Enhanced strength

Enhanced strength
Niki Sanders (as Jessica) pins her father on a wall.
Originally held by:	Niki Sanders (synthetic, deceased), Knox (deceased), Michael Fitzgerald, Scott (synthetic, deceased), Mohinder Suresh (synthetic)
Absorbed by:	Peter Petrelli (lost)
Ability to:	Exert greater than normal physical force
Examples of enhanced strength

Enhanced strength is the ability to exert greater than normal physical force.

Characters

• Niki Sanders was granted this ability synthetically.
• Peter Petrelli absorbed this ability from Niki (How to Stop an Exploding Man), but lost it to his father (Dying of the Light).
• Peter Petrelli has since replicated this ability using his new ability
• Knox can convert ambient emotions into enhanced strength. (The Butterfly Effect)
• Michael Fitzgerald possesses this ability. (Viewpoints)
• Scott, a Marine recruited by Pinehearst, is given the ability synthetically. (Our Father)
• Mohinder Suresh injected himself with the incomplete formula resulting in a strange ability. Exposure to the complete formula caused all aspects of the strange ability to dissapear except enhanced strength

Limits

Niki Sanders

Niki Sanders's alter ego, Jessica, had superhuman physical strength sufficient to physically dominate and kill people much larger than her, often several at a time. She was able to tear people in half (literally) and tear the door off an office safe with her bare hands. In addition to being able to exert such force, she had the ability to resist the forces she applied, so she was not injured when performing superhuman feats of strength. There was no evidence that she had unusual resistance to other sources of injury. Her strength wasn't limited to her upper body, as she was able to send D.L. flying with a kick. (Fallout)

Niki was unable to access this power for most of Season One without Jessica taking control. She was first able to use it on her own in How to Stop an Exploding Man. As she was physically the same person, she presumably had the same limits as Jessica.

Peter Petrelli

Peter absorbed this ability from Niki in How to Stop an Exploding Man, and used it to effectively bloody Sylar's face. Later when Peter used this ability, he demonstrated enough concentrated strength to throw a man against a wall by punching him at the chest (Lizards). After returning from the future, he is strong enough to easily hold Sylar against a wall with one hand. With a mere twist of his wrist he completely broke Sylar's neck (Angels and Monsters). since gaining his new ability, he has sice replicated it from mohinder, Peter was able to break free of metal restraints and knock down a government agent. (A Clear and Present Danger)

Knox

Knox states that he can increase his strength by absorbing the fear of others who are around him. His assignment tracker profile says he can convert ambient emotions into enhanced strength. These claims are supported by Knox's ability to detect fear in other people. Enhanced by the fear of numerous hostages, he was able to punch through the body of the German and make a hole in the metal locker behind him (One of Us, One of Them). In a possible future, Knox tells Claire that he can "smell" her fear while being unable to smell any fear from Daphne. After the accidental death of Noah Gray, his source of fear, his strength disappears immediately when Sylar strikes back, leaving him vulnerable (I Am Become Death).

Knox seems to inhale deeply before utilizing his strength (I Am Become Death). He also trembles violently with great amounts of fear (Eris Quod Sum).

Without feeding on the fear of others, Knox is only as strong as a normal person. He attempts to bend a steel bar while no one is around but cannot. (Hard Knox, Part 2)

Michael Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald's ability is, according to Sylar, enhanced strength and "durability". Despite this, Sylar is able to bypass Michael's durability by telekinetically closing his windpipe (Viewpoints).

His eyes and the tattoos on his body appear to glow when his ability is in use. The reason for this is unknown.

Scott

After the formula was finally perfected, Scott was injected with it and obtained enhanced strength as a result. He demonstrated his ability by breaking free of his restraints in the Pinehearst laboratory, unbolting his chair from the ground, and throwing it through a glass window with enough force to lodge it securely in the wall on the other side (Our Father).

Mohinder Suresh

After having the perfected formula wash over him, all traces of his old ability disappeared save his enhanced strength. He has demonstrated this ability on several occasions, including ripping a car door off it's hinge to use as a make-shift shield.

Selected Examples

• 
  Jessica throws Matt Parkman out a window.
  (Run!)
• 
  Niki throws Candice across a room with one punch.
  (How to Stop an Exploding Man)
• 
  Peter easily throws McSorly's son across the pub.
  (Lizards)
• 
  Niki destroys the company hospital, and easily takes out Mohinder and Bob.
  (The Line)
• 
  In a horrific dream, Angela witnesses Claire being decapitated by Knox.
  (The Butterfly Effect)
• 
  Strengthened by the fear of his hostages, Knox punches a hole straight through the German's abdomen and the metal wall behind him.
  (One of Us, One of Them)
• 
  Michael Fitzgerald charges towards Sylar.
  (Viewpoints)
• 
  Scott uses his new ability.
  (Our Father)

Notes

• It is unclear which personality (Jessica or Niki) was in control when she snapped the prison guard's baton in two. If it were actually Niki, this would be her first demonstration of super strength. (Godsend)
• In 2007, Niki is locked up in a cell from which she cannot escape using her brute strength. It is unclear what it is that stops her.
• Though Peter was exposed to Knox in The Butterfly Effect, it is unclear whether or not he absorbed Knox's ability, and whether or not this adds to the strength he absorbed from Niki. Additionally, it is unclear whether or not he now has the ability to sense fear in others.
• At various times, other evolved humans have displayed strength beyond that of a normal human.
  • Sylar punched through a cab window with his fist (Seven Minutes to Midnight), and was able to wield a parking meter as a weapon (How to Stop an Exploding Man). Whether this is an ability he has acquired or an application of another power is unknown.
  • An aspect of Mohinder's ability is increased strength. He was able to crush a gun with his bare hands and toss a man several meters into the air (The Second Coming). He was also able to hurl a table across the room at Nathan and Tracy (Dying of the Light), and, with apparent ease, physically dominate Mark Spatney (I Am Become Death), a drug dealer (Angels and Monsters), and Sylar (Eris Quod Sum).

See Also

• For the similar power of deforming objects, see Crumpling.
• For the similar power of insect-like strength, see Mohinder's ability.