Theory:Charles Deveaux

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The following fan theories are about Charles Deveaux.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Charles had a power similar to Sanjog's, like a sort of "spirit guide".	Peter's dream about flying occurs when he falls asleep while in Charles' apartment (Genesis); Peter had a dream about Charles around the same time Charles died. (Nothing to Hide) Peter had a dream about his first day working for Charles after he was dead. (How to Stop an Exploding Man)	- Peter's dream was most likely his power of empathy in action; he connected with Charles's feelings and emotions. + Peter probably absorbed this power from Charles through his power of empathic mimicry. - That was from Angela. + However, Peter was somehow able to speak to Charles after his death and Charles seemed to be fully aware of what Peter was doing at that moment. (How to Stop an Exploding Man) - Peter's second dream with Charles may have been just a dream. + In Mohinder's dream, the only person he actually interacted with was the "dream manipulator," Sanjog. In some of Peter's dreams, the only person he can interact with (or can see him) is Charles Deveaux. + Charles is in more than one of Peter's dreams as an active participant (Nothing to Hide) or is simply present (Genesis). - Peter has had dreams where he interacts with people other than Charles. (Fallout) + Peter's first dream occurred during Nathan's accident, just after he became a nurse (Nathan enters offering him a pair of ladies' shoes as a present for becoming a nurse from Six Months Ago).
Charles had the power of astral projection.	None.	+ Charles was in a coma for an extended period and in some depictions, "astral travelers" become unconscious as their mind travels elsewhere. + Charles said that while asleep he had been flying around the world and seeing things happening. The accounts of those who claim to have experienced astral projection are very similar to this description.
Charles had the power of premonitions slightly differently than Isaac's power of precognition. Charles could have dreamed the future and recalled the images upon awakening.	None.	Peter experienced day dreams when he was around Charles wherein he saw the future. (Genesis) - His dreams were not accurate. (Genesis) - Time-travel tends to render predictions weird; it's hard to tell if Charles' dreams were wrong or if time-traveling changed things. - Angela Petrelli has the ability of precognitive dreaming. + He also had a dream where all the main evolved humans came together during the New York explosion. (Fallout) - However, the dream was very inaccurate. (How to Stop an Exploding Man) + Peter mentioned to Simone or his brother that that he saw things, that he had these dreams of what's to come.
Charles was the father of D.L. Hawkins and grandfather to Micah Sanders.	None.	+ The lives of D.L. and Niki were supposedly manipulated by Linderman in the hopes of arranging Micah's birth. Charles has presumably known Linderman for decades and may be a willing participant in the breeding of evolved humans. + D.L.'s father is unknown and Simone's mother is unknown. • Angela Petrelli and Kaito Nakamura were also participants in the conspiracy and had super powered offspring. - Just because D.L. and Deveaux are both black, doesn't mean they're related. That would be like saying that Niki is also Linderman's daughter. That theory is just as liable. - We actually know Niki's father, but we don't know D.L.'s and since everyone seems connected on the series, it is plausible. + We do know that D.L. grew up as one of those "troubled kids on the streets" (in Landslide, we see D.L.'s old mugshots, saved in Linderman's dossier on him). Thus, D.L. is most likely not a Deveaux, seeing as Simone Deveaux enjoyed a much more privileged upbringing.
Charles had empathic mimicry like Peter did in Season One.	In How to Stop an Exploding Man Charles was able to see an invisible Peter. In Nothing to Hide Charles and Peter share a dream.	+ Peter can see Claude and vice versa. He also commented, "Invisibility. I always thought that would be a good one to have." (How to Stop an Exploding Man) - The real Charles Deveaux didn't actually see through Peter's invisibility. This happened in Peter's vision/dream. + Peter was not exposed to a dreaming ability other than his mother's foretelling. For him to know what his mother said after he'd left the rooftop would require either time travel or exposure to a dream manipulator. • Peter was confirmed to have used his mother's ability on that occasion. + Claude implied that he knows of more people with empathic mimicry. He also had a habit of hanging around on Charles' rooftop. - He commented that invisibility would be a good power to have, implying that he does not have it. He would probably have met Claude by now, either through his work with the Company or on one of the many times Claude visited the roof of his building, meaning that if he was an empath, he would have absorbed invisibility. + We do not actually see Claude hanging around until after Charles' death. • Those with empathic mimicry do not know that they have the powers of another until they witness them being used. For example, from being around Sylar, Peter should have super hearing and be able to freeze things, neither of which have been shown by him because he most likely has no idea that he has them. - Charles was a Company founder along with the others, including Adam Monroe. If Charles could mimic Adam's ability, he would be immortal. • Maybe Arthur stole Charles's power, whatever it was. - If he did, it certainly wasn't empathic mimicry. Because Arthur then would be able to mimic Adam's ability too and become immune to poison used by Angela. + Maybe like Samson Gray "forgot" powers by not using them, Charles Deveaux forgot as well. • We do not know if passive abilities can be "forgotten". • Charles Deveaux might not have had empathic mimicry as Peter had. Maybe Charles had another variation of it.
Peter's encounter with Charles was a dream created by Sanjog Iyer.	None.	- In other dreams formed by Sanjog, the dreamer was not able to interact with the people he saw. • Peter was not exactly "interacting" with Charles; more, Charles was somehow able to detect Peter, and monologued at him.
Charles Deveaux has the power to negate the powers of others.	None.	+ He was able to see the invisible Peter Petrelli. • He seemed to be aware that Peter was watching the vision. - The real Charles Deveaux didn't actually see through Peter's invisibility. This happened in Peter's vision/dream. + This could explain why Linderman doesn't just heal the illness that's killing Charles. Being around Charles would negate his healing power. - There were plenty of other reasons for Linderman not to heal Charles. Charles was in active opposition to Linderman's plan for New York, for instance; even if Linderman were compassionate enough to overlook this, Arthur Petrelli would still have ordered him not to heal Charles. + No one knew Arthur was alive, and even if they did, Arthur wasn't in a position to impose his will on others. - Several people have been shown to be capable of using their abilities around the Haitian.
Charles receives symbolic dreams or waking visions, which reveal important things (but not necessarily true in every detail) about the past, present, or future. Since Peter has absorbed this power, he can communicate with past-Charles through a shared dream when Charles is seeing the future.	Peter has a vivid dream of his past self and speaks to Charles in his dream. (How to Stop an Exploding Man)	+ Peter's visions don't all come true literally, but reveal truths that he otherwise could not know, such as Nathan's flying, himself as the Bomb, and Charles' conversation with Angela. + Peter suddenly fainting and finding himself in a vivid dream of the past could have been triggered by Charles suddenly having a vision of the future, or even deliberately "calling" Peter to prevent a premature explosion. • This could be how Charles and Angela knew that the fate of New York would depend on one of the two brothers.
Like Hana Gitelman, Charles still exists in an ethereal, intelligent form, due to his "dream power".	None.	+ Peter had a dream where he interacted fully with Charles Deveaux although he was physically dead. (How to Stop an Exploding Man) • Then could Deveaux's brain be the one in the Company vault?
Charles Deveaux has the ability of omnicognition which is the ability to see both future and past events, similar to the ability of John Smith from the TV series "The Dead Zone".	None.	+ If Peter were to mimic Charles' ability and have a vision Charles in the past and Charles had a vision of Peter in the future, it is possible that both their visions coincided, allowing them to communicate. (How to Stop an Exploding Man) + Peter had a vision of an event in the past that he had never witnessed before. This would imply that he could see past events. (How to Stop an Exploding Man)
Charles Deveaux doesn't have a special ability.	None.	+ Peter's dreams weren't caused by Charles Deveaux, but were caused by him using his mimicry with Angela Petrelli's power of seeing the future in her dreams (Angels and Monsters) - There were many people with abilities which Peter never mimicked - Eden, Arthur, Bob, the Haitian, Molly, Micah... - The Company's Founders came together because of their abilities, or something to do with abilities.
Charles Deveaux was sick and ultimately died from some sort of injury obtained while attempting to kill Arthur Petrelli.	None.	+ Charles' power may have been a 'spirit guide' or astral-type power, which Arthur took and later used against Angela. - That was telepathy. - If Arthur took this power from him, Charles could not have used it to talk to Peter. + Charles told Peter there always has to be one that's good, a possible comparison to his father. This might be him expressing his distrust of Arthur, a possible motive. - He could also have meant one good in each generation, with not particular reference to Arthur.
Charles Deveaux was murdered.	Kaito states he was dead in "Four Months Later...".	+ Kaito Nakamura is a very wise person and wouldn't lie about something like this, even though he was talking to Angela. • If speculation is correct about Kaito's ability, he could have predicted what was happening.
Charles will be back in Volume Four, most likely in a flashback.	None.	+ We know very little about Charles. Sooner or later the Heroes show must reveal the past of the Company and its founders. - He might be a story line that is left alone by the writers like, what happened with Caitlin. + Caitlin's fate is quite certain, she most likely ceased existing. But the past is very easy to show.
Charles had the ability to see the "truth".	None	+ He could see Peter even though he was invisible. + He could see that Peter had the ability to "love unconditionally" before he even manifested his powers. "Love" could have been a reference to empathic mimicry. + He could see that Peter was going to save the world. + Sylar obtained the ability to detect lies. Why not truth?
Charles had the ability of flight.	None.	+ Simone told Peter that Charles said that he flew around the world, and that it was a world he didn't recognize. He could have been implying that he literally "flew around the world." - Simone said he flew around the world in his sleep.
Charles had an ability related to love.	None.	+ He would always talk about love and how Peter would save the world through love.
Charles had invisibility.	None	+ Assuming Peter used time-travelling to visit Charles in How to Stop an Exploding Man and it wasn't a dream or some yet undefined power, it would explain why only Charles could see him. + Claude Rains and Peter were able to see each other while they were both utilizing the power, suggesting that people with the invisibility ability are immune to its effects. + Charles stated that he always thought invisibility would "be a good one to have." - Sylar thought so too (.07%).