Peter Petrelli

"It's my turn to be somebody now!"

Genesis

Peter Petrelli is an evolved human who uncovers his ability to copy and retain the powers of other evolved people, and also a heightened sense of empathy. He is a former hospice nurse and lives in present day New York City, however his travels have taken him to all sorts of different locations through space and time. He is the son of Arthur Petrelli, his deceased father, and Angela. He also has an older brother, Nathan, who is also an evolved human and a politician. Both brothers feel as though Nathan is the favored son of their late father and surviving mother, and though Nathan disapproves of Peter’s profession, they both have much care and respect for each other. Peter’s career is a reflection of his caring nature and his self-perceived purpose to give his life to help others. Peter has dreams of flight, and many of them include his brother, to which Nathan responds with little or no care. Due to his higher calling, he feels that he can help more people, possible by sacrificing himself for a greater cause; for this reason he considers quitting his job and has a conversation about evolution with a cab driver who turns out to be Mohinder Suresh, a man who is researching evolved humans. These events signify the beginning of Peter’s journey as a hero.

"Do you ever get the feeling that you were meant to do something extraordinary?"

Peter Petrelli is quite possibly the most powerful character on Heroes, however he retains his sense of empathy and compassion for others. He can recall the powers of anyone whom he has met that also have powers at will, at least after he learns how to control these powers. But his unrelenting drive to always help others in need reflects his true nature. He never uses his power to strictly benefit himself and is always receptive to the needs of those in trouble. The build up of how he meets Claire and Sylar for the first time was epic and the finale to the end of the first season was nothing short of spectacular. I'm looking forward to what's in store for him in the future of Heroes.

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