Theory:Joseph Sullivan

Main Article Theories about Joseph Sullivan Main Discussion

The following fan theories are about Joseph Sullivan.

For help on adding theories, see the help section.

Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Joseph Sullivan had empathic mimicry.	None	+ Lydia says Samuel is trying to fill in the void. + Samuel says he needs someone to help him fill the void from his brother's death, which is why he targeted Peter. + Samuel's interest in Edgar's statement regarding meeting an empath. - Peter isn't an empath anymore. + Samuel might not know that. As far as he knows, Peter has a very empathic personality, and has mimicked Edgar's power. + This could explain Samuel's interest with Sylar, who has many abilities, in the same way an empath would. • Joseph, if an empath, could have been the Swiss Army Knife of the carnival, having as many powers as he could. Losing someone so useful would need someone like another empath, or Sylar to replace. - Joseph was killed by Samuel just prior to the beginning of Redemption. It seems unlikely that anyone as powerful as an empath that had absorbed all the powers of the carnival would die to Samuel who, while a very powerful evolved human, has never shown any extraordinary skill in combating evolved humans. + Assuming the carnival does not have a regenerator, all it took was for Samuel to shoot Joseph in the throat.
Joseph had the ability to detect evolved humans.	None	+ Samuel said about Joseph, "He was my compass". The compass can detect evolved humans. • This is yet to be confirmed. - It would appear that the compass detects the carnival. - Joseph wouldn't need Lydia then. • Joseph wouldn't send Lydia away just because of her power, the carnival is a family. • Maybe when Joseph was alive, Lydia hadn't developed her ability enough to find evolved humans. First of all, her ability is to sense what others feel.
Joseph had some form of precognition.	None	+ Samuel's somewhat headstrong personality doesn't lend itself to both leadership of a group of mutants and staying hidden from the Company. Joseph may have made predictions which allowed the carnival to stay one step ahead.
Joseph had telepathy.	None	+ During Mohinder's visit he appeared to know what Mohinder was thinking and knew more about him.
Joseph was romantically involved with the fortune teller.	None	+ Samuel slapped Edgar for calling her an old hag, and wonders "what if Joseph caught [him] talking like that".
Joseph had the power of persuasion.	None	+ He spoke with Mohinder in the imperative tone. - It is possible that he may have telepathy or empathic mimicry.
Joseph is McSorley.	None	+ Joseph is older than Ricky. He is capable of forming a first family that didn't work out. - There are other characters who are older than Ricky, all of which fit that description. + He is old enough to be McSorley's son's father. - So were lots of other characters. + Joseph is a natural leader. - Every Company founder was a leader. + Joseph might have used the money, he made as a mobster to start the carnival. - He had Little Miss Goldenrod for that. - Joseph was a nice person, he wouldn't have threatened Ricky's gang, and besides, why would the carnival need iPods? • It's possible they were smuggled in so that Ricky's gang could sell them at a much lower price. - Nothing at all indicates that Joseph has ever even been to Ireland.
Joseph's power was empathic manipulation.	Samuel claims that Joseph has been emotionally manipulating him, a clear description of the power.	+ This could explain why he was able to make newcomers like Lydia feel welcome, and why everyone became uneasy when he died. He had been using his power to calm them but that evaporated when he was killed.