Heroes/Nathan Petrelli

Nathan Petrelli
Heroes
Actor	Adrian Pasdar
First Appearance	1x01 - Genesis
Series Billing	Main Star
Episode Count	20 (through season 1)
Notable Episodes	Cx03 - Trial by Fire 1x10 - Six Months Ago

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Basic Information

Nathan is running for Congress, but is behind in the polls. He served in an unspecified branch of the United States Military during the Bosnian War. Nathan can fly, but he is reluctant to use his powers. He is campaigning on a platform of family values, but that didn't prevent him from infidelity. Nathan's father had dealings with Mr. Linderman, a known crime lord, and Nathan is also getting connected with him.

Powers and Weaknesses

Powers

• Flight — Nathan can fly and hover. He can reach super-sonic speeds with no apparent ill effects, even with an unprotected body.

Weaknesses

• Landings can sting.

Season One

Nathan was at his campaign headquarters when Peter showed up, trying to convince Nathan he can fly. Nathan scoffed at this, then got a call. Their mother Angela has been arrested for shoplifting. The charges were dropped, but he was still angry with her for risking damage to his campaign. He had the story buried. Nathan offered Peter a job with his campaign, trying to convince him that he was stuck in a dead-end job, but Peter declined. The next day, Peter called Nathan and got him to come to an alley somewhere in New York. When he got there, Nathan discovered Peter on the roof, planning to fly. Nathan tried to get him to stop, but Peter stepped off. Nathan flew up to catch him, but Peter was too heavy and they started to spin out of control. Peter slipped from Nathan’s grip.

Nathan was with Peter at the hospital when he woke up. Nathan tried to convince Peter that he was imagining him flying. He said Peter jumped 25 feet and landed on a fire escape. Later, Nathan found Peter on a ledge on the hospital roof. Peter wanted Nathan to say what really happened, and threatened to jump again if Nathan didn’t tell him the truth. Nathan told Peter that they both flew – just before he hit, Peter flew for a few seconds. Peter angrily stalked toward Nathan, calling him a liar. Nathan pointed down, and Peter saw that he was hovering. He dropped to the roof and the brothers embrace, Peter was joyous, but Nathan was troubled.

Peter showed Nathan a book by Chandra Suresh. He wanted to talk about them flying. Nathan just wanted Peter to go away and not make any waves. He was worried the press would pick up on Peter’s leap from a 15-story building. He decided that the best defence was a good offence, so during his speech, he told everyone that Peter tried to commit suicide, and he was speaking out so Peter could get the help he needed. Peter stormed out, and after the event, found Nathan and punched him. Nathan knew he had that coming.

Nathan headed for Las Vegas hoping to get Linderman to fund his campaign, against his campaign manager’s wishes. Mohinder Suresh tried to talk to him, asking him if he has any superhuman abilities. Nathan had security take Mohinder away, then went to see Peter, thinking that he sent Dr. Suresh after him. He wanted to give Peter money to drop out of sight for a while, but Peter declined. In Las Vegas, he bumped into Niki Sanders, ruining her Celine Dion ticket. He liked her, and against his better judgement, took her to his room and they talked. He learned she has a husband and son, but the police are hunting her husband. Nathan told Niki that he has two sons of his own and is happily married. They kissed, but Niki left, only to come back a few minutes later. She gave him a strip show before they had sex.

Nathan woke up in a parking structure, being taken by a man with horn-rimmed glasses and a big black henchman. Nathan offered the man money to let him go, but the man wasn’t interested, he said he just wanted to ask him some questions. Nathan escaped by flying away. He landed near the Fly By Night diner on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Inside he called his staff to ask for a ride back to town. Hiro Nakamura introduced himself and said that he saw Nathan flying. Hiro promised to keep Nathan’s secret because he’s special too – he can bend time and space. Hiro told Nathan that he went to the future and saw a big explosion in New York that he’s going to stop. Nathan didn’t believe him, but humoured him and asked him if he saw who won the election. Hiro remembered that Nathan Petrelli won the election in a “mudslide”. He asked Nathan for a lift back to town and he agreed. Back at the Montecito, he ran into Niki and asked her what happened last night. She didn’t even remember being with him. She told him that Linderman blackmailed her into sleeping with him - He’s got the sex on tape. Nathan decided to turn the tables – the tape won’t do any good if he doesn’t get elected. He got four million from Linderman instead of two.

Nathan’s mother Angela arranged for a reporter from the New York Journal, Oliver Dennison to join them for brunch. Nathan was suspicious because Dennison wouldn't be coming if he didn’t have an ace hidden up his sleeve. Nathan’s wife Heidi has spent the past six months virtually in hiding, after an accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Heidi told Nathan that she felt ready to handle reporters.

Heidi told Dennison that after her accident she was angry for a long time, but at god. Peter showed up and was surprised to see the elaborate brunch. Nathan hustled him away from Dennison. Peter told Nathan that Charles Deveaux died that morning, and he asked for Nathan's help in getting a painting by Isaac from Linderman. He also asked Nathan why he wasn't invited for brunch with the reporter. Nathan flat-out told him that he's worried that Peter will seem crazy and it will cost him the election. Nathan told Peter he can't help get the painting, but Peter threatened to cause problems, and went out to join the rest of the family.

Peter told Oliver Dennison how nice Nathan is to his family, using subtle emotional blackmail meant for Nathan's ears. Dennison knew that Linderman donated money to Nathan's campaign, but Nathan brushed it off. Dennison mentioned that he heard rumors of a blonde woman in Nathan's hotel room. Peter covered for Nathan, turning the screws of the emotional blackmail. He told the reporter that Nathan was looking into a clinic for Peter in Las Vegas to treat his depression, and the blonde was a doctor. Peter said that Nathan didn't tell anyone because he wanted to protect Peter.

Later, Niki called Nathan, and asked for his help. Nathan told her he's sorry, but he can't help her and hung up. Heidi came into the room and asked Nathan if he still loves her. He told her that he does. She asked Nathan to give her some hope to hold on to. She thinks if she has some hope, she’ll be able to walk again one day. She didn't quite swallow Peter's story about the blonde, but told him that if Nathan tells her, that’s the truth, she’ll believe it. Nathan told her what she wanted to hear.

He called Linderman and told him that his brother has developed some kind of emotional attachment to the painting he just bought. He said Peter might cause problems if he doesn’t get it. Linderman agreed to send the painting to New York. Nathan went to see Peter. Peter was angry with Nathan for cheating on Heidi and said that she needed the truth. Nathan told him that Heidi needs hope, not the truth. He acknowledged that what he did with the girl in Vegas wasn't right, but he just needed to be with someone who didn't make him feel guilty every time he looked at her. Nathan lies to Peter and told him that Linderman won't let the painting go. Peter said that if he had the painting he could make a difference. Nathan asked Peter what kind of difference he could make – all he can do is fly. Peter told him he's not going to know unless he tries. Nathan told Peter about the kidnapping attempt on him in Las Vegas, but Peter didn’t believe him. Nathan thinks if other people knew they had abilities, they'd be locked up.

Linderman shipped the painting back to Isaac’s apartment. Nathan and Simone unpacked it. Simone told Nathan that Peter thinks Isaac can paint the future, and Peter told her that he needed the painting so he can save a cheerleader, and that would save the world. Nathan is understandably sceptical. He thought the whole thing is crazy, and Peter is delusional. When he saw that the painting showed Peter dead in a pool of blood, Nathan decided to stop Peter from pursuing his delusion any farther. He grabbed a can of black paint and splattered it all over the painting, ruining it. Simone was angry with him, but Nathan told her he's trying to save Peter's life.

When Peter called him about the incident in Odessa, Nathan told him to keep quiet and put several good lawyers on his case. He flew down to Odessa when the charges were dropped to fetch Peter. Nathan acknowledged that he saved a cheerleader, but hoped Peter has gotten the heroic acts out of his system. Peter told Nathan that when he's around people, he can do what they can do. He said they have to stop the bomb and collapsed. After a few minutes he woke up briefly and told Nathan that the explosion is going to be his fault - the explosion is him. Peter fell into a coma. Nathan took him back to a New York hospital.

Character History

Nathan told Peter that the district attorney wants him to prosecute Linderman, their defence attorney father's biggest client. They're so well connected that if Linderman goes down, so will their father. Even though Peter had been harshly critical of their father in the past, he warned Nathan that he'll never forgive himself for what happens to their father if he succeeds.

Nathan and Heidi were driving home on a deserted freeway when a van started nudging them repeatedly. With no warning, the unbelted Nathan's levitation power kicked in and he floated out of the car. He watched helplessly as it crashes. He fell to the ground.

Nathan called Peter from the hospital. Heidi had been in surgery for 10 hours. Peter asked Nathan if he remembers the other car. Nathan was startled - he didn't tell anyone. Peter pressed this issue and Nathan admitted that Linderman’s men had been ramming their car because of the pending case against him. Nathan blamed himself, for the accident but Peter told him that it isn't his fault, it's their father's fault for getting mixed up with Linderman. Nathan asked Peter to testify against their father. Peter agreed. A doctor told Nathan that Heidi would probably be paralysed from the waist down for life. Nathan was angry and blamed himself.

The morning of Peter’s deposition, their father committed suicide (it was covered up as a heart attack). Nathan told Peter that at least he didn't know that his sons were about to stab him in the back.

Signifigcant Episodes

• Cx03 - Trial by Fire: Nathan saves a girl from a fire.
• 1x05 - Hiros: Nathan's Las Vegas trip takes some unexpected twists and turns.
• 1x10 - Six Months Ago: Nathan's first experience with his powers leads to tragedy.