Theory:Adam Monroe

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The following fan theories are about Adam Monroe.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Adam Monroe is the ancestor of Claire Bennet.	None.	+ They both have the power of rapid cell regeneration. + Matt and Maury both have the same power, as well as Meredith and Flint. 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 blond hair - possibly a result of genes being passed down. - There are a lot of blond characters in Heroes. They aren't all related to Adam. • They could ALL be his descendants, he has lived long enough. + 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's sons were Italian, and Petrelli is of definite Italian origin. + As Kensei, Adam used the symbol as his mark; Angela also notes that the symbol was the logo of the Petrelli family law practice.
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. - If rapid cell regeneration also allowed users to clone themselves, this would make Julien's ability completely obsolete. • Telepathy makes persuasion and puppet master obsolete, plant manipulation makes plant growth obsolete, so this is no reason why it wouldn't be possible. • Low order organisms such as flat-worms can reproduce 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 93% of the population. - Linderman was one of the people who had Adam locked up. • Linderman could have helped lock him up after their disagreement.
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. • Linderman's power was the ability to heal others, not himself. + Peter can, theoretically, remove Adam's entire brain from his body, which could prevent regeneration. - Peter cannot phase anymore.
Adam's eleventh bride has an ability similar to Molly's.	Adam believed that his latest bride would 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). - His last wife was Trina (who remarried and later died while he was imprisoned). I doubt the reference to his "latest wife" was someone he met and married with in the four months leading up to the beginning of season 2. He would have been too busy planning the deaths of the founders. It makes more sense that he would have meant Trina was coming for him to take him to the other side. He stated that he had died many times while buried alive, so it stands to reason that after so many deaths, he would start to think one of these deaths would be his last, and at that point he would most likely be wishing it to be so.
Adam's eleventh bride is Elle.	None.	• 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 more so than consensually slept 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. - In Eris Quod Sum, it is shown that Claire's young (relative to Adam's) rapid cell regeneration completely negates the effects of Elle's electricity. + 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. - Rapid cell regeneration trumps induced electricity, as per Elle's confrontation with Claire in Eris Quod Sum. + 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, 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. + Powerless left Elle in very close proximity to Molly, easily rectifying this problem. - 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. - Adam was locked up by the company before Elle was even born. - Adam said his eleventh bride will find him, meaning she cared about him.
Adam can still be brought back to life.	As of episode 307 it appears that Arthur Petrelli may have been cremated, and then somehow brought back to life. Although it is possible he was not cremated at all, if he WAS, then this would suggest that although Adam was reduced to ashes, he could be revived in much the same way Arthur was.	• Adam was developed so perfectly in season two to be such a clever silver-tongued villain, I would be extremely disappointed with the producers if he met his end so simply. + An urn is clearly shown at Arthur's funeral. - In Villains, it is explained that Arthur manipulated Dr. Livitz to cremate another body to fake his death. + Nathan says "But I saw..." to Peter at the end of episode 307 as if to suggest he saw his father dead, or being cremated. - Or just that Nathan saw a near dead Arthur before his "passing" and was made to believe Arthur's apparent heart attack. - This is probably mostly just wishful thinking. + Adam is seen in Angela Petrelli's dream in episode 302. + Hiro can go back to the past and get Adam. - That isn't "bringing Adam back to life". That would be "getting him from the past". - There is no brain left to allow him to regenerate. He is dust.
Adam's eleventh bride doesn't really exist.	None.	+ The line about his newest bride could just be foreshadowing. - Foreshadowing about what, if not a new bride? + The eleventh bride could never be mentioned again and turn out to be a forgotten plot thread that is never resolved, which has been known to happen in Heroes. + The eleventh bride could have been a figment of a mentally ill man suffering from a lack of oxygen to the brain.
Adam's eleventh bride is Jessica or another of Niki's alter egos.	None.	+ She has the strength to free him from his coffin. + She could've got her last name when Adam was using the Sanders name. - Adam has been imprisoned since Niki was 3. - How would she find him? - Niki/Jessica is dead (One of Us, One of Them). + Adam does not know this.
U.S. President James Monroe was a descendant of Adam.	None.	+ They share the last name. + Adam was born over a century before President Monroe. - Monroe isn't exactly an uncommon name.
Adam's eleventh bride is Linda Tavara.	None.	+ Adam says that his newest wife will find him. This seems to imply that this person either has a power, or is a skilled tracker. Linda has a power, and was a private investigator. - Adam already had a wife during the seventies, Trina. + After his escape, there were four months in which Adam's activities were unknown. He could have met Linda then. + Adam has established himself as a pretty amoral person. It wouldn't exactly be out of character if he cheated on Trina. - Adam stated he regretted not being able to say goodbye to her, he had genuine feelings for her as far as what is known of their relationship. - Linda is dead. + There is a gap of 19 years between his marriage before Trina and Trina. He could have been involved with her between those times as Linda died in 1972, while Adam married Trina in 1977. - Adam said his "eleventh bride". Trina was number ten, Adam would have married his eleventh bride after Trina, Linda Tavara was killed before he even married Trina. • It is possible for two human beings to be engaged before one of them dies. • Linda was already dead when Adam and Trina were married.
Adam's eleventh bride is Daphne Millbrook.	None.	+ She seems to be Hiro's nemesis in Season Three - she and Adam may team up against Hiro. + She is rumored to be romantically involved with Hiro. He could break her heart thus her wanting revenge. - In the dark future, Daphne is married to Matt Parkman and the two have a child (I Am Become Death). • In Heroes, The future changes very often. Nothing from the future is reliable evidence. • Usutu painted a painting of Matt carrying Daphne, linking his future relationship with her. • Adam could not have foreseen the above information.
Adam's eleventh bride is Angela Petrelli.	None.	+ Adam said that his newest bride would find him. Angela Petrelli indeed did it, once she (indirectly) asked Hiro to release Adam, in order to find out where the formula is. - Angela was subject to attack by Maury Parkman at Adam's orders. - Angela says this is because Adam is "the key to unlocking this whole mystery." + Angela has admitted to having sexual relations with Kaito, therefore it's possible she slept with Adam as well. + If this is true, and Arthur found out about this, that would explain him killing Adam, rather than using his blood to cure himself. - It is possible that Arthur killed Adam simply because he wanted Adam's ability for himself. + However, as Adam said, he could, "be of use" to Arthur, and Arthur is no stranger to using people when it would help him. He could have easily used Adam, then taken his power once he was no longer of any use, meanwhile using Adam's blood to keep himself alive and well. - Adam seemed to have a positive opinion of his eleventh bride, whereas Angela was the first he implicated as the possible thief of the formula. + As noted above, Angela also seems to implicate Adam, or at the least refer to him as merely useful, resulting in him being released. It could just be a good cover so they are not seen as working together.
Adam's eleventh bride is Tracy Strauss.	None.	+ Either she or Barbara is standing beside Adam (along with Maury Parkman and Knox) in Angela's dream of the dark future (The Butterfly Effect). - In the dark future, Tracy Strauss is the First Lady, married to President Nathan Petrelli (I Am Become Death). + Thanks to Future Peter's interference, that future may no longer exist. + Adam didn't know that.
Adam was originally intended to have an eleventh wife but the writers changed the storyline so that he will no longer have one.	None.	+ As of Dying of the Light Adam is now dead and his wife has not yet been revealed. • We don't yet know whether Arthur's power theft is permanent and irreversible; regenerators have otherwise recovered from worse before. - Err, when have any regenerators recovered from being turned to dust? - What's worse than being turned to dust? Other than being completely obliterated. + Ground zero when Sylar nuked Costa Verde, thats what. Both Peter and Future Claire survived that. (Okay, not worse than being dumped into a mini black hole, granted...) - Nathan managed to survive Peter's explosion with severe burns. It can be reasonably deduced that Peter and future Claire would fare even better. + Nathan was present at considerably farther away than either Future Claire or Peter were; Peter wasn't even visible in the distance when he exploded. - Nathan had also been exposed to Peter's radiation for a significant amount of time before he actually exploded, which would have lessened his resistance even further. - Additionally, Adam Monroe is basically destroyed. He no longer has a body to regenerate or a brain to do it.
Adam was in fact born in the "present" day and taken back in time and left there.	None.	+ It seems that the company created "powers" rather then having them evolve from nothing. - Future Peter says that only some of the evolved humans were created. - In the 400 years that Adam has endured, he has met people along the way with powers. • Although these characters could have also been taken back at some point.
Adam is the mastermind behind the Season 3 plot.	Adam and Maury Parkman are both seen in Angela's dream, and Arthur Petrelli is not.	+ Maury has the ability to fake both his own and Adam's death. - If Adams death was faked, how the hell did Arthur gain his ability? • Adam could have let Arthur take his ability to fake his own death. Adam knows he could regain his ability with the formula. - Adam died the moment he lost his ability, not even the imperfect formula was ready, he'd have died the same way, not something that would've been in his plans. + Maury may be able to suppress others' powers by manipulating their minds, while also able to portray Arthur as alive and having powers. + This also explains how Arthur had telepathic communications with Adam. + Maury has worked for Adam in the past. Maury seems to take the role of a follower, not a leader. + The other main villain to return from the dead may have all been a hallucination manufactured by Maury. + This would be totally awesome. - It's probably just wishful thinking.
The manifestation of Adam's ability was related to the 1671 eclipse.	The later eclipse seems tied to the abilities of numerous others.	• Adam seemed unaware of his abilities until he healed when Hiro was there. - The eclipses that happen every 370 years aren't always the eclipses that activate powers. Peter mentions a dream he had in Villains about Nathan and Heidi in their accident at the same time it was occurring, which was 18 months before the total eclipse that was assumed to activate most of the other main characters' powers.
Adam died after Arthur absorbed his power due to the viruses and infections that were kept dormant due to his power.	None.	+ Claire was immediately prone to a bad infection from the shot wound she received. Imagine this times over 400 years of collecting viruses and bacteria that one's immune system never killed. • Claire lost her ability temporarily to the eclipse. She was not infected until she was shot. + There is no possible way that bacteria could have decomposed his body and turned him to dust that quickly. Especially in a sterile hospital room. - And there's no way viruses or infections (which are from bacteria) could have killed him that quickly and turned him to dust that quickly either. - If it wasn't from is ability being taken away and him aging quickly, then the most plausible explanation would be that Arthur used an unknown power to kill him after taking Adam's ability. • The human body is full of important non pathogenic bacteria, and without them humans would lack important nutrients, such as vitamin B complex. - Viruses and infections would not lay dormant. His body may have constantly had to fix damage due to viruses or bacteria (unlikely), but they would not be dormant. - The most likely reason that Adam aged to death after his power was stolen was that the writers wanted it to be absolutely and instantly clear that Arthur had REMOVED his power, not just copied it.
Adam Monroe survived until 2007 because the eclipses that give and take away powers only happen every 370 years.	Total solar eclipses are rare events. Although they occur somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, it has been estimated that they recur at any given place only once every 370 years, on average. The total eclipse only lasts for a few minutes at that location, as the Moon's umbra moves eastward at over 1700 km/h. Totality can never last more than 7 min 31 s, and is usually much shorter: during each millennium there are typically fewer than 10 total solar eclipses exceeding 7 minutes. The last time this happened was June 30, 1973 (7 min 3 sec).	+ 1603 (Total eclipse) + 68 years = 1671 (Annular, gives and takes away powers) 1973 (Total eclipse) + 34 years = 2007 (Hybrid eclipse, gives and takes away) + But if Hiro Nakamura was never sent to 1671, then Adam would've still became evil. He could trick Hiro into teleporting him to 2011, where he would release the Shanti virus and take over the world. So that Adam could escape the next eclipse in 2041, when he could just use a cryogenic tube or have someone with freezing put him in that state.
Adam Monroe's eleventh wife will never be revealed. The plot is canceled.	They did the same to Caitlin.	+ Caitlin's fate was supposed to be seen in Volume Three: Exodus, but that volume was canceled. Adam's eleventh bride could have been planned to appear in that same volume, and that's why she was never mentioned again. + The volume being canceled could also explain Adam's alias "Richard Sanders" - he could have been originally intended to be Niki's ancestor, but because of the Writers' Strike, and cancellation of Exodus, they added Tracy's, Barbara's and Dr. Zimmerman's storyline, to "spice things up".
Adam Monroe was written out of the show because the writers resent his character.	Adam's death scene, the most recent Behind the Eclipse.	+ Adam was a popular character, yet the writers killed his character off early in Season 3, in a humiliating way. Adam could well have remained sealed to be dug up in future seasons - instead, he was killed off quickly. - Older BTE interviews stated that they had to kill Adam to establish Arthur Petrelli as villain. + The writers had other ways of building up Arthur Petrelli - the way they did it was heavy-handed and more or less shoved Arthur down the viewer's throats. + Maybe that's what the writers wanted. + The most recent Behind the Eclipse scorned the possibility of Adam returning in Volume 4, remarking about Adam's thorough death scene. + Bringing him back could bring back some lost viewers. - As the writers said, bringing him back at this point is difficult. Volume 3 was written had not lost any viewers yet when Adam's death was written. + Adam's role in the story has been marginalized since his death, despite his important role prior to Season 3. • By the same logic, the writers must resent Monica and West as well, since they were simply not mentioned at all. • Some fans certainly hate West, and some fans and writers regard Monica as a milquetoast character. + The aforementioned Behind the Eclipse alluded to 'dirty laundry' and fights behind the scenes. Perhaps a grudge against David Anders is among this dirty laundry. - The dirty laundry in question is probably about Volume 4, which Adam's not a part of. + The dirty laundry mentioned nothing about specifics - whether it was about Volume 4, future volumes, Adam, or anything like that. - "Gives us a peek inside the Writers Room. How far along into Volume 4 are you? Have there been any "Charlie Arguments" of "150 Hour Tests" of late? As of answering this question, we're all done with Volume 4. Lots of arguments along the way. But we're not one for airing out our dirty laundry, so we're gonna keep our fights to a minimum." Along the way clearly refers to Volume 4. + There could be arguments along the way of Volume 4 that aren't related to Volume 4. - There is little reason to believe they were referring to a decision that had already been made, or that the writers have a grudge against David Anders. - It is unlikely the writers grew to resent Adam in between the decisions to write him back in in episode 4 and to write him out in episode 6. + He may have been written back in so he could be written out in a more humiliating way. - It was most likely that he was brought back to the show so as to make his death absolutely final. Leaving him in the grave would have only prompted people to continuously theorize about his return.