Theory:Ability replication

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The following fan theories are about Ability replication.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Peter's is ability replication is only temporary; were Ando to supercharge him enough, his empathic mimicry would be restored.	None.	+ Peter's ability has been an enduring part of his character; to replace it with a lesser ability that is more unlike his personality seems to be an unwise plotting choice by the writers. As such, they are going to restore his original abilities. - It's possible Ando's ability supercharges only for as long as Ando is in physical contact with an evolved human. • The writers stated themselves that they are trying to limit Peter's powers.
Peter original powers could return if he touches and takes and holds (for he can only have one ability at a time now) Sylar's ability.	None.	+ Sylar was able to acquire abilities empathically. - Peter doesn't know of Sylar's ability to copy powers empathically, and Sylar has many abilities. Peter will most definitely absorb telekinesis or intuitive aptitude.
Peter's old abilities will manifest in the same way that Matt Parkman's use of precognitive drawing despite it not being his own power.	None.	+ Matt Parkman's use of an ability that's not his own, and wasn't explicitly granted to him, suggests this may be possible.
Ability replication is actually Peter's old ability, and will eventually evolve into empathic mimicry after enough time, similar to how Matt gained the ability to insert thoughts in other people's head.	None.	+ Peter developed. He is now unable to feel empathy like in previous seasons. Instead he is leery of other people and eventually hates them (Nathan). Someone can't feel hate as well as empathy. • Why can't someone feel hate as well as empathy? • If ability replication is indeed part of empathic mimicry Peter should be able to gain some abilities permanently (e.g. Claire's). Claire has never betrayed him so that it may be that Peter can feel empathy for her. • Future Claire did. • But Future Claire is not present day Claire. • Could have had an effect on him the same way. + Sylar can absorb powers through empathy, but with an emotional effort. Maybe Peter's problem is that his empathy is gone or weakened. + It may be the case that Peter in Season 1 required touch in his very early stages. He never picked up an ability without touch until at least Matt Parkman's (he touched Angela, Nathan, and Claire). Although he learns to access them remotely and he learns to access several at once, this is after much training, effort, and adrenaline.
Ability replication is just another use of the power absorption. Peter will find out he can steal powers from others, and this is the only way to cumulate them, like Arthur did.	None.	+ Arthur killed Adam, while this one could be a pretty useful ally, as Angela dreamed it. Moreover, he was using Maury, he probably would have used Adam too if he could. + Arthur doesn't show any difference after taking both Sylar and Peter's way of taking powers, maybe because he chooses what way he wants to use. - Arthur never took Sylar's ability. He did steal Peter's after he mimicked Sylar's intuitive aptitude, but it has been confirmed by BTE interviews that Arthur doesn't feel the hunger because he never used that ability. • Part of Arthur's ability is to gain complete control over the abilities he absorbed so that he was able to suppress the hunger. - That was never stated anywhere, it's never been confirmed as something inherent of the ability. • They didn't say that exactly in the BTE, but Arthur understood Sylar's power, and understood the hunger, as he explained him that it was only a "need of powers" and "not of murders", so we can assume Arthur just fed it, because he already have most powers than anyone else. He's "better", it's not a belief, it's "a fact". Moreover, Arthur was able to use powers that Peter had without even knowing it, so that proves his power is more efficient on the knowing of abilities. He didn't absorbed Mohinder nor Maya with empathic mimicry, which Peter was never able to turn off. • Arthur had telepathy, it's been confirmed that that's how he learned that Angela was manipulating Sylar into believing he was her son, he could have easily read Sylar's mind to see what he was dealing with and deduct how to act. He also has the edge of experience, being one of the Company founders, he has had his share of evolved human problems. It's also possible that because Peter's ability was taken via his ability, it is not always on, as it's not naturally his. + Peter wouldn't steal the good guys, and would be forced to find some villains for that, in that way, he will be limited, as writers wants, but without making him as weak as he is right now. - Peter could theoretically just steal all villains powers(f.x. Sylars), leaving Heroes with no plot. • We can't say there are that many "specials" villains left, apart from Sylar, so Peter would be limited, but not his power.
Peter was granted this ability instead of his original one due to damage done to his genes when Arthur stole his ability.	None.	+ The two abilities are similar. It would not be unfeasible for the ability to have been the product of some slight genetic change that may have occurred when Arthur took away Peter's empathic mimicry.
Peter gained his new ability because his DNA changed from when his his old power manifested.	Mohinder said that when Peter copied abilities it caused a change is his DNA; the formula gives abilities based on the DNA of the person at the time of the injection.	+ This completely explains why his old ability vanished, but he still should be able to access his old abilities.