Intuitive aptitude

Intuitive aptitude
Sylar diagnoses a problem with Chandra Suresh's watch.
Originally held by:	Sylar, Samson Gray
Absorbed by:	Peter Petrelli (lost)
Ability to:	Analyze complex systems

Intuitive aptitude is the ability to understand the structure and operation of complex systems without special education or training. However, it also compels the holder to understand as much as they can, resulting in a "hunger" which can manifest a need to understand, which often causes Sylar to kill other evolved humans and acquire their abilities.

Characters

• Sylar naturally possesses this ability.
• Peter was exposed to this ability when encountering Sylar in Homecoming. He did not demonstrate it until much later when Future Gabriel taught him how to access it (I Am Become Death). He lost it to his father (Dying of the Light).
• Samson Gray is chronologically the first character to have this ability. (Shades of Gray)

Limits

Sylar

Sylar's ability seems to be constantly active, unconsciously helping him to analyze any system that he encounters. For systems that he already understands (like watches), he can detect and identify flaws in the mechanism with only a cursory inspection. Systems that he has never seen before may require more extensive study, but he seems to be able to comprehend them far more quickly than any ordinary person could, and he requires far less technological equipment.

Sylar's ability seems to work for analyzing mechanical and biological systems. Whether it would work on other types of systems (such as electronic hardware or computer software) is not yet known, although he has claimed that it allows him to rapidly analyze human behavior (Fallout).

With this ability, Sylar is able to study evolved humans to analyze their abilities and copy them, adding them to his own. He can also learn to control them more quickly than the original owners can (e.g. emitting multiple, controlled pulses of radiation from his hands soon after acquiring induced radioactivity).

Sylar does not need to kill someone to gain their ability. However, a physical study of the victim's brain requires direct observation necessitating the removal of the upper part of the skull, so the victim soon dies of blood loss and trauma. Victims with rapid cellular regeneration, however, can survive this by repairing the damage (The Second Coming). Sylar has demonstrated that can also "empathically" copy abilities without injuring the source, but for unspecified reasons he still prefers the brain removal method.

Angela explained to Sylar that his ability creates a hunger that can be controlled with structure. On the other hand, Arthur explained to Sylar that if he gained control of his emotions and helped someone else to deal with traumatizing personal emotions, he could gain a target's abilities without physical study of the brain, though with less control over the new ability (It's Coming). Both techniques have proved useful in allowing Sylar to control the hunger and gain abilities without having to kill his victims to study their brains. One of his future selves also managed to control the hunger. He says that he fights with it every day for his son, Noah Gray.

Peter Petrelli

Peter was exposed to this ability on Homecoming night, but needed a future Gabriel to explain how the ability works to access it. Gabriel gave Peter his broken watch to repair; performing the repair using telekinesis allowed Peter to manifest the ability. Afterward, Peter was able to understand Nathan's thought process and wanted to explore his thoughts more by slicing his head open, but stopped.

Future Gabriel also explained to Peter that the ability creates a hunger (i.e., an obsession to understand as much as possible) that is hard to control, and made him a killer. When Peter teleports to Sylar's Level 5 cell, Sylar notes that Peter now has the same hunger that Sylar has because of the ability. This hunger caused him to attack his own mother and start to slice her head open before Sylar stopped him.

Intuitive aptitude also seemed to help him gain better control over his previously absorbed powers: he was able to use telepathy on a stronger level than previously demonstrated, he could time travel and teleport much more accurately than in the past and his telekinesis was more refined than he had previously demonstrated.

Peter lost this ability after his father stole all of his powers from him.

Samson Gray

As with Sylar, this ability caused Samson Gray to go on a killing spree to acquire abilities, including telekinesis and sedation, plus many others that he claims to have forgotten. Samson eventually gave up killing and seemed to suppress the hunger, but when he saw Sylar's regeneration at work, it caused the hunger to return. (Shades of Gray)

Examples

• Gray (Sylar) detects a mechanical flaw in Chandra Suresh's wristwatch from across the room within moments of Chandra entering his shop. (Six Months Ago)
• After seeing Brian Davis demonstrate his power of telekinesis, Sylar seems to "listen" to Davis's mind, indicating that he is able to "fix" Davis. Sylar then attacks and kills Davis. Shortly thereafter, Sylar is able to use telekinesis himself. (Six Months Ago)
• After pushing Peter into a wall telekinetically, Sylar notes Peter being "just like me" and wanting to "see how that works". (Parasite)
• Whilst visiting his mother, he notes that her clock is not working correctly and proceeds to fix it. (The Hard Part)
• After removing the top of Claire's head, Sylar appears to understand the workings of her brain. He locates which part of the brain controls her power, and after examining it, seems to mentally alter himself. After doing so, he successfully imitates her ability by healing a knife wound. (The Second Coming)
• After learning to access this ability from Sylar in the future, Peter repairs a watch using telekinesis.
• Peter reads Future Nathan's mind to tell if he's telling the truth, then determines that Nathan thinks he is doing the right thing, and is consumed by the hunger to see more of how Nathan's brain works. He attempts to open his skull in the same manner as Sylar but stops before completing it, killing Nathan.
• After being punched by Knox, Sylar states that he understands Knox's power. (I Am Become Death)
• Sylar recently demonstrated that he can acquire abilities without exposing the source's brain; it is not yet clear whether this is a new application of intuitive aptitude or the effect of some other ability that he has acquired. (It's Coming)
• After seeing Sylar's regeneration at work, the hunger caused by Samson Gray's intuitive aptitude causes him to attempt to take Sylar's powers, although he fails. (Shades of Gray)

Memorable Quotes

"I can fix it."

"My watch isn't broken."

"Actually it is. Yeah, the self-winding coil is loose. Your watch is running two seconds slow."

"How did you know?"

"Just a talent I have for the way things work, how the parts should go."

- Sylar, Chandra (Six Months Ago)

"You're broken."

"What?"

"Suresh was right. It's so clear now. How it all works, pieces fitting together. It is in the brain."

"So you can help."

"Don’t worry, Brian. I can fix it. It's an evolutionary imperative."

- Sylar, Brian Davis (Six Months Ago)

"I restored timepieces. Do you know why I was so good at it?"

"No, why don't you tell me."

"Because I can see how things work. What makes things ... tick. Like you."

- Sylar, Mr. Bennet (Fallout)

"My ability is not just understanding how things work; there's a hunger that comes with it. To know more, to have more. I couldn't control it; it turned me into a killer, a monster. And every day is a struggle, every hour. But I fight it...for him. And I am not going to willingly condemn you to hell!"

- Gabriel (to Peter) (I Am Become Death)

"Tell me your secrets! Or I'll rip your head open and take them out myself..."

- Peter (to Angela) (Angels and Monsters)

"Understanding how things work. Who'd you kill to get that power?"

"That's the only one that was ever truly mine."

- Danko, Sylar (I Am Sylar)

Notes

• In Sylar's cell, a restrained Sylar feigns his death. When Hank removes the restraints from Sylar, the characteristic "tick-tocking" associated with his power is heard. (The Fix)
• Future Sylar, under the guise of Nathan Petrelli, tells Future Mohinder, "I understand how things work." (Five Years Gone)
• When he first met Gabriel Gray, Chandra did not recognize this ability at all. (Six Months Ago)
• Sylar typically learns to control stolen abilities far more quickly than the people from whom he acquired them. It is possible that his own intuitive aptitude helps him to rapidly analyze and assert control of new abilities.
• Noah says to Elle that Sylar has the ability to "transfer power from one vessel to another" (Villains). Noah is technically incorrect, as Sylar is actually copying the power, not transferring it (The Second Coming).
• Samson Gray, who possesses this ability, attempted to open Sylar's head to obtain Sylar's regeneration, suggesting that one person with this ability can gain all the acquired abilities of another with the same power.
• Ironically, this ability is not intuitive to those who absorb it. Peter Petrelli could not access it due to its complexity before consulting a future Gabriel Gray on its use.
• The "hunger" portion of intuitive aptitude is apparently immune to the Shanti virus; Sylar still felt it during his infection, even though he couldn't obtain or use any of his abilities.

Trivia

• Sylar's dossier describes his intuitive aptitude as "his intuitive understanding of the biological workings of individuals."
• In a podcast interview, Bryan Fuller describes Sylar's intuitive aptitude by saying, "He has an understanding of how others' powers work."

Gallery

• 
  Gabriel intuitively knows how watches work.
  (Six Months Ago)
• 
  Sylar examines Claire's brain and learns her ability.
  (The Second Coming)
• 
  By accessing Gabriel's ability, Peter understands how to fix Sylar's watch.
  (I Am Become Death)
• 
  Sylar listens to Danko's pocket watch.
  (I Am Sylar)
• 
  Even after being made to forget his old life and believe he's Nathan, Sylar can identify a problem with in a watch.
  (An Invisible Thread)

Fan Theories

Please refer to Theory:Intuitive aptitude for fan-created theories and other speculation.

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