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Ability supercharging
From Heroes Wiki
| Ability supercharging | |
|---|---|
 Ando supercharges Daphne's ability, allowing her to run faster than light. | |
| Held by: | Paulette Hawkins (deceased), Ando Masahashi (synthetic) |
| Ability to: | Amplify other evolved human abilities |
| Examples of ability supercharging | |
Ability supercharging (also referred to as red lightning) is the ability to amplify the abilities of other evolved humans. This ability can also generate a concussive energy blast.
Contents |
Characters
- Paulette Hawkins had this ability naturally. (The Kill Squad, Part 3)
- Ando Masahashi was granted this ability synthetically. (Dual)
Limits
Ability supercharging has differing effects based on which ability is supercharged. Displayed effects so far include:
- Plant manipulation—Brendan Lewis's power is driven so far out of control that he himself is turned into a tree, while also covering the surrounding area with vegetation. (The Kill Squad, Part 3)
- Telepathy—Matt Parkman's power increases "a thousand times" to the point of involuntarily hearing the thoughts of "every person" in New York City. (Dual)
- Super speed—Daphne Millbrook becomes able to travel through time, theoretically by exceeding the speed of light. (see note) (Dual)
- Teleportation—Rachel Mills, Ando and Hiro teleport from Costa Verde to Florida. (Wild Things)
It remains unknown whether or not the user of this ability may amplify his or her own ability, and what the effects would be. It is also unclear whether passive, "automatic" abilities such as rapid cell regeneration can be amplified.
Paulette Hawkins
Paulette had the ability to amplify the abilities of other evolved humans by touching them. She activated Lewis's ability against his will, causing him to produce various trees at an astonishing rate (The Kill Squad, Part 3) and was afraid that the supercharge could potentially kill him. When using her ability, Paulette's hands shone in a glowing light.
Ando Masahashi
Ando injected himself with the formula and appeared to shoot red sparks from his hand. He soon determined that these sparks could greatly amplify the abilities of other evolved humans, such as telepathy and super speed. When Ando touched Matt, Matt's power was increased to the point where he could hear every thought in the city. When Ando used his ability on Daphne, she moved so fast she went a few seconds back in time, long enough to witness the effects of Ando's power on Matt and herself. Daphne and Ando then combined their powers in order to save Hiro, by having Ando super-charge Daphne's powers so as to allow the two to shift themselves 16 years into the past. (Dual)
Ando can manifest the red sparks at will (A Clear and Present Danger), but has mostly used them for show. His ability to manifest the red energy is improving with time; when he showed it to Janice Parkman, he was able to form a ball of red energy between his hands instead of just sparks (Cold Snap).
Ando recently found that he could use his ability as a weapon, generating a lightning-like burst of energy capable of knocking out a man in body armor (Cold Snap). His power has a range of at least a few meters when used in this fashion. The full extent of the damage caused by this effect is not yet known. It is also hazardous to other organic matter (Baby Power). In a possible future, Ando supposedly kills Future Hiro with this ability (The Second Coming). Ando was also able to knock out a whole van full of security agents (I Am Sylar).
Selected Examples
 Paulette Hawkins amplifies Brendan Lewis's ability... |
 ...allowing him to sprout more roots than normal... |
 ...which cover the surrounding area with trees. |
|
 ... resulting in his apparent death. |
 Ando causes Daphne's ability of super speed to time travel backwards a few seconds. |
 Ando unleashes hell inside a Building 26 van. |
Memorable Quotes
"He zapped me and I was able to hear thoughts a thousand times louder, right? And then you zapped Daphne and she could travel a thousand times faster. Your power is like a super charger!"
"But my power... is worthless."
"You're a super charger!"
"For other people's power!"
Notes
- In an interview, writers Joe Pokaski and Aron Coleite explained how Ando's "sidekick juice" ability was chosen because of his role as a "perennial sidekick". They also clarified that in the future, the "red lightning" would have the capability to hurt others, just as Future Ando used it in The Second Coming.
- Einstein's theory of relativity does prove Matt's theory. While moving at the speed of light does negate all effects of time on the object moving at said speeds, moving faster than the speed of light would cause the object or person to move backward in time. But, as far as modern science is concerned, nothing can travel faster than light, making it a difficult postulate to prove.
- The pose Ando strikes when using his ability offensively is highly evocative of the extremely popular animé series "Dragonball", and its various spin-offs, specifically the "Kamehameha" attack, the signature move of the main character, Son Goku.
- When Rachel Mills, Ando and Hiro teleported from Costa Verde to Florida, Rachel warned Ando not to supercharge her too much so they would end up in the moon. (Wild Things)
Fan Theories
Please refer to the following link for fan-created theories and other speculation.
