Theory:Abilities in general

Theories about abilities in general

The following fan theories are about abilities in general.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
All evolved human abilities are manifestations or variations on the classic psychic abilities of telepathy, telekinesis, and extra-sensory perception (ESP).	According to Chandra Suresh, all abilities appear to originate from a particular mutation in the brain. (Six Months Ago)	• If true, enhanced strength and regeneration are manifestations of telekinesis; mental manipulation is a variant of telepathy; precognition and electronic communication are types of ESP, etc. + Sylar, using his ability to discern how things work, identifies the brain as the source of abilities, and takes abilities after opening up the brain, including super-hearing which would normally be associated with the ears. When Claire's brain is damaged, she is unable to regenerate until the stick is removed. - The Haitian can only block mental abilities, therefore, some abilities must be physical. • The Haitian can block physical abilities such as super speed in One of Us, One of Them when Daphne Millbrook can't use her ability of super speed due to the Haitian being within proximity. She originally suspects Hiro but he denies it and then tries to teleport and cannot do it. He then notices the The Haitian and realizes he is blocking there abilities. This proves the Haitian can stop all known powers form working as far as we know. - This does not account for abilities such as induced radioactivity, pyrokinesis, freezing, or other forms of energy manipulation. + Pyrokinesis and freezing both basically just involve changes in temperature, which is essentially a function of the speed at which molecules vibrate, which could conceivably be controlled by telekinesis. Similarly, Ted's induced radioactivity could come about by telekinetically inducing photons to vibrate at different frequencies, and thus producing gamma radiation (as he has also shown the ability to produce a non-damaging EMP blast). + Pyrokinesis is a classic psychic ability, as illustrated by the Stephen King novel, Carrie. Freezing is also often described as a psychic phenomenon. - Time travel is not a classic psychic power. + ...although some recent views of psychic powers treat it as a variation of teleportation. • The Wildcards novels illustrate exactly how far the concept of "superpowers as variations of psychic powers" can be taken. Given that, this theory is going to be extremely difficult to disprove, even if false. - These powers do not all seem to be variations of ESP as in The Butterfly Effect. Mohinder was able to replicate abilities through extracting adrenaline from Maya this proves that some powers are not psychic but merely a natural reaction i.e. physical abilities like super speed super strength or Poison emission are only activated when the adrenaline is being pumped through the blood stream. • Not to split hairs, but if Telekinesis is a mental ability originating in the brain, and if instinctual, reflexive reactions coincide with increases in adrenaline, then mental abilities, too are tapped with increased adrenaline and the 'fight or flight' idea cited by Mohinder: Peter exhibited this during his training with Claude, where he instinctively used TK to block a blow from Claude. • The more pertinent question seems to be: what is (are) the implication(s) of this theory? It serves no readily apparent meaning in any context, other than to say (apparently superfluously) that every ability can be traced to one of the three aforementioned phenomena. There was an opportunity to explain such an implication, but it was glazed over when a previous post simply noted that auditory organs are tied to the brain.
Natural-born super abilities are a result of evolution and adaptation being influenced by the subconscious whims of the subject. In short, a person gets an ability that helps them in their day-to-day life, based on what they (either consciously or subconsciously) think they need.	None.	+ Peter's empathy would be useful in an occupation (nurse) that depends on feeling and healing the suffering of others. + Claire's ability is useful for cheerleaders, they break bones all the time. + Claire clearly sends the message through the series that she doesn't need/want to be overprotected by Noah, which relates to her ability to avoid any form of injury. + Claire's ability also comes as a biological adaptation to her mother's ability to create fire, being the only reason that she survived the fire that started the series (in a manner of speaking). + Nathan first manifested his flight ability when he needed a fast escape. + Matt's telepathy could be useful for a cop and a man who struggles in knowing what he should say to people. + Matt's telepathy could also be related to his dyslexia. - Matt and Maury Parkman share the same powers, possibly because of inheritance. + Niki vocally expressed her desire to be two people and her worries about being strong enough for her son several times. + D.L.'s ability to phase through matter would certainly be useful for a man in prison seeking escape. + Sylar's ability to understand how complex systems work would be a boon to any watchmaker. + Additionally, Tim Kring has stated in interviews that the character's abilities are reflections of their personalities. + Charlie was a waitress and her abilities of memorization would greatly assist her in taking and delivering orders. + Hiro's ability first manifested when he was trying to 'will' the train into not arriving, and he did succeed in making it late. - A person's life may be influenced by there ability. Meaning that a person would subconsciously take the path in life that would be greatly assisted by there ability not that there ability is chosen by there own subconscious to assist with the life they have. This would mean just by simply going back in time and say stopping someone from doing something you could change their ability. as Tim Kring has stated in interviews that the character's abilities are reflections of their personalities this goes both ways meaning that a persons personality is a reflection of there ability. Also, for people like Elle who manifested early this makes almost no sense. Why would a six year old need to create electricity and how could it possibly benefit her? No batteries in her toy camera? • Perhaps a better phrasing of the theory might account for a person's personality (albeit while giving some weight to the "nature" side of the nature vs. nurture argument) as the catalyst, or even their wants. It would make Nathan's power's manifestation a little more aesthetically pleasing: he was a pilot in the military, and later learned he could fly. Very serendipitous. • Or perhaps he became a pilot, because he was subconsciously drawn to the skies.
The abilities are designed by a higher ability.	None.	+ There are many references to religion in Heroes. For example, many of the characters are named after biblical figures. Also, Chandra Suresh's door is number 613, a holy number in the old testament. + The creators of the show have also hinted that there's a supernatural element to the character's abilities. Tim Kring studied divinity in school, and Joe Pokaski and Aron Coleite have commented on the preponderance of Biblical names. - However, religious symbolism doesn't necessarily imply a religious cause.
Twins have the same or similar abilities.	None.	+ Twins (in popular culture) are closely connected both genetically and emotionally and generally share similar traits, even when separated. + Maya and Alejandro are confirmed as twins in Lizards and their abilities are somehow related. • Peter and Sylar both have powers that deal with duplicating other abilities. It is possible that they are twins. + In The Butterfly Effect, Angela states that Sylar is, in fact, her son. This makes it very possible that Sylar and Peter are twins. - Niki and Tracy have wildly different powers. + Niki and Tracy were also given their powers by doctor Zimmerman, so their powers would almost for sure be completely different. + Meredith and Flint, though their status as twins is not confirmed (I would say they are not twins, but to do so would preclude Sylar and Peter from being twins: all we know is that Meredith is older than Flint, even if by minutes, and Sylar older than Peter, though not by how much. • perhaps this theory should read "siblings" rather than "twins."
Abilities are the result of a virus.	None.	+ Viruses alter DNA, and transposons literally can cut and paste genetic material and have had a large impact on evolution. 40% of human evolution is the result of transposons. The long incubation time in some viruses could mean mutation caused in such a way wouldn't manifest until late in life in the first generation, and late childhood/early teens in the second generation. + Many virus have a single strand DNA/RNA code. And had been stated that the "Symbol" represent a single RNA helix. + A virus could preferably infect brain cells, and that is why Sylar need to "eat" them. - There has so far been no suggestion that abilities can be transferred to another through infection. Nor has it been confirmed that Sylar eats brains. If he did, it would be a very unconventional choice for a character on primetime television. • The presence of a virus does not necessitate the carrier to be contagious. Many viruses are not contagious (and many more are contagious only through limited means). Just as not everyone is affected by a particular mutation (strain) of influenza, so too could this hypothetical virus only affect a particular group (for instance, those with a particular genetic marker or makeup--this would set the evolved humans apart, if not effectually until the virus becomes active in them). It might also explain why people of varying ages manifest their powers, rather than it coming at, say, puberty, or some other predetermined time. - Sylar himself has confirmed that he does not eat brains. • "Eat" was likely used as a metaphor by the author of that note, for the way that Sylar consumes (figuratively, if not literally) abilities through the brain. To be clear, it is not confirmed that Sylar does not take something from his victims in his examinations of their brains.
Animals may develop abilities as well.	None.	+ In this show, all around the world, humans are evolving and developing extraordinary abilities. It wouldn't seem much of stretch to say that other species are not part of this evolutionary process. - According to evolutionary theory, a new feature originates in a particular branch of the evolutionary "tree" and spreads only in descendants of its originators; it does not jump from one branch of the tree to another. Since superhuman abilities originated in the human branch of the tree, it should not appear in others. + Evolutionarily speaking, animals should have developed similar abilities. Convergent evolution is the reason why the eye has evolved over seven times independently. If these abilities are possible, they're also possible for animals. - However, some of these abilities would probably cause the animals that possesses them to die before they reached sexual maturity, such as those of Sprague or Claire's mother. Other abilities, like technopathy and Hana Gitelman's ability, would have been completely useless, and therefore there would have experienced no selective pressure in the gene pool. {plus} There is such a thing as parallel evolution. - It would be really stupid if that happened. + Some of these abilities have already appeared in animals, such as rapid cell regeneration in newts and lizards. - In newts and lizards, however, the regeneration takes a long period of time to complete, unlike the few minutes in Claire, Peter and Adam. • /- Perhaps the abilities manifested are developing in a part of the human brain not found in other organisms.
Ando, Simone, Charles Deveaux and all have undiscovered abilities.	None.	+ Everyone in Peter's dreams are already pre-existing known empowered individuals, with the particular exception - thus far - of these three. • Simone has died, but it is possible she had an undiscovered ability. • Charles Deveaux is also dead, but he may have had an ability. Some fans have speculated that Peter's dreams were a gift picked up from Charles Deveaux (which may also explain why Charles could see and speak to Peter during his dream in the season one finale). - That he got from his mommy. - Tim Kring has stated that neither Ando nor Mohinder will ever get a ability. • We have seen both Ando and Mohinder with abilities now, though they can both have been induced + Mohinder's sister had a ability (Seven Minutes to Midnight), so he probably has one too. + His blood is the only cure for the virus, this makes him very "special". - Tim Kring has confirmed this is scientific, not superhuman; Mohinder possesses the antibodies for the Shanti Virus.
The gene which controls the development of an ability within an individual's brain is a recessive one. Therefore, any child of two powered parents should have abilities, as well.	None.	+ Niki and D.L. both have abilities, and their son Micah has his own ability. + Both Meredith, Claire's mother and Nathan, Claire's father, have abilities, thus Claire has an ability of her own. + The two sons that Nathan has had with Heidi, his wheelchair-bound wife (who is not an evolved human), do not possess any known abilities. - In the Petrelli family, it seems abilities don't manifest until the adulthood: Peter is 27 when he manifested; Nathan is 39; and their father, Dallas, didn't seem to manifest his ability until after the Vietnam War (if he had an ability, he wouldn't be so shocked with Linderman's healing) . So, it's possible Simon and Monty didn't manifest until they are older. • Rare doesn't necessarily mean recessive; deafness is rare, but the allele for it is dominant. + Nathan and Peter parents have been referred to as being super human. - Nathan was not born with a power. He instead was given one at his father's insistence.
Interaction with and proximity to an "active" evolved human can help a "dormant" evolved human to manifest their ability.	None.	+ Matt first manifests his telepathy directly after Eden used her ability on him. + Monica first manifests her ability soon after Micah starts living with her. + Kensei first regenerates soon after meeting Hiro, and while Hiro is nearby. - Peter and Nathan grew up with their parents who have abilities - they did not start finding these abilities until 6 months before Season 1 when Nathan flew out of the car during his accident. + The Petrelli parents have still not been proven to have any abilities, and Peter got his ability soon after working with Charles Deveaux. - It as now been proven that both of them have abilities (both Angela and Arthur) in Dying of The Light. - Charles Deveaux also has not been proven to have any ability. - It wouldn't explain how Sylar manifested, since he didn't interact with any other evolved human until Brian Davis. (Six Months Ago) • The term being used here is "helped". No one is saying that manifestation is impossible without an active EH nearby. - It also wouldn't explain how Eden manifested, since she didn't interact with any other evolved human for a long time. (Life Before Eden)
The gene that gives humans abilities is passed down from parents, grandparents etc, but the ability the offspring receives is random.	None.	• This would require that the relevant gene (or allele?) somehow modified the rest of the genome, since Sylar is cited as having the "DNA for telekinesis". • Sylar isn't the best example since he is said to alter his DNA when he takes another ability. + Claire is has a completely different ability than her biological parents, as does Micah, while Matt has the same ability as his father. + It is possible that the abilities are different if both parents have abilities, if only one parent has abilities then that ability is passed along to their children. Impossible to prove one way or another though until we know all the parent's abilities or lack-thereof. The only people that we know 100% had 2 heroes as parents have different abilities than the parents. Parkman's mom likely did not have abilities, but this has not been proven either way. - Molly's father was powered, but her mother didn't; as Sylar took her father's power, he wouldn't have needed hers. • Mohinder says that the ability a person gets depends on their individual blood chemistry, so the ability is not so much random as it is individual. • Which would not only mean that the Parkmans have similar blood chemistry, but also that Nathan and West does as well.
Abilities come with the side effect of a mental defect.	Bob stated to Niki, "The body may develop somewhat of a fracture to cope with the use of these abilities." (Four Months Ago...)	+ Angela Petrelli claimed that Arthur Petrelli suffered from mental depressive disorder, which caused him to have delusions of grandeur. (Genesis) - Angela claimed the same thing about Nathan to Heidi but was clearly lying to cover up his secret. + Matt Parkman suffers from dyslexia. (Don't Look Back) + Hana's Mossad psychological profile states that Hana has a "difficulty in understanding the subtext of social interactions". + Niki Sanders suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder. (i.e. Jessica and Gina) + Elle stated the shrinks diagnosed her as a sociopath with paranoid delusions. (Four Months Ago...) - The disorders are hardly proof of anything. With the possible exception of Niki/Jessica/Gina, all of the disorders are relatively normal. Hana had been through a bit of hardship, with the suicide attack on the bus and the deaths of her mother and grandmother; Elle has been exposed to a fair amount of hardship herself, including the testing (mentioned by HRG), the destruction of her mother's house, etc. For the most part, the mental disorders of the Evolved seem to be related to something other than the fact that they're evolved. "Power corrupts" would explain the behavior of most of previous generation (and Adam, and Sylar, and Eden...). A lot of the other characters are (currently) well adjusted (Claire, West, Hiro, D.L., the Haitian) (at least, as much as can be expected). Anyone remaining has probably been through something (e.g.: Nathan was severely burnt, and is mourning the (perceived) loss of his brother). + Maybe it is the other way around. The power of an individual is based on the disorder/side effect/defect/life a person has (or seeing as they get their power with their birth, the kind of person he/she will be). Matt suffered a decease because o which he can't read properly, and his ability grants him the power to read minds of other people. [{Claire]], without her power, is just a fragile girl, that could get hurt easily, but her ability grants her the power to never get hurt.
Each individual's abilities are manifestations of a small set of root abilities, or even a single omnipotence, and will grow and develop into these larger abilities.	Maury and Bob each clearly state that Matt's abilities are developing into something more.	+ Matt's abilities, initially thought to be simply reading minds, have been established to be an early stage of a larger, all-encompassing "mind ability." If Matt's ability is evolving and growing, it stands to reason that others are, too. + Many abilities seem to be similar or related, such as Claire and Adam's ability to heal themselves and Linderman's ability to heal others, or Micah's ability to interface with machines and Hana's ability to send digital signals. Some even seem like the same ability with only minor differences in execution, such as Eden's verbal mind control and Matt's telepathic mind control, or Candice's illusions and Maury's nightmares, or the Electrical Absorption, Electromagnetism, and Lightning abilities. + Abilities are well-known to increase in potency over time, as Bennet notes when he abducts Matt, which would mean that increasing in function would not be unreasonable. + Claude comments to Peter while they are training that he believes there to be an ultimate version of their abilities, which he believes Peter is approaching. + Peter and Sylar's absorption of many abilities show that it is possible to contain many abilities within a single individual, implying that maybe they are simply speeding up the gradual process of ability development. - Adam has been alive far longer than a normal person would, and has shown no abilities other than regeneration. + It is clearly established that the species is in the process of evolving, so Adam, as a very early example of the process, could easily not have the same potential as later generations.
The Eclipse triggers a dormant gene that allows the holder of the gene to adopt the ability they desire.	None.	+ All the heroes saw an eclipse and then were granted abilities. + All their abilities are tied to their emotions and personalities and were given to them in times of distress after or shortly before seeing the eclipse. - Claire, Nathan, Niki, Peter and many other's abilities manifested before the eclipse in Six Months Ago. • Nathan and Niki are synthetic evolved humans.
Within a generation, each power is unique to one person. But each generation has the same powers available to it that the previous generation had.	None.	+ The only confirmed cases where two people have the same power involve people of wildly differing ages: Matt and Maury; Nathan and West; Hana and Drucker; Claire and Adam; Benjamin Franklin and Mohinder's teenage patient. - Except in the cases of Echo DeMille and Jesse Murphy. Both young adults, no more than maybe 5 years difference in age, and both exhibit sound manipulation as their power.
Natural evolved humans that are related to each other have similar powers while synthetic evolved humans that are related to natural evolved humans have random powers.	None.	+ If Matt Parkman's power is naturally his, then this makes sense seeing as how he and his father have the same power. + If Peter's and Sylar's powers are natural, then this theory would make sense seeing as how they and their father all have powers that allow them to duplicate/take the abilities of others. + Nathan has a synthetic ability, which seems random compared to his father's and brothers' powers. + Flint and Meredith are siblings, and they both have pyrokinesis. + Niki's and Tracy's powers don't seem compatible, but random and unrelated. + If Maya and Alejandro are natural evolved humans, then this theory would make sense since their abilities complement each other. + It is possible that Micah would have had an ability similar to his father's, but since his mother is Niki, who is synthetic, he has a seemingly random ability. + Assuming that Meredith and Claire are natural evolved humans, than this theory would make sense considering that their powers are completely different. However, since Nathan, who is synthetic, is Claire's birth father, then his artificial ability genes could have interfered with the ability that Claire was supposed to have. + It is reasonably safe to assume that Khufu was a natural evolved human. Thus, this theory would make sense, considering that members of Khufu's kin and his descendant Abu Aswan all had the ability of levitation. + The Haitian and his father both had abilities that altered the mind, while one made people jovial or fearful, the other made people within proximity forget everything.
Many abilities are meant to be used selfishly.	A lot of abilities cannot be used to do good.	+ Doyle's ability to control people cannot be used to help people, in most circumstances. + Maya's ability cannot help people. + Evolution is meant to help a species to survive, not help others. • This theory assumes (correctly or incorrectly) that evolution has a meaning as opposed to no meaning, and by extension perhaps intelligent design.
Abilities will soon advance to higher abilities ie. Matt Parkman's power was beginning to evolve from mind reading to illusion. It is also possible that other characters abilities have evolved, such as Claude who has the ability of power but he also appears inaudible which might also be due to his ability evolving.
Powers can be learned.	Sylar's Intuitive aptitude; Flint's learning of his powers in Graphic Novel: Playing with Fire	+ Sylar takes other abilities by 'learning' them. In the graphic novel, Flint also 'learns' his powers, "mak(ing) it extra hot". Matt also learns thought suggestion after realising his father could do that. While it might not be possible for everyone to learn powers, maybe certain individuals could. Also, while it might not work for all powers, maybe certain powers could be learnt. - This could just be because all of them were born with their abilities and discovered them by trying to do so.