Maya Herrera

Maya Herrera
Portrayed by	Dania Ramírez
First appearance	Four Months Later...
In-story stats
Known ability	Poison emission (lost)
Gender
Home	New York, NY; Montville, NJ; formerly Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Residences	6619 Mayfleet Avenue #305 Montville, New Jersey; Apartment in New York City
Significant others	formerly Sylar, formerly Mohinder Suresh
Siblings	Alejandro Herrera (fraternal twin brother, deceased)
Other relatives	Gloria Herrera (sister-in-law, deceased)

Maya Herrera is an evolved human from Santo Domingo who made her way to New York City to meet Chandra Suresh in hopes that he could help her with her ability, which she believed to be a curse. She was originally on the run with her now deceased brother because they were both wanted for accidental murder. She lived with Mohinder, waiting for a way to get rid of her ability until he attacked her as a result of his ability so she got someone else to do the job. She now lives in New Jersey trying to live a normal life.

Character History

Season Two

For an episode-by-episode summary, see Maya Herrera: Season Two History.

Maya and her brother Alejandro are running for their lives to make their way to New York City so they can find Dr. Suresh. They hire a coyote to take them closer to America, but the two get separated, and every one around Maya dies mysteriously. When Alejandro catches up to his sister, he finds her eyes filled with black tears. Later, the two make it to Guatemala and try to get into Mexico. However, more complications occur, and Maya kills Nidia, their guide into Mexico. Alejandro comes to Maya's side, and makes the black tears disappear. Nidia recovers, and leaves the two to their own fate.

The twins make their way closer to America, but Alejandro is caught breaking into a car. He is arrested, and Maya pleads with the police to free him. When they do not concede, she uses her ability to set Alejandro free, and an American offers them his car to help get to America. On their way to America, they find a man in the middle of the road. They take him into the car, and find that his name is Gabriel Gray. He tells the twins that he know Dr. Suresh and will take them to him, because he needs his help as well.

After leaving Derek in Mexico, Gabriel, Alejandro and Maya make their way to the American border, but are ambushed by a border patrol. While the Border Patrol harasses the twins and Sylar, Alejandro and Sylar begin to yell at Maya, which upsets her. Her eyes turn black and the men fall down as Sylar holds Alejandro back from using his ability, allowing them to escape. Safely within the U.S., Alejandro and Sylar fight, and Maya separates the two. Maya tells her brother she had to do what she did because it was necessary. Alejandro calls her a killer, blaming Sylar. Alejandro then tells Maya that she needs to pick between him and Sylar. She tells him that she needs both of them. In Cook Lake, VA, Sylar tries to get Maya to learn how to control her power. He starts to make Maya angry by telling her how much her brother, Alejandro, hates her because Maya killed Gloria and Alejandro gave up his life for Maya. Even though Maya claims it was an accident, she gets emotional, and begins to cry black tears. However, at Sylar's urging, Maya manages to take control of her ability. After Sylar kills Alejandro, he lets Maya think Alejandro has gone off alone. Maya then leaves to New York with Sylar to find Suresh.

After arriving in New York, Mohinder tells Maya that Sylar is a killer, but she admits that she has killed herself. When Sylar takes Mohinder at gunpoint, Mohinder tells Maya that Sylar is a "monster." Distressed, Maya's ability takes over, which affects Mohinder, Sylar, and Molly. Unwilling to kill the man who could cure her and an innocent girl, Maya controls her ability. Sylar forces them all to Mohinder's lab at gunpoint, making Maya and Molly sit down on a bed while Mohinder treats him. Maya tells Molly about her brother Alejandro. When Molly offers to find him, she says that he "isn't anywhere," meaning that he is dead. Enraged, she tries to attack Sylar, only to be shot. To make sure that Mohinder's cure for the Shanti virus works, Sylar has Mohinder use Claire's blood on Maya, successfully reviving her. Elle attacks Sylar, causing him to flee. She shows frustration for not catching him, but Maya, Molly and Mohinder show their gratitude for saving their lives.

The Second Coming

As Mohinder opens the door to his apartment, Maya attacks him in fear he is Sylar. Realizing it's Mohinder, Maya begins to question if he will ever find a cure to rid her of her ability. He claims that there is no way to rid Maya of it, enraging her. Her power activates, starting to kill Mohinder, but she realizes what is happening and suppresses it. Questioning her about what happened, Mohinder realizes that powers are activated by adrenaline. He extracts some from her for examination. Later, after running some tests, he creates a serum that he believes will give abilities to non-powered humans. Frustrated with the results that opposed her wishes, Maya storms off, saying the serum should be destroyed.

The Butterfly Effect

Entering Mohinder's lab the next day to apologize, Maya finds a changed Mohinder, who is diplaying a new attitude along with superhuman abilities. Mohinder guarantees that he is okay and that -- having found a way to grant abilities to the non-powered -- he will certainly be able to find a way to take powers away. The changed Mohinder then passionately kisses Maya and they sleep together.

I Am Become Death

Maya gets more and more concerned about Mohinder's refusal to leave his lab. She is currently unaware that the serum has negative side effects.

Angels and Monsters

Maya comes back to Mohinder's lab and shows him a missing poster of his neighbor. When she notices a trail of blood in the lab, she quickly leaves. Later, Maya returns while Mohinder is out, and she finds his neighbor cocooned to the wall, as she is trying to free him, Mohinder returns and she hides underneath a gurney. When Mohinder realizes she is there, she activates her ability. She stops before killing him and he attacks her, and then cocoons her to the wall.

Dying of the Light

Maya remains cocooned in Mohinder's hive.

Eris Quod Sum

Maya is taken to Pinehearst by Mohinder. After Arthur takes her ability, she tells Mohinder to leave her alone. Later, she talks to Mohinder, stating that she wants to start over and make amends with her previous life.

The Eclipse, Part 1

Mohinder looks up Maya's information on a Pinehearst computer. He finds her address and phone number in Montville, New Jersey.

The Eclipse, Part 2

Maya is in her apartment in New Jersey when she hears Mohinder knock on her door. She goes to answer it but no one is there. She sees a piece of paper with her address laying on the floor, in Mohinder's handwriting. She is unaware that Mohinder, his mutation returning after the end of the eclipse, is hiding around the corner. She goes back inside and he leaves.

Graphic Novel:Libertad

Maya goes to the Angry Skunk Bar, in hopes of receiving a new identity, but she argues over the price of the service with Misha and the other trafficker. She says she no longer does any tricks. Later, she reveals that Rebel told her to come to this place. She plans to meet with the two traffickers, along with Angie and Harmon, that night. But, the plan is ruined when armed men are at the rendezvous point. Maya tells Angie and Harmon to get away from there and to lay low. The three go their separate ways.

Heroes Evolutions

In chapter 1 of Operation Bad Blood and Operation Splinter in the iStory, Primatech and Pinehearst both learn that Maya Herrera is the Kill Squad's next target.

In chapter 2 of Operation Bad Blood and Operation Splinter in the iStory, Primatech and Pinehearst both learn that Red Eye plans to ambush the Kill Squad when it goes after Maya. In Operation Bad Blood, the Pinehearst contracted player infiltrates the Kill Squad in New York City as it prepares to go after Maya.

In chapter 2 of Operation Bad Blood and Operation Splinter in the iStory, Primatech and the Kill Squad both learn that Maya has an apartment in New York City and pay her apartment building a visit.

Evolved Human Abilities

Maya and Alejandro both seem to believe that Maya is responsible for causing the deaths of people around them. They believe that they need to get to New York, where there is a doctor who can help her. Since they have been reading a copy of Activating Evolution, they are presumably seeking Chandra Suresh. (Four Months Later...)

When Alejandro finds Maya after she is kidnapped by some "coyotes", everyone else in the truck has died; their eyes have spilled black tears.

Maya's virulent ability manifests when she begins leaking black liquid from the eyes. Then, her guide to cross the border dies just like the coyotes. However, Alejandro is somehow able to reverse the condition, by gripping Maya's hands tight and praying. The guide comes back to life and flees, and all the black liquid returns to Alejandro's eyes (Lizards). Maya later learns to reverse the effects of her ability without Alejandro's ability. (Truth & Consequences)

At long last, Maya's ability is taken away by Arthur Petrelli. (Eris Quod Sum)

Memorable Quotes

"Gabriel...like the angel!"

- Maya (to Sylar) (The Kindness of Strangers)

"Get away from him. He is a murderer!"

"I am a murderer!"

- Alejandro, Maya (Truth & Consequences)

"You killed my brother!"

- Maya (to Sylar) (Powerless)

"You bitch!"

- Maya (to Gloria) (Four Months Ago)

"You are different..."

- Maya (to Mohinder) (The Butterfly Effect)

Notes

• Press releases have placed Maya and Alejandro in their mid-20s.

Trivia

• When Mohinder looks up Maya's address (The Eclipse, Part 1), the computer says she lives at 619 Mayfleet Avenue in Montville, NJ 07045. Her phone number is (973) 555-0110. It should be noted that according to the iStory, Maya lives in an apartment building in New York City.

See Also

• For other uses of Maya, see Maya (disambig).
• For a list of her victims, see Maya's victims.
• For images of Maya, see Images of Maya Herrera.
• For articles related to Maya Herrera, see Related Articles:Maya.

Fan Theories

Please refer to Theory:Maya Herrera for fan-created theories and other speculation.