Paul Hayden was an obsessive, psychotic ex-boyfriend of Helen Bryce.
He served as the main antagonist of the episode "Precipice" in the Second Season of Smallville.
He was portrayed by Anson Mount, who also played Jack Hammond in Non-Stop.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Paul Hayden met Helen Bryce in medical school, but Helen broke up with him when his ex-girlfriend told her that he was abusive. Completely obsessed with Helen, Paul made it his life's journey to have Helen for himself again.
Season Two[]
Paul visited Smallville and first saw Helen at the Talon. Helen saw him across the room reading a newspaper and turned away, but when she looked back, he was gone. Helen asked Lana Lang if she saw him and Lana claimed she didn't. Paul then sent Helen her favorite flowers on her desk at the Smallville Medical Center. Paul then walked in and took credit for it, surprising Helen and told her he was in Smallville on business, and read that she was getting married to Lex Luthor.
Lex walked in and Helen introduces Paul as a former boyfriend from med school. Lex had to break his lunch date with Helen due to a meeting. Paul offered to fill in, but Helen got a call from a patient and politely declined. At the medical center, Helen Bryce finished for the day, but she couldn't start her car. Paul had sabotaged her car, and then showed up to "rescue" her. When Lex arrived, he accuses Paul of stalking Helen and suspects he tampered with the car which Paul denied.
Paul went back to his hotel room muttering he'll do anything to be with Helen and then smashes his forehead into the mirror, injuring himself badly. Unknown to him, Lex had his security guard, Meechum, follow Paul. In the emergency room, Paul told Helen that Lex was responsible for his injuries. Helen confronted Lex about this accusation as the sheriff took Paul's statement. Lex believed Paul must be unhinged to do that to himself.
Later Helen unexpectedly found Paul in the pathology lab of the hospital. He tells her that he's been trying to make himself successful so she will take him back. But she rejects him telling Paul she loves Lex. When he tried to kiss her, she tried to run away, but he blocks her exit. Her phone rings and Paul let her answer it. Helen tries to tip off Lex who senses something is wrong and rushes to her right away. Paul guessed that she was talking to Lex and beats her to within an inch of her life. Lex found Helen beaten and bloodied and became furious. Lex couldn't reach his security guard Meechum.
Sheriff Adams had issued a warrant for Hayden's room at the Heartland Motel. Lex went to Paul's hotel room with Clark following. They heard a cellphone ring and found Meacham in the bathtub with his throat slit and realize that Hayden must be driving Meechum's car. As the Sheriff arrives, Lex grabbed Meechum's gun and leaves with Clark. Lex used the LoJack system to trace the car to a railway station. Lex spots Hayden in the crowd on the platform. Hayden runs behind the train, and Lex catches up with him between trains.
Lex has a gun on Hayden, and then he gives him Meacham's gun to make sure it looks like self-defense. Hayden fires, but the gun isn't loaded. Before Lex can shoot him, Hayden kicks him to the ground and runs away. Lex follows him into another empty train car. It's a dining car with a kitchen at the back. When Lex makes it all the way to the back. Hayden comes out of the shadows and clobbers Lex with a frying pan. They exchange blows, but Hayden gets the upper hand. When Lex is on the floor, Hayden looks around and finds an axe on the wall.
Clark saw what Hayden's about to do and rocks the train car, so he loses his balance. Lex jumps up and knocks Hayden to the floor, sticking his gun in his face, but he can't pull the trigger, so he hits him in the face just as Clark and the sheriff show up. The sheriff is furious to find them there, but Lex claims to be making a citizen's arrest. The sheriff accepts it, but warns Clark that there will be trouble if she catches him snooping in any more police investigations. Paul plead not guilty by reason of temporary insanity and Lex didn't fight the plea.
