Ability absorption

Ability absorption
Arthur absorbs Maya's ability.
Held by:	Arthur Petrelli
Ability to:	Steal other abilities through physical contact

Power absorption is the ability to steal the abilities of other evolved humans through physical contact, rendering them powerless.

Characters

• Arthur Petrelli is the only character known to have this ability.

Limits

With this ability, Arthur can remove the ability of another evolved human by touching them. Arthur seems to gain immediate use of the stolen ability. Arthur can take multiple abilities at once from someone who has somehow acquired more than one ability. (Dying of the Light)

Firm physical contact seems to be necessary for this ability to work. Arthur hugged Peter to steal his abilities, and Knox forced Adam to place his hand in Arthur's grasp. However, skin-to-skin contact is apparently not required, as he absorbed Maya's ability through her hospital gown.

When Arthur stole Adam's ability, Adam rapidly died and decomposed due to the loss of the aging-suppression aspect of his ability--his 400 years of age caught up with him in seconds. Peter suffered no obvious ill effects upon losing his powers, although the process appeared to cause intense pain.

Arthur's use of this ability requires active concentration. He does not take abilities from every person he touches. Knox's hand brushed against Arthur's, yet no abilities were lost or gained. (Dying of the Light)

According to Arthur, the removal of abilities from a targeted evolved human is permanent. (Eris Quod Sum)

Examples

• 
  Arthur grasps Adam...
• 
  ...draining his ability, causing him to rapidly age.
  (Dying of the Light)
• 
  Eventually, Adam resembles something barely human...
• 
  ...then he finally decays and is nothing more than a pile of dust.
  (Dying of the Light)
• 
  Arthur can now breathe without the aid of a machine.
  (Dying of the Light)
• 
  Arthur hugs his son...
• 
  ...stealing his powers...
• 
  ...and then taunts him with his newly-acquired lightning.
  (Dying of the Light)
• 
  Arthur takes Maya's ability away from her...
• 
  ...and then demonstrates that he has control of it.
  (Eris Quod Sum)

Memorable Quotes

"You don't have your powers anymore, Peter... Because I have them now."

- Arthur to Peter (Dying of the Light)

"You're telling me all traces of her ability are gone?"

"I take it all, and leave nothing behind."

- Mohinder, Arthur (Eris Quod Sum)

"I don't have my powers anymore, Nathan. Dad took 'em."

- Peter (Eris Quod Sum)

See Also

• For the way in which Sylar steals abilities from others, see ability theft.
• For Peter's ability to absorb powers from others, see empathic mimicry.
• For Linda Tavara's ability to take the abilities of others after killing them, see aura absorption.