User:Crevaner
Science of Hero Powers
Fundamentally, all Hero powers can be regarded as simply different manifestations of the same base ability—which is the possession and unconscious manipulation of a biology-altering EM field. The origin of the Heroes lies in the brain. The four gene complex responsible for the Heroes causes them to have certain anatomical characteristics in their brains that baseline humans don't have. Heroes have several new neurotransmitters, unique neural wiring, and wholly new organelles in the neurons. This special neuroanatomy causes the brain to create a special electromagnetic field that exist as a semi-sentient energy-based lifeform. The lifeform takes form as an energy pattern linked to the natural electromagnetic field of a Hero's body. Since the EM field lifeform permiates a Hero's entire body, it innately possesses an intrinsic understanding of all aspects of human physiology (including human DNA). The semi-sentience of the EM field is tied into a Hero's own consciousness and as a result, its actions are based on the Hero's subconscious will. Because of this connection, at some point in a Hero's life (anywhere from pre-pubescence to early mid-age), the EM field takes signals from the Hero's psychological profile, as well as their individual genetic structure, stress hormones, and immune system messengers to alter the Hero's physiology in way that will imbue them with a superhuman ability that might be useful to that particular Hero in their daily life or at least at the time of their manifestation. This means that every Hero's ability is actually connected to their personality.
Genetics of Heroes
The four gene complex responsible for Hero abilities specifically involves two genes, each of which has two forms, or alleles. To be a Hero, a person must have at least one of each of the dominant alleles. A non-Hero may either have two recessive "a" alleles, or two recessive "b" alleles.
- A - Hero gene 1 (dominant)
- a - non-Hero (recessive)
- B - Hero gene 2 (dominant)
- b - non-Hero (recessive)
These combinations will make a Hero:
- AABB
- AaBB
- AABb
- AaBb
These combinations will make a non-Hero:
- AAbb
- Aabb
- aaBB
- aaBb
- aabb
Heroes born from two non-Heroes are produced if one parent has two "a" alleles and at least one "B" allele, while the other parent has two "b" alleles and at least one "A" allele. Because of this, they could produce Hero offspring.
AAbb x aaBB, for example, would produce all Hero offspring of the type AaBb.
Aabb x aaBb would produce Hero offspring in the proportion of one in four:
- AaBb = Hero
- Aabb = non-Hero
- aaBb = non-Hero
- aabb = non-Hero
Aabb x aaBB or AAbb x aabB would have a one in two chance of having Hero offspring.
Two Hero parents can even have non-Hero children. These non-Heroes are produced by two Hero parents who have at least one recessive allele of the same gene.
AaBB x AaBB could produce:
- AABB (1/4 chance) = Hero
- AaBB (1/2 chance) = Hero
- aaBB ( 1/4 chance) = non-Hero
AABb x AABb could produce:
- AABB (1/4) = Hero
- AABb (1/2) = Hero
- AAbb (1/4) = non-Hero
However, the cross AABb x AaBB would produce all Hero offspring, since only one recessive allele of each gene could be inherited by any offspring:
- AABB (1/4) = Hero
- AABb (1/4) = Hero
- AaBB (1/4) = Hero
- AaBb (1/4) = Hero
The cross likely to produce the most non-Heroes from two Hero parents is, obviously, AaBb x AaBb, in which the offspring have a seven in sixteen chance of being a non-Hero.
Peter's power
Peter Petrelli is a "Hero" who possesses a bio-electrical "biomimetic aura", which allows him to duplicate Hero special powers. When Peter's biomimetic aura interacts with the EM field lifeform of another Hero, an information transfer instantaneously gives Peter's own EM field lifeform an intrinsic understanding of the physical base of the other Hero's superhuman ability. The EM field lifeform then immediately alters Peter's physiology to possess that ability. This means Peter permanently gains the superhuman ability of a Hero that is in his immediate vicinity.