Theory:Ability replication

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The following fan theories are about Ability replication.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Peter's ability replication is only temporary; were Ando to supercharge him enough, his empathic mimicry would be restored.	None.	+ Peter's ability has been an enduring part of his character; to replace it with a lesser ability that is more unlike his personality seems to be an unwise plotting choice by the writers. As such, they are going to restore his original abilities. - It's possible Ando's ability supercharges only for as long as Ando is in physical contact with an evolved human. + Maybe Peter can replicate Ando's ability and then constantly supercharges Peter himself. • Assuming it's not an example of ability immunity. • In the future, Ando super charges Hiro with a energy bolt, perhaps this makes the charge last longer. ("The Second Coming") • Daphne could only travel through time as long as Ando was touching her. ("Dual") • The writers stated themselves that they are trying to limit Peter's powers.
Peter's original powers could return if he copies Sylar's ability.	None.	+ Sylar was able to acquire abilities empathically. ("It's Coming") - Peter doesn't know of Sylar's ability to copy powers empathically, and Sylar has many abilities. Peter will most definitely absorb telekinesis or intuitive aptitude. - Sylar's main power is intuitive aptitude, so Peter would gain that power. + Sylar could acquire powers empathically, and since Peter is much more likely to connect with people, he might be able to use that aspect of the ability better than Sylar ever did.
Peter's old abilities will manifest in the same way that Matt Parkman's use of precognitive drawing despite it not being his own power.	None.	+ Matt Parkman's use of an ability that's not his own, and wasn't explicitly granted to him, suggests this may be possible. - According to a Behind the Eclipse, Matt's precognition is a result of him being able to access the state of conciousness that precog's can enter due to Usutu's spirit walk opening his mind to that state combined with him being a telepath.
Ability replication is actually Peter's old ability, and will eventually evolve into empathic mimicry after enough time, similar to how Matt gained the ability to insert thoughts in other people's head.	None.	+ Peter developed. He is now unable to feel empathy like in previous seasons. Instead he is leery of other people and eventually hates them (Nathan). Someone can't feel hate as well as empathy. • Why can't someone feel hate as well as empathy? • If ability replication is indeed part of empathic mimicry Peter should be able to gain some abilities permanently (e.g. Claire's). Claire has never betrayed him so that it may be that Peter can feel empathy for her. • Future Claire did. • But Future Claire is not present day Claire. • Could have had an effect on him the same way. • It has not shown Peter absorbing a passive ability. We don't know what happens when he absorbs Claire's powers; he might keep them without empathy. + Sylar can absorb powers through empathy, but with an emotional effort. Maybe Peter's problem is that his empathy is gone or weakened. + It may be the case that Peter in Season 1 required touch in his very early stages. He never picked up an ability without touch until at least Matt Parkman's (he touched Angela, Nathan, and Claire). Although he learns to access them remotely and he learns to access several at once, this is after much training, effort, and adrenaline. • Although Peter did have several occasions of physical contact with his family prior to gaining their abilities, it was not implied to be neccessary for copying powers.
Ability replication is just another use of the power absorption. Peter will find out he can steal powers from others, and this is the only way to cumulate them, like Arthur did.	None.	+ Arthur killed Adam, while this one could be a pretty useful ally, as Angela dreamed it. Moreover, he was using Maury, he probably would have used Adam too if he could. ("Dying of the Light") + Arthur doesn't show any difference after taking both Sylar and Peter's way of taking powers, maybe because he chooses what way he wants to use. - Arthur never took Sylar's ability. He did steal Peter's after he mimicked Sylar's intuitive aptitude, but it has been confirmed by BTE interviews that Arthur doesn't feel the hunger because he never used that ability. • Part of Arthur's ability is to gain complete control over the abilities he absorbed so that he was able to suppress the hunger. - That was never stated anywhere, it's never been confirmed as something inherent of the ability. • They didn't say that exactly in the BTE, but Arthur understood Sylar's power, and understood the hunger, as he explained him that it was only a "need of powers" and "not of murders", so we can assume Arthur just fed it, because he already have most powers than anyone else. He's "better", it's not a belief, it's "a fact". Moreover, Arthur was able to use powers that Peter had without even knowing it, so that proves his power is more efficient on the knowing of abilities. He didn't absorb Mohinder nor Maya with empathic mimicry, which Peter was never able to turn off. • Arthur had telepathy, it's been confirmed that that's how he learned that Angela was manipulating Sylar into believing he was her son, he could have easily read Sylar's mind to see what he was dealing with and deduct how to act. He also has the edge of experience, being one of the Company founders, he has had his share of evolved human problems. It's also possible that because Peter's ability was taken via his ability, it is not always on, as it's not naturally his. - Peter could theoretically just steal all villains powers (f.x. Sylars), leaving Heroes with no plot. • We can't say there are that many "specials" villains left, apart from Sylar, so Peter would be limited, but not his power. • There are however, an increasing amount of known specials, who's to say Peter wouldn't take some of the more villainous individual's abilities? + Peter wouldn't steal the good guys, and would be forced to find some villains for that, in that way, he will be limited, as writers wants, but without making him as weak as he is right now.
Peter was granted this ability instead of his original one due to damage done to his genes when Arthur stole his ability.	None.	+ The two abilities are similar. It would not be unfeasible for the ability to have been the product of some slight genetic change that may have occurred when Arthur took away Peter's empathic mimicry. • Synthetic abilities might just not work as well as natural abilities. • Nathan's flight is more powerful than West's, Tracy's freezing is just as powerful as Sylar's was, Niki's super strength also seemed just as powerful as natural abilities. • Synthetic abilities are so far indistinguishable from natural ones, they can be blocked by the Haitian and removed by an eclipse. - The powers are reflective of their personalities, according to Tim Kring. Peter has become jaded after all he's been through, and now has a hard time connecting to people. Thus he can no longer access empathic mimicry. However, this does not mean he's lost it completely.
Peter gained his new ability because his DNA changed from when his his old power manifested.	Mohinder said that when Peter copied abilities it caused a change is his DNA; the formula gives abilities based on the DNA of the person at the time of the injection.	+ This completely explains why his old ability vanished, but he still should be able to access his old abilities. - Peter's DNA never actually changed. It always remained in it's original state, unless reformulating itself to mimic an ability. He never added or removed pieces of DNA, therefore never changing it.
Peter would regain his original ability if he replicated Claire's ability.	None.	+ It's possible that Peter didn't get his original ability when he injected himself with the formula was because Arthur's ability damaged his DNA when he stole it. Claire's power could heal that damage. - DNA can't be healed. + If it couldn't, Claire would have several tumors from when she was exposed to Ted's radiation, which is known to alter DNA. - So would Noah, Sandra, Lyle, Matt, Thompson and the Haitian. Especially without ability to regenerate. • Baby Matt used his powers to start Hiro's up again. Since Hiro's powers were removed in the same way as Peter's, it can be assumed that the damage to the DNA can be retracted. ("Cold Snap")
Peter immediately has extreme control and power over his replicated abilities.	Peter was able to freeze a very large part of the plane.	+ Peter was able to carry Matt whilst flying, something that Nathan had found difficult. - Peter couldn't control his freezing, and even Tracy completely froze a man on her first try. ("Butterfly Effect") + Peter didn't know Tracy had freezing, maybe his control relies on him knowing which ability he replicates, he had no trouble with telepathy and flight. + Peter was able to use telepathic commands on the two guards during "Exposed" when it took Matt a long time to learn. • He just remembers how to use them. He had all abilities he replicated before, except freezing. - Peter froze the plane's side accidentally, which indicates a low-level of control of that ability. + And he has since developed enough control over which ability he replicates and is able to use them effectively. • When Peter absorbed Tracy's freezing he was under the impression that she was Niki, and that he would receive enhanced strength again. • Nope, he already had enhanced strength from Mohinder. He knew it was Tracy and most likely knew what her ability was. - Peter only met Tracy once, right after he had his abilities stolen, there were no conversations about powers between Peter and Tracy, nothing suggests he knew what her ability was.
Peter absorbed someone elses ability after absorbing Nathan's ability in Dual and before absorbing Mohinder's ability in A Clear and Present Danger.	None.	+ Peter knew to touch Mohinder on the plane even though he claimed he didn't take any other abilities after Nathan's and with his old ability, he could've had Mohinder's ability by just being near him. - Peter can't absorb abilities by being close to someone anymore, he needs to physically touch them. • This theory suggests that Peter took somebody's ability prior to Mohinder. + Peter asked Nathan what was the last ability he saw him perform, which hints at him having other powers before that conversation.
Peter will gain mastery over his ability and be able to replicate more than one ability at once, through empathy.	None.	+ Being able to have more than one ability is Peter's niche. It's his "thing". It's been his whole character since Season 1. + Assuming that natural and synthetic abilities share a common source; unique genetic markers, it is unlikely that the nature of the ability would change within the same person. Mohinder stated that the manifestation of abilities can trigger with the release of adrenaline during times of emotional stress. It is therefore possible that Peter and Hiro's current abilities are limited due to mental blocks brought on by mental and emotional trauma. It would be reasonable to assume that given the right stressful circumstances, both Hiro and Peter could display some uncontrolled aspects of their previous powers. This would allow the writers to allow characters to use their original powers in limited times during specific plot points, without making them too powerful in most cases and retain their original powers.