Theory:Adam Monroe

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The following fan theories are about Adam Monroe.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Sylar will eventually hear about Adam and his power and give up trying to kill Claire and kill Adam while he is in his grave and take his power.	None	+ Sylar has been trying since Volume One to obtain rapid cell regeneration. + Sylar could use Ted's power to get Adam out of his grave and kill him. - Only Hiro knows where Adam Monroe is buried (unless he told Ando as well). + Sylar could use Molly to locate Adam. - Sylar has never met Adam before, and the rest of the world presumes that he is gone forever. - In Graphic Novel: The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei, Adam says that his latest bride will find him soon. This most likely foreshadows that Adam's bride, not Sylar, will be the one to dig him out.
Adam Monroe is the ancestor of Claire.	None	+ They both have the power of rapid cell regeneration. + Matt and Maury both have the same power. Maya and Alejandro have powers that are connected, so family relations are likely to have an effect on the power. • Micah and Claire both have totally different powers to both their parents. However, Matt and Maury have the same power, thus indicating that such a thing is possible. + They both have blonde hair - possibly a result of genes being passed down. - There are a lot of blonde characters in Heroes. They aren't all related to Adam. + Adam's second wife was an Italian woman who bore him two sons. These sons might be ancestors of the Petrelli's and, through Nathan, an ancestor of Claire.
Adam Monroe is the original evolved human and is the ancestor of all the characters in the show.	None	+ He is likely more than 400 years old. In that time he may have been with hundreds of women, many of whom would have had babies. We know that the powers are hereditary (in many cases), so it would be quite possible that he fathered many children throughout his lifetime. As those children grew up and reproduced, they would pass along his genes to their kids as well. + We know that he had traveled a lot even before meeting Hiro, he could easily had sexual relations with many women from around the world. + This fits his "pre-Hiro" personality perfectly. + His facial features (blond hair, blue eyes and even white skin) are recessive, meaning that wouldn't show up in a child from a mother with dark hair, eyes and skin. + His name "Adam" is perfectly fitting for a character who is the original of a species. + Claire and Niki have blonde hair like him. Claire has his power too. - Billions of people have blonde hair. It could just be a coincidence. + Adam's alias was once Richard Sanders, a possible ancestor of the Sanders family. • All characters have connections. + The symbol for Kensei is embedded into the DNA of all known evolved humans. - Kensei did not appear to have any wives from Haiti. (The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei) • However, he could have certainly slept with a Haitian woman at some point, or fathered someone who did.
Adam Monroe can create copies of himself through his regenerative power.	None	+ His body is charred in Out of Time, yet he is seen in the future. - Given Adam/Kensei's penchant for using stand-ins, the corpse could easily be some unlucky disciple of White Beard - He could have also simply regenerated. + He was able to witness the kiss between Hiro and Yaeko, even through he should be still in Whitebeard's camp given the amount time that passed. - Hiro may have moved forward in time a couple minutes while he teleported. - Also, Hiro may not have teleported far away, considering he and Kensei would regroup after the attack. Not only that, Hiro kissed Yaeko a while after he used his power. • Low order organisms such as flat-worms can reproduction asexually through transverse fission.
Linderman and Adam Monroe had similar ideals originally, but they had a disagreement of some sort.	None	+ Adam Monroe was held prisoner for 30 years by the Company. It was heavily implied that Linderman was the dominant figure in the Company up until his death. + Linderman might have realized that Adam wasn't actually interested in healing the world, but was interested in punishing the world. Linderman considers himself a healer and would not have accepted Adam's petty motivation of revenge. - Linderman was all for blowing up New York City. • There's a big difference between being willing to kill .07% of the human population, and happily wiping out 93% of the human population. - Linderman was one of the people who had Adam locked up.
Peter can kill Adam by using phasing.	None	+ Linderman was killed when D.L. phased his hand into his head and removed his brain. • Although this theory may prove to be true, Linderman's power is not the same as Adam's power. Healing requires conscious effort while rapid cell regeneration works automatically. + Peter can, theoretically, remove Adam's entire brain from his body, which could prevent regeneration.
Adam will eventually escape his grave.	Adam noted that his eleventh wife will certainly find him. (The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei)	+ Adam's voice is audible from beyond his grave, and may prompt a Good Samaritan or curious teenager to investigate. - Hearing Adam's voice outside his grave was probably just a effect added for the viewer, although theoretically in years to come the ground may move naturally (or through Adam's constant beating on the coffin) and give Adam a chance to be heard. + Even if he were buried deep underground, Adam's healing factor would provide him the stamina and time necessary to physically dig himself out. + It is impossible to say that the producers would be able to forever resist the urge to bring back such a good character for a subsequent storyline, especially since he is still alive. - In an interview, Tim Kring says the writers have "given the audience no reason to believe that Adam can figure a way to get out of there." + The coffin will rot long before Adam does. + In an interview with David Anders, he suggested that his character will be returning in future episodes. - He might be reappearing in flashbacks. • In the episode commentary to Truth and Consequences, David Anders mentions recently filming a nightmare sequence with Ali Larter (Niki). - Or in the past--he is four hundred years old. - Even though his cells rapidly regenerate, it is possible that he is not actually immortal and will die from a lack of nourishment after an extended period of time. + Adam states that he has died countless times in his coffin already. (The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei) + Adam states that his eleventh wife will be coming for him soon. (The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei)
Adam is the ancestor of Hal, Niki and eventually Micah Sanders.	None	+ He once took the alias "Richard Sanders". + He has two children with Maria in 1747. + He married in 1958 with Theresa, a woman who never loved him and tried to killed him to live with her lover. They lived in L.A. near Las Vegas in the right period to be Hal Sanders's parents; she could have tricked Adam while he was using the alias Richard Sanders and have a child without his knowledge. + If it's true this would explain the genetic connection that grant Niki's abilities. - Sanders is a common surname, "Like Smith, or Anderson." Adam going by the name of "Richard Sanders" may merely be a coincidence. + Two major characters having the same last name on a television show would be highly unlikely to happen by co-incidence.
Adam's eleventh wife has an ability similar to Molly's.	Adam believes that his latest bride will come to free him from his coffin.(The Ten Brides of Takezo Kensei)	+ It is impossible for anyone else to know where Hiro took Adam unless they have Molly's ability to find people. - Adam could be carrying a GPS locater. + Adam did not know he was going to be buried alive by Hiro. Adam does not seem to have a reason to carry around a GPS device. - Having been imprisoned by the Company back in 1977, it is possible Adam is implanted with an older model tracking device (the radio isotope satellite and Molly Walker being more recent systems used by the Company to track their captured subjects).
Adam's final "wife" is Elle.	None	• This theory requires that Adam used the word "bride" in a figurative sense, since they clearly were not married. The theory goes that Adam and Elle had a secret alliance and relationship. + Adam implies that he slept with Elle. (Four Months Ago...) - He says he "gave in" implying that he raped her moreso than consensually sleep with her. It is extremely unlikely that Elle would marry someone who raped her. + Adam never implied that he raped Elle. "Gave in" more likely meant that he accepted Elle's promiscuous behavior and consensually had sex with her. • Indeed. That wording is far more likely to indicate that Elle took the more active role in any sexual encounters. It could indicate giving into urges, but while he has shown himself to be a relatively unscrupulous bastard, Adam has never been shown to have a condition that would result in any sort of compulsion to rape. + Elle can shoot electricity from her hands. It is unlikely that she could be raped. - Elle was only 16 then, as well as being much weaker physically and mentally than Adam. He could of easily manipulated and overpowered her when she was being promiscuous. So might also have not had developed her power as much. Even if she did, it would be moot since Adam can negate by regenerating. • Regenerating damage does not mean that being electrocuted would not temporarily incapacitate him. While Peter's shot didn't hinder him, it must have been relatively weak to only burn his hand, while Elle has been indicated (by Noah Bennet, who in theory could have been lying to manipulate her) to have been approaching the power necessary to power a city block when she was very young. That would certainly be enough power to short out Adam's nervous system for at least long enough for her to summon help; even if it did not incapacitate him, it would certainly draw attention. This doesn't discount the possibility of his manipulating her, but as above, his claim that he "gave in" implies that she was the more active party. Unless, of course, he was lying. + Elle is the only person besides Peter that Adam has had major contact with in the past 30 years. - This is unlikely. Elle is only in her early twenties and was first involved with The Company at the age of seven. Before then, there would be plenty of time for others to come and meet Adam. + In Four Months Ago..., the Haitian chased Peter while Elle chased Adam. Peter was easily caught, and he was far more powerful than Adam. It is possible that Elle purposely let Adam escape. - Or she was merely less experienced than the Haitian, or Adam was trickier than Peter was. - Elle had very little chance to catch Adam in the first place. He had a head start and could negate her power with his power. Even if she did catch him, she would have quite a tough time containing him unless she had tape or rope to hold him. • Adam's power is regeneration, not invulnerability. Regeneration does not negate the immediate effects of attacks. High levels of electricity would still result in burns, muscle contractions and, depending on conditions, severe nervous system damage. While he would heal from this, a single strong strike could take him off of his feet, and even if he could not be incapacitated, a taser-strength jolt whenever he tried to stand up would take him off his feet immediately due to the resulting spastic muscle contractions if nothing else. However, as mentioned above, she is relatively inexperienced in the field as compared to the Haitian, while Adam has a few hundred years of experience on Peter. + Elle is a sadist; it is possible she agrees with Adam's misanthropy. (Four Months Ago...) + Elle would be bitter towards her father for his malicious experiments, and likely to agree with Adam's opposition to the Company to spite Bob. (Truth & Consequences and Powerless) - Elle did not learn about her father's experiments until after Adam escaped. There would not be enough time for them to form any sort of significant relationship. - There is no reason that Elle would know the location of Adam's new prison. - Elle's First Assignment was eight months ago. Elle was closely watched before this point. It is unlikely that Elle could have a secret marriage in this time. + If she was so closely watched that Bob knew about her "affair," then why would he continue to let her give Adam his medicine in the Company's prison? If she wasn't closely watched enough for Bob to be aware of such a thing, then a secret relationship is possible. - We have only seen Elle give Peter medication; while this does not mean she didn't give Adam any, she probably stopped/was stopped after he "gave in" if she even gave him any to begin with. - Adam seems to dislike Elle. + Adam could have manipulated Elle's weak mental state to get her to marry him. Marriage isn't always about love.
If Adam is freed and becomes a villain, he may redeem himself or have a change of heart at the end of Season 3.	None	- Hiro Nakamura buried Adam Monroe alive, that sort of thing doesn't exactly bring out the best in the person being buried. • Hiro once believed that he could change Adam and that broken love has made him cruel.
Adam Monroe is in fact an African-American.	None	+ His skin could have healed itself.
Adam's eleventh wife doesn't really exist.	None