Space-time manipulation

Space-time manipulation
Hiro travels six months into the past
Originally held by:	Hiro Nakamura
Absorbed by:	Peter Petrelli
Ability to:	Alter the space-time continuum
Examples of space-time manipulation

Space-time manipulation is the ability to alter the space-time continuum, including:

• Time manipulation or chronokinesis (slowing down, reversing, or stopping time).
• Time travel (moving through time).
• Teleportation (moving instantaneously through space).

Characters

Hiro Nakamura is the only character known to have this ability. Peter Petrelli has reproduced this ability. (Unexpected).

Limits

All of Hiro's space-time manipulation abilities require intense concentration.

Hiro can apparently stop time, causing the rest of the world to seem to freeze while he can still move. When time is frozen this way, Hiro can still interact with objects and even people without them being "unfrozen" or aware of his activities. In addition, Hiro can slow time (Godsend), and reverse time (Unexpected). The last is particularly unusual, in that his manipulation caused a gun to actually misfire, as though time reversed for the bullet, but only slowed or stopped for the gun itself. This event suggests that Hiro can affect various objects to move through time selectively.

Hiro can teleport himself and at least one other person through space instantaneously. Such teleports can cover at least intercontinental distances. When carrying a "passenger", he needs to be touching that person.

Hiro can also move himself and another person through time into the future or the past. If moving into the past, he can alter history, but he apparently cannot alter history in such a way that he would eliminate his original cause for going into the past.

Both Hiro and Future Hiro have mentioned that careless use of time travel could cause a rift.

Hiro had relatively limited power upon returning from his attempt to save Charlie. He was unable to go back in time to try again to save her, and when attempting to stop time at the museum, he only succeeded in slowing it. Upon obtaining the sword of Takezo Kensei, he was immediately able to teleport himself and Ando through both time and space with relative ease.

According to an interview (see notes below), Hiro ages normally while using his power. Thus, if "he lived a year in the past and returned to the present, he'd be a year older."

Selected Examples

• Hiro makes the second hand on his clock go back one second. (Genesis)
• Hiro teleports himself from Tokyo to New York City, arriving five weeks in the future. He later teleports himself back, narrowly avoiding a huge explosion. (Genesis, Don't Look Back)
• Hiro stops time to rescue a young girl from a traffic accident. (One Giant Leap)
• Hiro stops time to save D.L. Hawkins and an unnamed passenger from the explosion of a car. (Nothing to Hide)
• Hiro travels six months into the past to try to save Charlie Andrews. (Seven Minutes to Midnight, Six Months Ago)
• Future Hiro travels back to the past from an unspecified future. He stops time, speaks with Peter Petrelli, and tries to avoid a rift. (Collision, Hiros)
• At the Museum of Natural History, Hiro slows down time in order to take a sword. (Godsend)
• In the Primm parking lot to stop a gun shot--slowing time, then reversing it. (Unexpected)
• On the roof of the Deveaux Building, Peter stops time to avoid being shot with a taser. (Unexpected)
• Hiro teleports both himself and Ando out of the art vault at the Montecito Casino. (Parasite)

Hiro's Weakened Power

Hiro believes the sword and other factors are sources of his power. He is sometimes frustrated by his lack of powers. Hiro is unable to control space-time:

• when Ando and he are in the bathroom while Jessica wreaks havoc. (Better Halves)
• when he teleports "too far". (Six Months Ago)
• when he accidentally teleports while kissing Charlie. (Six Months Ago)
• when he is unable to use his power to leave the roof of Yamagato Industries. (Six Months Ago)
• when he tries to stop time at the museum; he only slows it. (Godsend)
• at the parking garage, when he stares at the punch clock but is unable to manipulate time. (The Fix)

Upon acquiring the sword, Hiro was immediately able to use his powers with both greater effect and less effort.

Notes

• According to NBC.com's interactive map, Tracy Chobham possesses "teleportation" as a power.
• In an interview, Aron Coleite and Joe Pokaski explain that Hiro did reverse time with respect to Hope's gun in Unexpected.

Memorable Quotes

"No one ever got laid by stopping the second hand of a clock."

- Ando (Genesis)

Gallery

• 
  Hiro teleports to New York City and travels five weeks into the future.
• 
  Hiro stops time to save a Japanese schoolgirl.
• 
  Hiro uses his power to help Ando cheat at the Montecito Casino.
• 
  Lamenting his lapse in hitting a target, Hiro is "stuck" six months in the past.
• 
  Hiro stops time to make a thousand paper cranes for Charlie.
• 
  Hiro accidentally arrives back in the present in Tokyo.
• 
  At the Museum of Natural History, Hiro only manages to slow time down, but is still able to take a sword.
• 
  Hiro causes time to move backwards for Hope's bullet.

Fan Theories

Please refer to Theory:Space-time manipulation for fan-created theories and other speculation.