Isaac Mendez

Isaac Mendez
Portrayed by	Santiago Cabrera
First appearance	Genesis
In-story stats
Known ability	Precognition
Gender
Age	28
Date of birth	1978
Date of death	November 2006
Home	New York, NY
Residence	Artist's loft in Lower Manhattan
Occupations	Artist, Author
Significant other	formerly Simone Deveaux (deceased)
Parent	Carlos Mendez (deceased)
Other relatives	Burk (uncle)

Isaac Mendez was an artist and comic book author living in Manhattan. He had a loft studio in Lower Manhattan. His art dealer and former girlfriend was Simone Deveaux. Isaac was addicted to heroin, although he had been through rehab twice. Many of his works of art are prophetic, accurately depicting events of the future.

About

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!, Issue #14)

Character History

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 long enough to tell Simone "we have to stop it", indicating a massive painting of an 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 use her power to convince Isaac to take the drugs. He does and is able to paint the future again.

Graphic Novel:Isaac's First Time

Isaac tells Eden about the first time he painted the future. At a show of his paintings at the Deveaux Gallery, he was confronted by a woman about a painting that shows her getting hit with a bus. She runs out of the gallery, and as Isaac chases her, she gets hit by a bus.

Homecoming

Isaac remains unconscious in Mr. Bennet's custody at Primatech Paper Co. after painting a mysterious picture of an exploding figure. Mr. Bennet, judging the painting useless for purposes of locating Sylar, tries to convince Eden to use her powers to make Isaac take more drugs and paint another painting, but she refuses.

Fallout

Isaac is sketching in his room in the secret facility within Primatech Paper Co.. Eden comes in and he tells her that while he's still having no luck using his powers without heroin, he's enjoying sketching just to sketch for a change. Eden tells him she's leaving, kisses him, and gives him a cell phone and a security keycard.

After leaving Primatech, Isaac calls Hiro and Ando and meets them at the bus terminal in Midland, TX. At the Burnt Toast Diner, Isaac examines Issue #14 of 9th Wonders!, the comic Hiro brought back from the future, and is amazed. He tells Hiro he hasn't even sent the issue to the publisher yet. Hiro tells him about the future he saw, including the explosion and finding Isaac dead in his apartment. Isaac tells Hiro and Ando about the painting he made at Primatech of the exploding man. When Isaac learns of Charlie's death, he shows Hiro a sketch he made while clean at Primatech of Hiro and Charlie together at the diner.

Later, in a motel room in Midland, Isaac, encouraged by the prophetic nature of his sketches, tries once again to paint the future without heroin. After some encouragement from Hiro, he manages to slip into a precognitive trance, and paints a picture of Hiro wielding a sword and facing a seemingly living dinosaur.

Godsend

Simone and Nathan go to Isaac's apartment. Isaac appears out of the back and tells her that he was in a clinic, that he's clean now, and he no longer needs heroin in order to paint. Isaac tells Simone that she is the only reason he is alive. He still loves Simone. Nathan asks Isaac about the painting of a man of fire and remarks that it resembles a man exploding. He asks Isaac how he knows about this, and Isaac tells him that he just paints what he sees.

Distractions

Simone visits Isaac at his studio to ask if he can use his power to tell her where to find Peter, but Isaac has already been trying without success; none of his recent paintings show Peter. He has, however, painted a view from the roof Charles Deveaux's apartment building showing a destroyed cityscape, and another of himself and Simone standing together there.

He meets Simone on that rooftop later, where he laments that the city he has grown to love is going to be destroyed, and there's nothing he can do to stop it. Simone tells him that he wouldn't have been given the power if there were nothing he could do. Back at his studio, Isaac paints yet another picture, but this one shows Peter half-invisible. Isaac realizes that Peter has been in all of the paintings he made during his search, and calls Mr. Bennet to report his findings.

Unexpected

In his apartment, Isaac tells Mr. Bennet that he called him because he didn't know whom to trust. After explaining to Mr. Bennet that Peter will be the cause of the explosion, he shows some paintings, to signify that Peter is indeed invisible. Mr. Bennet gives Isaac a gun. "What do you expect me to do with this?" he asks. Mr. Bennet replies, "Save the world." Later, Simone visits Isaac in his apartment. He explains that he believes Peter has left New York. She tries to return his key, but he convinces her to keep it, and tells her he believes Peter is dangerous.

Isaac finishes another painting, this time of Peter standing in his apartment. He turns around to find Peter standing there. Isaac explains he was trying to stop Peter, since he was dangerous. Peter exposes the Mark on Isaac's neck, and Isaac says that it means nothing. Peter throws Isaac into a painting. Isaac claims he revealed Peter's location to save the city, not out of jealousy. Isaac grabs the gun and attempts to shoot Peter, who turns invisible. Firing shots blindly at his invisible target, he accidentally shoots Simone, who is just arriving to the apartment.

Parasite

Isaac and Peter lie on the floor of Isaac's apartment, over Simone's body, and Isaac tells Peter he meant to shoot him. Later, a detective comes in and tells Isaac that neighbors heard screaming and a gunshot. Candice comes in, disguised as Simone, and the detective leaves. Mr. Bennet then comes in, and Candice drops her illusion. Mr. Bennet tells Isaac that as far as anyone knows, Simone is vacationing in Europe indefinitely and a crew will be coming to clean up. Isaac asks what he should do and Mr. Bennet says, "Keep painting". Isaac takes out heroin from a drawer and paints himself dead.

.07%

Isaac's final words.

Isaac gives a courier the last art for 9th Wonders! to deliver to his publisher. He also gives the courier his sketchbook.

Later, he comes out of a precognitive trance in front of a painting of Sylar. From across the room, Sylar marvels at Isaac's ability. Unsurprised, Isaac tells Sylar that he is late. He explains that he tried fighting the future, but that he's seen that Sylar will be defeated. Sylar tortures Isaac, demanding to see depiction of his defeat, but Isaac says it's gone. Isaac says he now knows his part: to die here, but not before he shows the others how to kill Sylar and stop the bomb.

Later, Sylar is in a precognitive trance, painting a gruesome interpretation of Isaac's painting of ‎Nathan in office. Isaac lies dead nearby, next to his gun, just as his paintings depicted.

Lizards

Noah Bennet shows Sandra one of Isaac's paintings, a depiction of Kaito Nakamura's death. Noah states that there are seven others, but does not know where they are.

Kindred

Mohinder Suresh arrives at Isaac's loft, and is surprised to find out that Isaac has been killed by Sylar. Later, Mohinder discovers the eighth painting in a series of eight.

Powerless

Sylar looks at the painting on the floor of Isaac's loft and tells Mohinder that he killed Isaac on that very spot.

Graphic Novel:Career Choices

Thompson, Jr. tells Donna that the painting in her file is by Isaac Mendez, who could see the future.

The Eclipse, Part 2

Sam tells Matt, Daphne and Ando that Isaac gave his last 9th Wonders! story to a bike messenger.

Our Father

After some initial difficulty, Matt, Daphne and Ando locate Isaac's last 9th Wonders! story. The story starts with a sketch of Hiro with a caption that says "Hiro Nakamura: Lost in Time". The sketch after that shows Claire on roof of the Deveaux Building, looking over the city. Later on, Matt and the others find a sketch in the book that shows Hiro clinging to a flagpole.

Graphic Novel:The Natural Order of Things

Isaac is remembered as a victim of Sylar's.

Evolved Human Abilities

Isaac has the ability to "paint the future".

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.

Isaac also paints a picture of Peter standing in his room, seemingly the same time Peter becomes visible behind him (Unexpected). This may indicate that Isaac is able to paint present events as well. However, Isaac could have merely painted the event a few seconds before it happened.

Initially, Isaac had only painted future events while high on heroin. After going through rehabilitation under Eden's care, and with encouragement from Hiro and Ando, Isaac finally succeeded in painting (and sketching) events without the heroin, but with intense concentration instead. However, after Simone's accidental death, Isaac relapsed.

While the events portrayed in Isaac's paintings appeared to be random at first, Isaac has begun to show the ability to focus his paintings on a particular person. (Distractions)

According to the 9th Wonders! comics, Isaac's power may include some form of translation of foreign languages.

Equipment

• Art supplies--used to produce paintings
• Gun--given to Isaac by Mr. Bennet; used to accidentally shoot and kill Simone
• Heroin--initially used by Isaac to access his powers
• Paintings--the product of Isaac's prophetic visions
• Primatech security keycard--given to Isaac by Eden McCain; presumably used to leave Primatech Paper Co.

Memorable Quotes

"This city took me in. Everything important that ever happened to me happened here. Good. Bad. You. And now it's all gonna be destroyed because I can't stop it."

- to Simone Deveaux (Distractions)

"It's all right. I finally know my part in all this--to die, here, with you--but not before I show them how to kill you and stop the bomb. I finally get to be a hero."

- to Sylar (.07%)

Notes

• Isaac had an encounter with Uluru after getting high. This was right before his first exhibit in a while at the Deveaux Gallery, in which he painted a prophetic depiction of a woman being hit by a bus. (Isaac's First Time)
• Isaac is on the list.
• Per CBR's Oct. 6, 2008 Behind the Eclipse Q&A, Isaac's father is Carlos Mendez.

Trivia

• Isaac lived at 215 Reed Street, Apartment 7, New York, NY 10010 (Genesis).
• In early versions of the script Isaac's name was originally Diego Medina and Isaac Borolo.

See Also

• For other uses of Isaac, see Isaac (disambig).
• For other uses of Mendez, see Mendez (disambig).
• For images of Isaac, see Images of Isaac Mendez.
• For articles related to Isaac, see Related Articles:Isaac.
• See Isaac's paintings for a gallery of Isaac's work.
• See Prophecy for a side-by-side comparison of Isaac's predictions with real-life actualizations.

Fan Theories

Please refer to Theory:Isaac Mendez for fan-created theories and other speculation.