Enhanced strength

Enhanced strength
Jessica Sanders pins her father on a wall.
Originally held by:	Niki Sanders/Jessica Sanders
Absorbed by:	Peter Petrelli
Ability to:	Exert greater than normal physical force
Examples of enhanced strength

Super strength is the ability to exert greater than normal physical force.

Characters

• Niki Sanders and her alter ego Jessica have this ability naturally.
• Peter Petrelli has absorbed this ability. (How to Stop an Exploding Man)

Limits

Jessica has superhuman physical strength sufficient to tear the door off an office safe with her bare hands. In addition to being able to exert such force, she has the ability to resist the forces she applies, so she is not injured when she performs superhuman feats of strength. At present, there is no evidence that she has unusual resistance to other sources of injury.

Niki was unable to access this power for most of Season One, first using it on her own in How to Stop an Exploding Man. As she is physically the same person, she presumably has the same limits as Jessica.

Selected Examples

• 
  Jessica rips the bodies of Linderman's thugs completely in half, as recorded on Niki's tape.
  (Genesis)
• 
  Jessica throws her father, Hal Sanders, across a hotel room.
  (Six Months Ago)
• 
  Jessica throws D.L. a distance of over 10 feet, on multiple occasions, with ease.
  (Better Halves)
• 
  During the first two weeks of her incarceration, Jessica snaps a prison guard's baton in half.
  (Godsend)
• 
  Jessica breaks free from cuffs that "could keep an elephant" restrained.
  (Distractions)
• 
  Jessica throws Matt Parkman out a window.
  (Run!)
• 
  Niki throws Candice across a room with one punch...
• 
  ...then later seizes a parking meter from Sylar and brutally hits him with it.
  (How to Stop an Exploding Man)

Notes

• It is unclear whether it's Jessica or Niki who snaps the prison guard's baton in two. If it were actually Niki, this would be her first demonstration of super strength. (Godsend)
• In 2007, Niki is locked up in a cell from which she cannot escape using her brute strength. It is unclear what it is that stops her.
• Yamagato Fellowship has files on heroes of the past.
  • Among a number of mythological accomplishments, Beowulf was documented performing frequent superhuman physical feats, including swimming across several miles of ocean in full armor and defeating several opponents with his bare hands.
  • Amongst the Norse gods, Thor was the strongest in all of Asgard. His unmatched strength, doubled by his magic belt, made him the only individual strong enough to wield his mighty hammer, named Mjöllnir.
  • Born by magic, Gawain's strength was greatest at noon and faded throughout the day, making him vulnerable to surprise attacks at night.

See Also

• For the similar power of being able to crumple objects, see crumpling.