Isaac Mendez

Isaac Mendez
Portrayed by	Santiago Cabrera
First appearance	Genesis
In-story stats
Known ability	Heroin-induced precognition.
Gender
Age	28
Residence	Isaac Mendez's apartment
Occupations	Artist, Author

Isaac Mendez is an artist and comic book author living in New York. He has a loft studio in Lower Manhattan. His art dealer and former girlfriend is Simone Deveaux. By his own admission, Mendez is addicted to heroin, although he has been through rehab twice.

Character History

Urged on by his instructor, Dominick Cabalo, Isaac honed his art skills and took various summer classes to help develop his craft. It wasn't until high school when he began winning illustration contests. With even more classes in illustration and comic design courses under his belt, Isaac moved to New York and soon after high school took various courses in college for comic book illustration. It wasn't until the annual New York comic convention that he caught the eye of Camacho Comics and they hired him on the spot. He worked there for 3 years, all the while learning the ins and outs of the business. Then in 2002 he self-published his own line of comics under his old uncle Burk's name - one of the few people in his life who supported his love of comic books. (9th Wonders! comic issue #14)

Genesis

For about three weeks, the paintings that Isaac has completed while high have appeared to depict future events.

When he realizes this, he tells Simone, showing her a painting he made weeks prior of a suicide bombing in Israel, and the same image as a photograph in that morning's newspaper. He intends to quit heroin cold turkey, to which Simone objects. Simone returns later to find that he has instead overdosed. She calls in Peter Petrelli, a nurse who is taking care of her father, to help Mendez. Peter sees Isaac's painting of a man who looks strikingly similar to Peter jumping off of a building and seemingly flying, which later sways the nurse to attempt the same thing. Isaac stirs longe enough to tell Simone "we have to stop it", indicating a massive painting of a nuclear explosion on the floor of his studio

Don't Look Back

Isaac wakes up and again insists to Simone that he has been painting the future.

Hiro Nakamura, a time manipulator, discovers a divergent future timeline set a little over five weeks from October 2nd and finds a copy of 9th Wonders!, a comic by Isaac. He goes to Isaac's studio, now filled with paintings of the Symbol, and finds Isaac murdered. The top of his head has been sawed off and his brain is missing—the same modus operandi as the Walker murder of which Sylar is suspected.

One Giant Leap

Isaac has recovered and has come to cope with the fact that he is "painting the future". Simone, however, does not believe Isaac's assertions about his paintings and is more concerned with Isaac meeting the deadline for his comic book. They argue, and when Isaac gives Simone an ultimatum, she leaves him. Later, Isaac finds a drawing he'd made earlier of a couple kissing which matches the actual event of Peter Petrelli and Simone kissing in the rain.

Collision

When Peter brings Mohinder to Isaac's studio to demonstrate his abilities, Isaac is in a precognitive trance, painting a picture of Claire being menaced by an unseen figure and does not answer the door.

Hiros

Peter arrives at Isaac's apartment and attempts to persuade him that he believes Isaac really can paint the future. At first, Isaac brushes him off. When Peter finds the unfinished painting and claims he can complete it, Isaac begins to regain his enthusiasm. When the phone rings, Isaac tells Peter to ignore it, but he answers it and tells Hiro he has a message for him.

Better Halves

At Isaac's apartment, Peter tells Hiro, through Ando, about his visit from Future Hiro. He relays the message and tells Hiro to meet him and Isaac in New York so they can locate "the cheerleader". Isaac and Peter then search the paintings for a clue as to the girl's identity. Peter realizes the last batch of paintings fit together like a comic page—but with one panel missing. Isaac tells him that Simone took a piece which was about the right size and shape to sell.

Later on, Eden arrives at Isaac's apartment, claiming to be a fan

Nothing to Hide

Peter and Simone arrive at Isaac's apartment to tell him about Charles Deveaux's death. However, he is missing and the apartment is completely cleared out.

Seven Minutes to Midnight

Isaac and his paintings have been brought to the Primatech Paper Co. where he is recovering from his drug addiction. He has been unable to paint the future without the drugs, but Eden assures him they will help him learn to use his powers without them.

Isaac meets Mr. Bennet who tells him his power is a blessing and then tells him that his daughter is the cheerleader in Isaac's paintings. Mr. Bennet asks for Isaac’s help and finally offers him drugs so that he can paint the future again. Isaac tries again without the drugs but is still unable to access his abilities. Mr. Bennet has Eden user her power to convince Isaac to take the drugs. He does and is able to paint the future again.

Powers

When high on heroin, Isaac has "painted the future." It would appear that Isaac might not actually need to be high to see the future: when Peter mimicked his abilities, he was able to do so without drugs, and it's not clear whether Isaac was using heroin when he drew 9th Wonders! Issue #14, which also predicted future events.

When Isaac is in a trance, he seems to be actually perceiving the future. His eyes become milky white and he sees the future events visually as if he's present. He also seems to have little awareness for sounds around him.

It's also worth noting that 9th Wonders! might depict present or past events in addition to future events. Since Issue 14 was released in the future timeline, and since Simone mentioned that the comic was late in the present, then it's possible that the events depicting Hiro before his journey to New York and after his return to the present occurred before or as Isaac drew them. This potentially means that his ability includes present-time or past clairvoyance in addition to precognition.

Art work

See Isaac's paintings