Peter Petrelli

Peter Petrelli
Portrayed by	Milo Ventimiglia
First appearance	Genesis
In-story stats
Known ability	Power mimicry
Gender
Age	30
Residence	Peter Petrelli's apartment
Parents	Angela Petrelli, Father (unnamed, deceased)
Sibling	Nathan Petrelli (older brother)

Peter Petrelli is a former home hospice nurse from New York. His brother Nathan and mother Angela also live there. Peter discovers he has the ability to copy the superpowers of others in close proximity.

Character history

Genesis

Peter Petrelli stands on a building before falling. Peter then wakes up in the home of Charles Deveaux, a patient under his care. Peter keeps "having these amazing dreams" that he is flying when he closes his eyes. Turning to his brother Nathan, Peter talks about his intense dreams. However, Nathan is a politician running for Congress and extremely busy. Although he does listen, he disregards Peter's claims that he can fly and wonders why Peter would come to him, anyway. News of their mother's arrest for shoplifting interrupts their conversation. At the police station, Peter and Nathan talk with their mother Angela. Recently widowed, she has been doing odd things such as this for several months. Nathan, more concerned with his campaign than his mother, tells her to "get over it.” Peter attempts to be understanding and talks with his mother while Nathan eventually leaves. As they talk, Peter tells his mother about an almost metaphysical connection he feels he has with his brother, recalling a time in the past where Peter knew Nathan had been hurt prior to anyone contacting him; his mother is unconvinced.

Later at the campaign headquarters, Nathan has managed to sweep his mother's arrest under the rug and wishes she'd just get a hobby. Peter, on the other hand, simply sees it as a cry for attention and a sign of loneliness. Nathan then transitions the conversation into offering Peter a job as his coordinator. However, Peter is turned off by Nathan's self-serving intentions and attempt to "do the right thing" by him. He declines, saying he doesn't want his brother's pity and walks out. There in the street, Peter hails a cab. The driver just happens to be Mohinder Suresh and the two begin a conversation. Peter asks Mohinder about "being special” and Mohinder eventually tells him about evolution. Suddenly, Peter gets a call from Simone Deveaux—daughter of his patient Charles—telling him to hurry over to her father's place.

Peter and Simone arrive at the apartment of her boyfriend Isaac Mendez. Simone explains Isaac's ability to "paint the future". Simone finds Isaac lying on the ground, apparently overdosed on heroin. She frantically calls 911 while Peter discovers a painting that depicts him flying off of a building. Isaac hass also painted a large floor mural depicting the city being destroyed in a nuclear explosion. Isaac's only words are, "We have to stop it."

Later, Peter stands above a building and summons Nathan to prove that he can fly. However, when Peter jumps, he falls, and it's Nathan who flies up to rescue him. However, Nathan loses his grip, and Peter falls.

Don't Look Back

Peter awakens in a hospital bed. At his side is Nathan, who, when asked, claims neither of them flew and Peter simply jumped, nearly killing himself. Between this and his mother's revelation that Peter's late father had apparently been mentally unstable as well as suicidal, Peter is led to believe he's going crazy. Drawing a crude stick figure image with one figure levitating a few feet above the ground, Peter gets an idea. Attempting to cope and find out the truth, Peter stands on the edge of another rooftop later that evening. Nathan arrives, and Peter threatens to jump if Nathan doesn't tell him what really happened. Nathan tells Peter that they both flew. However, Peter thinks that Nathan is lying to make him feel better, and he becomes angry. Nathan then points out that Peter is walking on thin air, amd Peter is relieved to know that they can both fly.

One Giant Leap

Peter repeatedly tries to fly (or at least levitate) while at a playground, only to crash to the ground each time. Heading back to Campaign HQ, Peter tells Nathan about a book written by Chandra Suresh. Peter believes the author "knows what's going on" and wants to find him, but neither Nathan's focus nor his disinterest in his powers have changed. Bumping into Simone after just leaving Charles Deveaux's apartment, Peter tells her he has given up his job as a nurse. He says he no longer feels right "trying to save the world one person at a time" and is meant for something more. As Peter leaves the building, the two comment on hoping to see each other. Later, they do just that at an event held by Nathan. During the event, Peter confesses his love to Simone, stating "I've been in love with you since the moment I first laid eyes on you." During Nathan's speech, he talks about his family, particularly his ill late father. Over the course of the speech, the focus turns to Peter and Nathan publicly refers to Peter's attempt to fly as a suicide attempt. Shocked and offended, Peter eventually leaves, followed by a concerned Simone. After the event, Peter punches Nathan as he is getting into his car, calling him an SOB. Immediately held back by Nathan's bodyguards, Peter furiously denounces Nathan's comment during the speech. When the guards let Peter go, he goes in for another blow to his brother's jaw. Asked by Nathan if he'll at least go along with what was said, Peter angrily shrugs and walks away.

Out in the pouring rain, Peter meets up with Simone while trying to hail a Cab. He quickly insists that what Nathan said about him wasn't true and Simone says she knows. Then the two exchange a kiss under her umbrella.

Collision

Peter and Simone wake up together in Peter's apartment. Nathan comes to Peter's door and tells him about his "visit" from Mohinder whom he mistakes for Chandra Suresh. He asks Peter to "disappear for a while" and offers him money to do so. Peter refuses the money but instead decides to visit Mohinder at his apartment. Peter confesses that he does indeed have the ability to copy other people's powers and the two travel to Isaac's apartment to see Peter's power in action. Since Isaac was high on heroin and in a precognitive trance at the time they arrived, they assume he isn't home and ride back on the subway. Suddenly time stops and everyone freezes except Peter. Soon he is confronted by Future Hiro, who says he did not recognize Peter "without his scar" indicating Peter should get in some sort of accident in the future and be left with a facial scar. Hiro tells Peter that he has a message for him.

Hiros

Peter is on the subway speaking with Future Hiro. Future Hiro tells Peter that if he "Saves the Cheerleader" he'll "Save the World". Hiro also tells him to relay the message to Hiro's present-day self when he attempts to call Isaac's apartment. After this Hiro teleports away and time starts again. Peter travels to Isaac Mendez's apartment as instructed by Hiro, where he proves to Isaac that he doesn't need drugs to paint the future by copying Isaac's power and finishing one of his paintings. When present-day Hiro calls to warn Isaac, Peter tells him he's got a message for him.

Powers

Much mystery surrounded Peter's status and powers, or lack thereof before and after the series debuted. While every main character was said outright to have a power in press releases, Peter was simply billed as "trying to convince his brother he can fly". Later, after his brother flew, Peter himself displayed the ability to levitate not long afterward. Peter is actually a power mimic who duplicates the powers of others. His crude levitation sketch shows that he gained Issac's ability to draw the future, but without needing to be induced by drugs. In Hiros, Peter visits Isaac and he finishes Isaac's painting without the aid of heroin or any other drug. It is also unclear what affect, if any, his power has on those whose powers he duplicates. Still, if Nathan is any example, the effect seems to be unnoticeable. Peter's powers appear to be only temporary, as he is shown unable to fly when not in the presence of Nathan.

While Peter's crude stick figure drawings originally seemed to indicate that he could duplicate only someone's powers, and not their skills, the painting he completed at Isaac's studio seems fairly well done. This could indicate that his ability is maturing and developing, much like the other heroes.

It should be noted that Peter began having dreams of flying well before he met Isaac. This probably indicates he possesses a separate power, perhaps an empathic bond with his brother (as his conversation with his mother about Nathan's injury indicates he believes). Some fans have speculated that this empathy applies to others, not merely to Nathan, and is his true power, with the mimicry as a mere side effect. Others have speculated that the bond between the brothers may work both ways, but that Peter is more receptive to it because of his "sensitivity".

Notes

• Kristin Veitch of E!, who made a cameo appearance in Collision as the roulette dealer, suggests that Peter's scar might be "because Milo Ventimiglia might be shaving his head at some point in the series. Whether this is meant to indicate that Milo himself has an already-extant scar which is being written in, or, as some fans have suggested with tongue-in-cheek that Hiro will be shaving Peter's head for him and notice the scar, is presently unclear.