Biography
James Pendrick is a wealthy inventor who lives in Toronto.
Accused of killing everybody.... Actually killed nobody...
Seen in
"This One Goes to Eleven"
Pendrick had just completed the Pendrick Building, which he designed. He and his wife held a gathering to display Bathsheba at Her Bath by Rembrandt. The painting was stolen as it was being taken to storage. The painting was recovered, but William Murdoch was suspicious the Pendrick was somehow involved in the complicated theft.
"Future Imperfect"
"In the Altogether"
"The Tesla Effect"
"Who Killed the Electric Carriage?"
"Murdoch Air"
Since his last encounter with Murdoch, Pendrick was on the verge of financial ruin, until he got wind of a contest held by a Samuel Mortimer, who was promising a million dollars to the first man who could attain controlled flight with a 100 pound load before July 1st. With financial backing of a man named Reginald Gleason, Pendrick constructed his flying machine, the Pendrick Arrow, creating two versions, the test craft and the actual machine. His assistant Matthews was assigned to remotely pilot the test craft but sometime afterwards went missing. Murdoch soon turned up with the test craft's wireless receiver and accused Pendrick of recklessly testing above Toronto, resulting in an innocent man's death. Pendrick denies that he nor Matthews would do something so reckless and informs Murdoch that he had just discovered a wire tap, indicating that someone was spying on. Soon after, the barn's alarm bell rang and the two men were tranquilized by Canadian agents, who stole the Pendrick Arrow.
Pendrick was later kidnapped by American agents, led by Allen Clegg, who held the pseudonym of Gleason, to question on how to fly the Arrow which they stole from the Canadians, as only Pendrick knew how to operate the tilters to make it turn. Pendrick deduced that Clegg had Matthews killed and refused to cooperate, so Clegg dislocated his left shoulder. Luckily for Pendrick, Murdoch managed to rescue him and they made for Canada on the Arrow. Approaching Niagara Falls, the aircraft started to lose altitude, as Pendrick did not account for two passengers. He proceeded to drain their fuel to lighten their load. Upon landing safely in Canadian territory, their relief is short-lived, as Mortimer, or more accurately, Agent Terrence Meyers, showed up to take possession of the Arrow. Refusing to let his invention be used as a weapon, Pendrick pushes it into the water, where it goes over the falls. He was spared retaliation, as Murdoch reasons to Meyers that Pendrick technically destroyed his own property. Defeated, Meyers spitefully tells Pendrick that he betrayed his country.
After Meyers left, Murdoch asks Pendrick why he would give up his place in history. He answers that everyone has only one life and boasts that they both know that he was the first man to fly. Murdoch corrects that technically it was him.