Theory:Poison emission

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The following fan theories are about Poison emission.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Maya's ability is a personification of the bubonic plague, or the Black Death.	None	+ In the episode commentary for The Kindness of Strangers, Tim Kring says that Maya emits "a plague ... that makes people sick". The Black Death was a devastating plague in the 14th and 15th century that killed off 50% of the European population. + The fact that Maya cries black tears could be an allusion to the Black Death. + A curandera said that what Maya carried inside her was "black", which could be an allusion to the Black Death. (Lizards) • Maya's ability could literally be the Black Death, except with drastically different symptoms.
Maya has another ability which is similar to Alejandro's, a power that can "cure" any illness.	None	+ Maya and Alejandro are twins and therefore genetically similar. - Maya and Alejandro are fraternal twins, and therefore are not genetically identical. • Genetically similar, not identical. - And that's why their abilities were already related. + The poison that she releases is not infectious, which may have been weakened by this power.
The poison Maya emitted killed by causing massive organ failure.	None	+ Immediately after exposure, those affected have difficulty breathing (suggesting respiratory failure). Then, they begin to lose the ability to move (suggesting either heart failure or nervous system failure). Even once they have collapsed, however, they return to normal if Maya calms down in time (suggesting that death is caused by loss of blood flow to the brain). + Many real-world poisons and diseases affect the lungs, heart, and nervous system.
When poison emission is deactivated, an antidote is dispersed, reversing the effects of the ability.	None	+ On several occasions, people affected by poison emission have returned to full functionality very quickly once Maya deactivates her ability. - It is never implied that Maya emitted something other than poison. Her victims' quick recovery could be explained by a "reabsorption" of the poison, if the poison can enter the body so fast, it could also leave the body as fast. + If a substance which is harmful to humans is absorbed into a human's body, then it will harm them. Also, some poisons (such as that possessed by the geographic cone snail) are forcibly purged by the body upon introduction (ironically, cone snail-related deaths are often caused by the body's attempts to remove the poison, rather than the poison itself).
The poison produced by Maya's ability was extremely short-lived; it was radiated constantly whenever the ability was active.	None	+ Once her ability deactivates, anyone who is still even barely alive rapidly recovers, apparently suffering no long-lasting effect. + There are many poisons which can rapidly break down into harmless compounds under certain circumstances.