Theories:Events

This article will archive all of the published and fan theories that exist for events from Heroes.

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To view disproven theories, see here.

Explosion

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Ted Sprague is the cause of the explosion	He intimates that if he were to die, he could explode like an atomic bomb. (Episode:Nothing to Hide)	In Peter's vision, Peter himself is the cause of the explosion. However, the veracity of the vision is not established.
Sylar kills Ted Sprague, absorbing his power. Peter Petrelli then confronts and/or defeats Sylar and, for a short time, takes on Sylar's powers. But, Peter doesn't know how to control Ted's powers and blows up.
The explosion could be a "rift" of the kind which Future Hiro warned Peter about. This could have been caused by Hiro taking the comic book back in the past with him, and that is what it looks like when things are taken out of their proper place in Space/Time.	None	Peter believes he is the cause of the explosion, but could be incorrect.
Peter absorbs all of the other main characters' powers, which cause him to overload and blown up the city.		Peter has yet to manifest more than one power at the same time, but it's possible that he can.
It's the simultaneous combination of Ted's abilities and Claire's that allow Peter to reach some sort of 'critical mass' without dying so as to be able to explode.	This theory would explain why Claire's survival is so important, as a large enough nuclear explosion would cause problems, not just for the immediate area destroyed by the explosion, but potentially the entire world depending upon where the fallout spreads.
Peter becomes Sylar, through some mechanism.	If you look at the watch on Peter's wrist right when he comes into the explosion dream, you get the possible time it happens. Although it isn't completely clear it looks to be about 7:05, which would fit in with the lighting. Also the watch looks similar to the one Gabriel was fixing in Six Months Ago when he took the name Sylar. Peter's trench coat is also similar to Sylar's	Peter has been shown to wear a trench coat since the beginning of the series, and a lot of the characters wear watches. Peter's watch in the vision is not broken, and a different shape than Sylar's.
The city is evacuated, the other heroes are running away, and Claire mouths "I'm sorry". Also, his brother, Nathan, comes outside and stands beside him. This could be so that when Peter explodes, he can fly upwards and reduce damage.	This explains why in the preview for the next episode, there are seemingly fire trucks spraying water on buildings. This view is the same that Hiro had in the future, except in the future, the buildings past that (including the one he was standing in) were also destroyed.	It should be noted that an air burst explosion (from say 100-200 Feet) is much more damaging to surface buildings then one right at ground level.
If Peter turns out to be the cause of the nuclear blast, one possible escape would be for him to mimic Hiro's powers and jump back in time to the Mesozoic Era (a time in which a nuclear blast may be considered to have much less impact on the state of the world today -- humans have not yet evolved and many forms of life will eventually become extinct).	No direct evidence so much as speculation for motivations for apparent future events.	This could possibly be where Peter gets his scar.
Hiro jumps back to prehistoric times in order to find Peter and lend him the ability to return to the present day.	If the above turns out to be the case -- Peter saving NYC from the nuclear blast by taking it with him into the prehistoric past -- the others may realize or fear that Peter would be unable to return without being able to tap Hiro's powers. This could be a possible motivation for Hiro traveling back to a time and having to face a T-rex. In Isaac's painting of Hiro facing a T-rex, Hiro is still wearing his glasses implying that the dinosaur confrontation will occur prior to becoming the future Hiro who met Peter on the train.	Much of this is, of course, a speculative explanation for various events. Also, since Hiro's encounter with the T-rex occurred in the AMNH, it is unclear that he will face another. However in the AMNH he has a scabbard ,whereas in Isaac's painting it clearly depicts a sword with a blade.
Uluru causes Peter to explode or tries to kill him.	None
Peter is the explosion. He absorbs Ted's power and cannot control it.	In Godsend Peter has the vision again but more detailed. He tells Nathan that he absorbed his powers and can't control them. Then Simone and Nathan are disintegrated much like the doctor when Ted accidentally killed him.	Peter's vision (Fallout)
Peter, knowing that he is the cause of the explosion, catches a flight to Las Vegas to escape into the desert and avoid destroying the city. He chooses the Nevada desert because of all the nuclear tests that take place there, believing that he'll just be written off as another nuclear test. However, he will encounter Ted Sprague and unintentionally absorb his power, which is what will cause him to explode. After his encounter with Ted, his family will locate him and bring him back to New York to receive medical attention, and before he can escape the city again, he will explode.	Various events from the episode Godsend.	Peter, to the travel agent, says that he merely wants to leave New York, and he doesn't care where he goes, so long as it is far away. The travel agent suggests the Nevada desert and arranges for him to fly to Las Vegas, and Peter agrees. However, he doesn't know about Ted's existence, let alone that he lives in the very desert where he is heading, and that he will eventually absorb his powers of nuclear explosion. Also, in Graphic Novel:How Do You Stop an Exploding Man?, Part 2, Ted is said to be hiding in the New Mexico desert, though this is likely the Mojave Desert which is in both Nevada and New Mexico. The novel picks up where Part 1 set in Nevada, left off.
Peter and other Heroes will work together to stop Ted Sprague from causing the explosion, but Peter will absorb Ted's power, lose control of it, and become a threat himself in the process.	This would be consistent with Peter's dreams in Godsend and also explain the presence of so many of the other main characters.	Peter's vision (Godsend)
Nathan winds up in league with whoever plans to blow up New York, using the disaster to distract away from the shady circumstances of his Election victory and make himself look like a great leader in the process as he leads the campaign to rebuild New York.	This would explain why Nathan is so calm as Peter is about to explode in Peter's vision in Godsend- he thinks he can just fly away from the disaster and will soon be rid of his embarrassing brother.	Peter's vision (Godsend)

The Message

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Claire's life will somehow be put into danger in a non-physical sense.	Her ability to regenerate makes her immune to most physical threats	Sylar removing her brain seems like a physical threat. As seen when she "died"" during Brody's assault, an injury to the brain can prevent her from healing. However, since Future Hiro didn't specify what she needed to be saved from, it's possible she's still in danger.
Claire may be in danger of being killed by having her brain removed by Sylar.	This is supported by one of Isaac's paintings.	Isaac's painting depicts Jackie, but Sylar only attacked her because he thought she was the evolved human. As he tells Mr. Bennet in Fallout, he would have done the same to Claire.
Claire's survival is critical, so that Peter will be able to utilize her regenerative ability in a showdown with Sylar.
If Sylar is able to remove Claire's brain, he will become indestructible and destroy the world.
The message is two different commands, meaning the heroes have to save the cheerleader, and save the world.	Ando seems to think so.	Hiro thinks the latter part depends on the former part, and it's his "future self" who gave the message.
Claire's regenerative ability will be used to enter the radioactive area caused by the explosion to stop Peter Petrelli (or possibly Theodore Sprague) from dying/overreacting.
The message is vague for a reason. Had Future Hiro been too specific with the message (relaying Claire's full name, her address, or even the town where she lived), he might have created a paradox (causing a rift). Had this occurred, he would instantly have been pulled back into his "present"	This is similar to what happened after his attempt to persuade Charlie to come to Japan with him.

Peter's visions

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Peter's visions are not entirely predictive and can be changed.	When Peter explodes in his vision he does not yet have a visible scar which future Hiro said he will have. Also, his dream about Charles Deveaux didn't come true	In Peter's vision of the explosion, Claire is alive in the vision, implying that this cannot be the actual end of the world.
Peter can envision himself as other people rather than himself.	Peter dreamt he was flying when, in reality, Nathan flies.	This could also be the case with the bomb. He can be seeing himself as Ted or Sylar.
Peter's power revolves around empathy, and therefore allows him to put himself in the shoes of others during these prophetic visions.	As said above, he sees himself fly when it's actually Nathan who is capable of doing so. His main power also seems to be empathetic, since no actual physical contact is required to absorb powers. With the bomb, he could easily be putting himself in the shoes of Ted or Sylar. As for the Jail Cell dream, it could be that Nathan is supposed to eventually turn to the darkside, since he turned into a face, which Peter associates with evil: Sylar.
Peter's visions are a lingering effect of duplicating Isaac's power of precognition, making them truly prophetic.	The writers have suggested that some of the power he has absorbed remains with Peter later. Peter's interpretation of his visions is compatible with Isaac's prophecies and Hiro's experience in the future.
Peter's visions are not a separate power nor the result of his copying another person's power. They are a manifestation of his empathy powers allowing him to tap into the Collective unconscious of humanity.	This would explain how Peter is seeing people who he has never met before but who are still connected to him in ways he can't yet percieve.
Peter's visions are merely symbolic of future events, and not literal representations of the future.	In his explosion dream, Isaac is pulling Simone away from him. Also, Peter's blowing up could be a symbol for the stress his powers are causing him.	According to the Distractions preview, Isaac is kissing Simone, and Peter sees. This could be symbolic for Isaac "pulling her" away from Peter.
Peter's visions are not truly precognition, but a form of Astral projection, caused by his empathic abilities.	Peter's "visions" only occur while he is unconcious, meaning it is possible that his spirit/soul is leaving the body and going somewhere else.	It is also possible that he absorbed this ability from Simone's father (See Charles Deveaux theories)
Ando and Simone both have undiscovered powers.	Everyone in Peter's visions are already pre-existing known empowered individuals, with the particular exception - thus far - of these two.
Peter's visions are the result of his copying Sanjog's power.	The visions are too unlike Empathic mimicry to be the same power.	It may be that the range with which Peter can copy a power depends on the power; he has copied different powers at different ranges, and Sanjog's power seems to have a larger range than any other thus far.

Rift

Theory	Evidence	Notes
Rifts are holes in space and time, caused by paradoxes and other conflicts in causality.	The causality paradox Hiro would have created by going into the past (i.e. if he saves Charlie from Sylar, he never has a reason to go back and save her) could theoretically create a rift. It also seems to have some sort of negative effect, knocking Hiro back into the present in Japan. This may also have weakened Hiro's powers as immediately afterwards he was unable to use them to full effect.	This is one common definition of rift, in science-fiction literature.
Rifts interfere with the abilities of time-travelers, either by leaveing time-travelers unable to use their powers or by creating points in time they cannot travel to.	Future Hiro speaks of rifts as something to be avoided in Hiros. Also, Hiro's powers do not function properly after his trip to the past to save Charlie Andrews.
Rifts are not portals in space and time.		While a rift, in science fiction literature, can refer to either a portal in space/time or a wound in space/time, it seems clear by the context of Future Hiro's remarks that they are using the later sense of the word as rifts are suggested to be a Very Bad Thing.
Hiro may have experienced a rift in Six Months Ago, when he tried to go back in time to prevent Charlie's murder.	In the episode, they had just confessed their love for each other and were about to kiss when Hiro abruptly and unexpectedly jumped through time to the present. He later told Ando that he tried repeatedly to go back to save Charlie, but couldn't.	In theory, space-time spontaneously corrected itself to keep Hiro from creating a causality paradox; he could not do anything in the past that would keep him from having a reason to go to the past.
The T-Rex in Isaac's latest painting (Fallout) may have appeared in the present because of a temporal rift, or Hiro may have entered the past because of one.	Both Hiro and Future Hiro have mentioned the possibility of causing a temporal rift with their powers. Exactly what they mean by a "temporal rift" is not yet clear.	In Godsend the dinosaur in Isaac's painting is just a model. It has not yet been disproved that Hiro does not face a real T-Rex, as most of Isaac's paintings come to pass with remarkable similarity in detail. In theory, this could be an effect of painting without his heroin.

The train wreck

For disproven theories, see here.

Theory	Evidence	Notes
The train may have been derailed in order to steal nuclear material	According to the newscast Isaac sees, it was registered to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.	See In His Own Image The train wreck was initially part of a nuclear terrorist plot in the unaired pilot episode. Ted was originally a terrorist. This basic plot was abandoned, but some aspects of it remain.