Theory:Niki Sanders

Main Article Theories about Niki, Gina, and Jessica Sanders Main Discussion

The following fan theories are about Niki, Gina, and Jessica Sanders.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Niki's ability isn't that of super strength but the ability to absorb one's psyche.	None.	+ This could explain how Niki survives the explosion in Powerless. • We don't know whether or not Niki survives yet. + Her sister Jessica had super strength that she could've absorbed when the Jessica personality formed itself.
Despite the events of Powerless, Niki is still alive.	None.	+ We never actually see DL die so he might come back to save her. Plus he's phased bullets out of himself before in How to Stop an Exploding Man. + We never actually see a body -only the explosion of the building Niki was in. It is entirely possible that she managed to escape somehow. + The explosion of Peter led viewers to believe that both Peter and his brother, Nathan, were dead at the end of Volume One. It's possible a similar bait-and-switch occurred here. - The previews suggested that two Heroes would "fall". Nathan was one and Niki seems to be the other. + The same sort of prediction was made when Noah was shot. This may mean that Niki is down, but not completely out. It also could easily have referred to Maya getting shot. - Not even Niki could have survived that explosion, as she had no exit and it happened almost immediately after Monica went out. • Tim Kring said in an interview regarding Volume Three, that Niki's fate was "up in the air and will be determined when we come back after the (Writer's Guild) strike." + Maybe her power is taking on the personality and powers of those that die near her. Might even be more specialized to include those that she is close to or she can choose who. If she was able to take on D.L.'s power, she could have gotten out of there. Or, if D.L. is somehow still alive, he may have gotten her out of there. - Gina wasn't a person but an alias Niki took when she ran away as a teenager to Los Angeles. + We don't know yet if Gina was just an alias or actually someone who was close to Niki/someone who died near her. - Yes we do. Gina was explained to be someone Niki made up on her vacation once so she would seem like someone more impressive. She invented Gina in herself to seem more interesting. • This does not mean Gina doesn't exist or that Niki didn't absorb her psyche, perhaps it is just Niki's way of understanding a new personalty forming.
The Company (or Bob) did something with Niki/Jessica so she'll do everything Mohinder tells her to do.	None.	+ There are other evolved humans who are slavish to someone who works for the company. - The "slavish" actions were because of Eden McCain's power of persuasion, however she committed suicide in Fallout and there have been no other confirmed cases of this power. • The Haitian is kind of slavish to Mr. Bennet. • I wouldn't say that to his face. • The Haitian was brought to Bennet as a boy, and Bennet probably gave him the same care he would a son. This could mean that the Haitian reveres Bennet like a second father, and would explain why he works with him in all seeming cases.
Jessica is a separate entity inside Niki, with the ability to transfer her consciousness or even her soul into others and control the host.	Jessica is able to take physical control of Niki and a symbol tattoo appears when she does so.	+ Jessica isn't just a alternate personality but is a remnant of Jessica's soul or consciousness inside Niki. Before she died she used her powers for the last time on her little sister Niki. She holds the ability of Enhanced strength because she is bound to Niki's physic. + Every time Jessica comes out the Helix appears. This doesn't happen to other personalities such as Gina. This means something is special with the alter ego, personality or even entity, Jessica. + In One Giant Leap Niki's mother-in-law makes a reference to "being at two places at once". + This is the reason Jessica knows what happened to Nicole and her as little kids. Including events with Niki being absent. + Future Peter may have used Jessica's ability to hide his brother inside Jesse Murphy. He could have absorbed Jessica's ability just before he exploded in the finale of Season One. • A new tattoo wasn't shown to appear on Jesse's body when Peter is in control. • Jesse has so many tattoo's already a new one could be hard to notice.
Jessica is a separate entity inside Niki, and was placed inside Niki by someone else using body insertion so she could protect her sister.	None.	+ Every time Jessica comes out the Helix appears. This doesn't happen to other personalities such as Gina. This means something is special with the alter ego, personality or even entity, Jessica. + Jessica has appeared at times to want out of her sister's body. Not being able to control the means by which she was trapped inside it could explain why Jessica acted in the way she did. + The Company may have an agent or prisoner in their possession with this ability, and used it in order to extract Jessica from Niki's body when they agreed to help Niki. This could mean that Tracy Strauss is really Jessica.
Gina was the one who attacked Bob in Fight or Flight, not Niki or Jessica.	None.	+ At the end of Season 1 Niki and Jessica integrated into one personality, so Jessica couldn't be the one who attacked Bob. + In Four Months Ago Gina is the current personality existing in Niki before she turns herself into The Company. + Gina, just like Jessica would be able to access Niki's super strength. - Maury was taunting Niki with nightmares, only on a motive to kill Bob, as indicated in Fight or Flight and Out of Time. + Bob stated when Niki was in her room that dealing with a split personality disorder will be difficult to cure. • Sometimes, Bob is explaining his viewpoint in events like Niki's attacks on Bob. Either his motives on Niki were not enough explored throughout volume 2, or he wanted others like Mohinder to help Bob save himself from Maury. - Gina seems more focused on fun and hedonism rather than violence.
Jessica will be one of the villains of Volume Three.	None.	+ Tim Kring says in an that "We’ve introduced a cadre of [villains] over the course of the show and we’re going to see them rise up." [1] This suggests that the villains are characters we already know. + It is possible that after the traumatic experience of being trapped in a burning building, Jessica will return. - Though Jessica is arguably evil, her main motivation seems to be protecting Niki and Micah.
One of the villains of volume 3 will be a new split personality for Niki.	None.	+ Tim Kring says in an that "We’ve introduced a cadre of [villains] over the course of the show and we’re going to see them rise up." [2] This suggests that the villains are characters we already know. + It is possible that after the traumatic experience of being trapped in a burning building, a new personality will emerge. + Bob has stated that the emergence of new personalities is possible. + In Fight or Flight, Niki, under the influence of another personality, attacked Bob. Jessica has already been reintegrated into Niki's personality and Gina seems to be more of a party girl than a fighter. This may be the villainous personality.
Niki is the descendant of Adam Monroe.	None.	+ Adam took the alias Richard Sanders. + He had a wife in Los Angeles in 1958, this would be around the time that Hal Sanders, Niki's father, is conceived. - Adam didn't mention having any children with the ninth wife. - Adam killed her. If she was pregnant at the time then the baby died with her. + She may have given birth to Hal before 1958, leaving Hal as an orphan since she died. • Niki may be a descendant through another of the wives or out of wedlock. - If she was descended through out of wedlock then it's unlikely that "Sanders" would be the last name. • She may be descended from the Maria from Italy who had two sons. + The fact he took Richard Sanders as a name is very likely not to be a coincidence. • Even if Hiro never went back into the past, are they related?
Niki is an ex-wife of Adam, or is his eleventh wife but has simply tried to block him out of her memories.	None.	- Niki was married to D.L. Hawkins.
The Company lied to Niki when they diagnosed her as having multiple personality disorder. They really wanted to keep her under their control until she was needed.	Rather than treating her condition directly with therapy, as is usual practice in most cases where MPD is brought on by trauma (as it was in Niki's case), The Company just used medication to keep her heavily sedated. (Four Months Ago)	+ The Company is not above lying to people in the guise of trying to help when they are really more interested in controlling them. Most of their activities involving Peter are proof of that. (Four Months Ago) + For that matter, "The Haitian Pills" that Peter was given to neutralize his powers didn't seem to have the same sedative effects as the medication Niki was on. It seems unlikely, if the Company truly had the means to chemically neutralize a person's superpowers, that they would use such things on a time-bomb like Peter and not on someone who really had no desire to use her powers and just live a normal life like Niki... unless they had a use for Niki in mind.
Niki's survival of the events of Powerless will be brought about, somehow, by D.L. Hawkins.	Niki was last seen trapped inside a burning building in Powerless. This was the exact same situation that D.L. Hawkins used his powers to escape from in both Four Months Ago and Man on Fire	+ The show has used repeated themes and foreshadowed echoes before. Niki being saved by her fire-fighter husband would continue the trend. + This would also fit with the theory that Niki is a medium who can access the powers of dead souls. - Gina wasn't a living or non-living person but an alias Niki adopted when she ran away as a teenager to Los Angeles. + We don't know yet if Gina was just an alias or actually someone who was close to Niki/someone who died near her.
Niki is a medium who has the ability to see, talk to and be taken over by dead people.	Matt heard Niki and Jessica as two distinct people having a conversation with his telepathy. (Run!) Granting that she was being mind-controlled at the time, Niki seemed far too comfortable with the idea of her dead husband talking to her and telling her what to do while she was being controlled by Maury Parkman. (Out of Time)	+ In the majority of dissociative personality disorder cases, the personalities are not aware of each other's existence. For better or worse, Jessica and Gina did know about Niki, though Niki was unaware of their existence at first. - The Company told Niki that it was not uncommon for powered individuals to develop mental problems, like multiple-personalities, to cope with their abilities and that super-strength was Niki's own ability. + Of course, the Company has lied in the past to keep people they wanted to manipulate under their control and to keep them from learning the truth about their abilities. - Gina wasn't a living or non-living person, but just an alias Niki adopted when she ran away as a teenager to Los Angeles. + We don't know yet if Gina was just an alias or actually someone who was close to Niki/someone who died near her.
There is an secret hibernated army of Niki clones	None.	- This is a completely stupid theory + There has been a secret army of Julien clones and an army of Evan clones in the past. - Julien's Power was to Clone himself, this is not Niki's Power. It was never stated that Julien's Clones were able to have a power other than that of the original.
Tracy is the actual Jessica	None.	+ Niki and Tracy are identical. + In Six Months Ago, Hal said he never killed anyone. This could be true and Jessica may have been given up or kidnapped leaving everyone to believe her dead. - Jessica had a funeral and a gravesite. + Linderman may have staged her death to put her on a course to be working in politics.
Niki's power is adaption. A new power manifests itself to combat a difficult situation.	Super strength emerged when Niki saw Jessica being beaten by Hal as told in Six Months Ago. Freezing manifested in Niki in Powerless to save her body from the flames.	+ This would explain how Niki's body would be able to gain these powers.
Niki has genuine MPD, and each of her alternate personalities has a power of her own (Jessica has super-strength, Tracy has freezing, and Gina's power is unknown). Niki's power is to access the powers of each of her alternate personalities.	Mohinder stated that the different types of abilities stem from one's adrenaline. If each personality has different adrenaline patterns, this would lead to the logical conclusion that they have separate powers.	+ Jessica tapped into her super-strength before Niki did.