Sylar (explosion future)

Sylar
Portrayed by	Zachary Quinto
First appearance	Five Years Gone
In-story stats
Known abilities	Intuitive aptitude Known powers gained: Telekinesis, Cryokinesis, Enhanced memory, Liquefaction, Enhanced hearing, Precognition, Illusion, Flight, Phasing, Rapid cellular regeneration
Formal name	Gabriel Gray
Alias	Nathan Petrelli
Gender
Home	Washington, DC
Occupation	President of the United States
Parents	Unnamed New York City watchmaker (father), Virginia Gray (mother)

Sylar is an evolved human who is impersonating U.S. President Nathan Petrelli in 2011.

Character History

Five Years Gone

Believed to have died in the explosion as well as caused it (in truth, it was Peter Petrelli), Sylar actually survived, killed Nathan Petrelli at an unknown point and impersonated him using the power of illusion, acquired from Candace Willmer. Consequently, Sylar is the President of the United States in 2011. As President, he has enacted a policy strictly monitoring and controlling the activities of evolved humans and used Homeland Security to enforce it.

Sylar, having acquired many powers over the years, no longer finds any point in getting new ones. Instead, he initiates a plan to eradicate all evolved humans with his power as president, wanting to eliminate the competition. However, there are two particular evolved humans that he wants to handle personally: Peter, and Claire Bennet. As Nathan, Sylar meets with Claire at the Petrelli Mansion. Claire, feeling spite for her father and his actions, tries to leave, but Sylar prevents her with his telekinesis. He proceeds to kill her and acquire her power, seeing hers as the last one he needs, and he expresses great pleasure in finally getting the chance after his failure in Homecoming.

During a ceremony commemorating the explosion, Sylar learns from Matt that Peter is trying to free Hiro so he can change the "past", and the Haitian is down. Sylar immediately flies to the Homeland Security holding facility, shocking all those at the ceremony. At the facility, Sylar phases through the door Peter was using to hold off his enemies, presumably having acquired the power from D.L. Hawkins. With Peter separated from the others as well as realizing that the Nathan before him is not his brother, Sylar reveals his true form. The two rivals then face each other in an epic showdown, the outcome of which is not known.

Powers

Sylar's original power is intuitive aptitude — a superhuman ability to determine exactly how things work.

Sylar appears to have used his innate power to discover how to take the superpowers of other evolved humans. The exact mechanism by which Sylar gains these powers is not at present known; however, he believes that Chandra Suresh is correct that the abilities are based in the brain, and several of Sylar's victims have had their skulls opened and brains removed.

Known Acquired Powers

By 2011 in the Dark Future, Sylar has acquired additional powers. His known powers at this time include the following:

• Telekinesis from Brian Davis. (Six Months Ago)
• Cryokinesis from an unknown victim. (used in Don't Look Back, Road Kill and Five Years Gone)
• Enhanced memory from Charlie Andrews. (stolen in Seven Minutes to Midnight, used in Road Kill)
• Liquefaction from Zane Taylor. (Run!)
• Enhanced hearing from Dale Smither. (Unexpected)
• Precognition from Isaac Mendez. (.07%)
• Illusion from Candace Willmer (Five Years Gone)
• Flight from Nathan Petrelli (Five Years Gone)
• Phasing from D.L. Hawkins (Five Years Gone)
• Rapid cellular regeneration from Claire Bennet (Five Years Gone)

Memorable Quotes

"Let's be honest. I can fly. I'm hardly dangerous."

- Sylar (as Nathan to Mohinder) (Five Years Gone)

"I'm the leader of the free world, as far as I know I'm the most special person there is."

- Sylar (as Nathan, to Claire Bennet) (Five Years Gone)

Notes

• In an interview, Aron Coleite and Joe Pokaski confirm that Sylar's phasing ability comes from D.L. Hawkins, who was brought to Mr. Bennet by Hiro Nakamura and subsequently turned over to Matt Parkman as a "dangerous" evolved human.

See Also

• Sylar
• For articles related to Sylar, see Related Articles:Sylar.