Adoptive muscle memory

Adoptive muscle memory
Monica replicates a difficult gymnastics move.
Held by:	Monica Dawson
Ability to:	Replicate any physical action
Examples of adoptive muscle memory

Adoptive muscle memory, also referred to as muscle mimicry, is the ability to replicate any physical action after seeing it performed once.

Characters

• Monica Dawson is the only character known to have this ability.

Limits

Monica's ability requires that she actually see the action but it does not have to be in person. Monica can perform her ability with or without active concentration. She cut a tomato into a rose without consciously thinking about her action. Monica was also surprised after she performed the wrestling move instinctively. In Fight or Flight, she states that she's unable to play the piano, as she plays the piano. Micah realized he was playing before Monica did.

It is currently not clear whether Monica retains an acquired skill permanently or "forgets" it after a period of time.

Selected Examples

• 
  Monica carves a tomato into a rose after seeing the action performed by a cooking show host.
  (The Kindness of Strangers)
• 
  Monica sees a wrestler perform a move...
• 
  ...and later knocks out a robber with it.
  (The Kindness of Strangers)
• 
  Monica starts playing the piano subconsciously after watching Micah do the same.
  (Fight or Flight)
• 
  Monica successfully recalls a previously learned skill to create more tomato roses.
  (Fight or Flight)
• 
  Monica learns double dutch after watching another girl do the same.
  (Fight or Flight)
• 
  Monica replicates several advanced martial arts moves after seeing Jason Scott Lee do the same moves in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.
  (Fight or Flight)
• 
  Monica performs a series of acrobatic handsprings and backflips for Mohinder at a Company research facility.
  (The Line)

Notes

• In a CBR Q&A session, Joe Pokaski and Aron Coleite elaborated on Monica's powers. "Monica can only do things within her physical limit. Now as an athletic 20-year-old girl, there are a lot of things within her limit. But, no--if she saw Nathan fly, she couldn't fly."
• Micah identifies St. Joan, from a 9th Wonders! comic, as a muscle mimic. (Fight or Flight)

See Also

• For other uses of memory, see memory (disambig).
• For other uses of mimic, see mimic (disambig).