrayed them as innocent victims of misfortune, but later retellings took a different angle.
* *Doom Patrol #57* (written by Grant Morrison and penciled by Richard Case) revealed that not only did the Chief secretly engineer all of their accidents, but he had chosen each of them because he felt their personalities had been flawed.
* This episode features a tender moment with Robotman and Crazy Jane which seems to be taken straight from Jane’s first appearance in *Doom Patrol #19* (written by Grant Morrison and penciled by Richard Case).
	+ Upon a closer inspection, Jane’s painting in the episode, also has a similar color scheme and layout to the one from the comics. Jane and Cliff’s conversation also has dialogue taken from the scene from the aforementioned comic.
* The jacket that Cliff wears throughout the episode is similar to one he was drawn wearing during Grant Morrison and Richard Case’s run. For many years, Robotman seldomly wore clothes, and sometimes stuck to giant trench coats. But once he donned his iconic jacket in *Doom Patrol #23* (written by Morrison and penciled by Case), he was rarely seen without it.

## Notes

1. ^ Shanahan portrays Cliff in his robot body.
2. ^ Zuk portrays Larry while bandaged.

## References

1. ↑ "Doom Patrol: Descriptions For The First Two Episodes" - TitansTV
2. ↑ All the Easter Eggs in DOOM PATROL's Pilot Episode - DC Universe