I thought it would be fun to list a bunch of conclusions/inferences/rules/guidelines gleaned from watching HEROES.

Of course, my offering isn't all-inclusive; please add more!

If ya do, emphasize the rule/lesson learned/observation in a simple statement, and then add any more details if more explanation is helpful...

So, here goes...

How to be a hero/villain, and other stuff gleaned from watching HEROES:

1. Being a hero/villain is one's first priority – As a seemingly ordinary individual, the regular routine of an average Joe interferes with any attempt to save/destroy the world.
2. Job responsibilities can be put on hold indefinitely - Related to rule #1, one cannot be expected to have a full-time job if one wants to save/destroy the world, or if the chance to "be someone" needs to be taken.
3. A hero can still have flexible, regular employment - If one does have a job, which cannot be shirked, while attempting heroic deeds, it is possible to have a day job, provided one is the boss' son/soon-to-be boss, or is the boss' son's/soon-to-be boss' best friend.
4. Both family commitments and financial obligations do not pertain to a hero/villain - To attempt to save/destroy the world, one's family almost always falls apart, and the chore of paying bills isn't applicable - bills are for those who need to be saved.
5. If there is a semblance of family, invest in a home security system - Or, "if a family is intact, it will get attacked" - multiple break-ins to one's home might be prevented if a security system is used.
6. Being a major player in the battle between good and evil is a form of "life insurance" - If one is blessed with a good complexion, or is on good terms with someone with good complexion, then the chances are, when one is actively attempting to do what one feels is good or evil and then is mortally wounded and sent to the hospital or has a visit to the morgue, then one can almost be assured of a short stay and a full recovery. Related rule - Don't be a Brody.
7. Gals who play (at most) secondary roles, in the battle between good and evil, usually are killed "on the job" after some interaction with someone with thick eyebrows - The chances of a gal (who isn't a major player in the battle between good and evil) being killed on the job after some interaction with a person with thick eyebrows are increased if the gal happens to be photogenic or is commonly known by a name with an initial from the first handful of letters of the alphabet, such as Charlie, Dale, Eden, or Candice. A related corollary to rule #2 (and #6), a true Hero/Villain usually doesn't have a job, which therefore increases his/her life expectancy.
8. Whenever possible, pay for everything with cash - First, related to rule #4, one cannot expect a true hero or villain to be bothered with the task of paying credit card bills, and second, it allows the person to appear "off the grid", or, it makes it more difficult for the person to be found. However, the use of an injected radioactive isotope, or a "Mutationally-Advanced Lifeform Location" Extrapolator or (MALL•E) can still be used for tracking, so this rule doesn't ensure one's anonymity.
9. A person with a pretty powerful, nullifying ability, who rarely speaks, can still be identified - Even if the nullifier can make it so another cannot remember anything, inexplicably, he can still be identified by his country of origin.
10. If one should test one's abilities in the presence of a friend of the opposite gender, then that relationship usually only lasts about a few months - The same idea applies to people who become more than friends. No real reason for it, though - just seems to be the trend.
11. It's okay if one doesn't tend to ever get the girl, more than once - Related to rule #1, bein' a hero is the first priority, anyway.
12. It's okay if one tends to get knocked out by only one punch, on numerous occasions - Also related to rule #1, it really doesn't matter if one can't take a punch, if the person's strivin' to save the world.

Well, what have you learned from watching HEROES?

Nice list

I love lists like these!

1. Ensure at least one of your relatives was a cast member on Star Trek - Even if they only played a Redshirt, it'll increase your chances of having an ability, but it would be nice if the relative played a bridge officer.
2. Carry a messenger bag - Not only fashionable, all the heroes carry one.
3. Aim for the head, Damnit! - Nobody ever does, and that's why you're one dead hero.
4. Roll your eyes towards the back of your head, and you can paint the future - You may be no Picasso or Raphael, but you'll be able to glimpse possible events that are to come.
5. Hang a windchime outside your window, anytime, anwhere in the world - You'll have a good looking caribbean power nullifier transported to your location who will answer life's questions.
6. Go to New York to lose your accent - Whether it be Indian, Hispanic, Japanese or other accent, no matter thick, it will be gone within a season.
7. Stay away from bushes - Unless you want to be bagged and tagged by some mysterious man with Horn-Rimmed Glasses, and have no memory after the event!
8. Use your Memory Wipe ability wisely - Speaking of bagging and tagging, if you're gonna wipe the memory of the person you're abducting, make sure to wipe out the memory of the people who doing the bagging and tagging!

I'll just call this 21 and 22 (12+8+2)

21. Death is only temporary - If hero/villain suffers from an injury which could cripple one's position as hero/villain through death, have no fear. Chances are, you'll survive through it and be back next season (see #6). Examples of this rule are Nathan Petrelli (both seasons), Peter Petrelli, Gabriel "Sylar" Gray, Matt Parkman, Maya Herrera (revival in episode), and Niki Sanders (revived as Tracey). The only exception to this rule is DL Hawkins, who survived a bullet to the chest, but suffered a senseless death to another bullet.

22. Don't get a D.U.I. - If driving under the influence of alcohol, chances are, you'll die soon after. Examples of this are Ana Lucia, Libby, and - Oh wait, wrong show.

23. Do NOT underestimate the non-powered middle-aged man with thick glasses who just started at the Copy Kingdom. You mess with his teenage cheerleader daughter, and give him a gun... he's the baddest mother f***er there is. He'll go through Level 5 powered villains for breakfast - to protect his beloved and precious Claire Bear.

24. Do not sleep with a man named Petrile! Nothing good ever happens to those women.

25. Empathic Memory is a nice ability to have - The nice thing about this ability is that you acquire abilities you never knew you had, such as the ability to supress the need to eat, drink, urinate, or defecate while handcuffed in a cargo container for three whole weeks!

26. If your company is in financial straits, kill the CEO - Yamagato Industries seems to be financially better only weeks after the untimely death of its CEO, Kaito Nakamura.

I love it!

Keep 'em coming!!

27. Using good judgment to know whether or not to take action isn't necessary as a hero, if your actions provide comic relief - Should a hero keep the safe closed? Should he teleport when he obtains an important document before some Speedster takes it away and before his abilities are neutralized? Nah! The good choice wouldn't be so fun and adventurous!

28. Stay away from Sylar if you happen to be a man of Latin descent. He will kill you dead. Isaac and Alejandro can tell you this. Or they would, if they weren't dead.

I'm loving this thread! There are so many funny things about the show that we tend to overlook, but when paid attention to, the trends are pretty interesting. Looking forward to see what more people have to point out.

29. If you're name begins with an "M", you will probably end up living with Mohinder Suresh. Honestly! Molly, Matt, now Maya? But, if you're name starts with any other lettre and you live with Suresh...you're probably Sylar.



some how i feellike i couldhave expressed that better.

30. All parents like to think of their children as "special," but we now know not all of them are. Sorry.

We'll keep watching for further developments on this. Eventually Micah, Monica and Mr Muggles will also bunk with Suresh..

31. Drive a Nissan Versa - Even better yet, drive it into a gunfight; there won't be a scratch on it!

32. Sprint is the cell-phone provider of choice - Cuz if you don't, you won't have service in the most remote plains of Africa. (See #31 for rule concerning blatant product placement.)

33. If, as a hero, you've recently been affected by the first aspect of Rule #4 regarding family harmony, it's okay, 'cuz after four years, you'll have remarried - This return to coupledom occurs after somebody, who acts as a sorta guide (even if others on the show haven't seen these guides yet), affects your decisions now which may affect or help create said relationship in the future.

(addition to 33.) See also multiple near-death occurrences which leave you with a not-so-good conscience influencing you to the point at which you get into another relationship with women who look like those who you have had prior affairs with during a previous marriage.

34. For heroes or villains, getting one's neck broken doesn't slow one down as much as a person would figure it would when compared with getting thrown against a window or a punch in the face - Also, related to this rule and rule #12, the one-punch knock-outs to heroes rarely leave any marks. Sometimes, it seems, contact doesn't even have to be made to achieve a knock-out (rfl).

35. When the last thing one knew was that a relative had died, if there is the chance to see said relative alive again, and the person's in the company of those who may be suspected villains, don't hug the person - The activity might not be so fulfilling as one might expect.

36. If, as a villain, do not play Russian roulette with someone who's immortal - Like rule #35, again, the activity might not be so fulfilling as one might expect.

37. Getting knocked down more than once by the same person is a good thing - New information related to rule #12 reveals that those knockouts, if given by a potential tutor, may have their benefits, by enabling one to become a better hero.

38. If a main character gets the opportunity to confront one's father's killer and wants to avenge that father's death, such vengeance is prevented because of the involvement of a "p-word" - Usually, the "p-word" means the "police". In this case, it means "Petrelli".

39. With great power comes great stupidity. Conversely, having no powers makes you a brilliant strategist.

40. If you gain the upper-hand and are able to ambush your kidnapper, do not attempt to get a 30 ft running head start when they open the doors. Especially if your super powers were recently stolen by said kidnapper.

41. The coolest powers come with dangerous side-effects.

42. When either traveling through time or goin' on a spirit walk, it's best when a person gets to witness the correct moments - Fortunately, traveling through time or goin' on a spirit walk is somehow a precisely-calibrated action. Otherwise, it would waste a spirit-walker's or time-traveler's time if they hafta sit through the wrong scenes or not very helpful moments. Even worse, it would threaten a rift in the very fabric of time, for no good reason, if the time traveler just missed the opportunity/moment to which he was supposed to get or return, or, as a result of bad timing, is not able to return from seemingly inevitable destruction.

43. Paranoia is the rule. Always assume that they ARE out to get you... because they are.

44: If you are related to a Petrelli, its expected for you to change side several times in a Season... -

Arthur Petrelli: War Hero/War Mongerer
Angela Petrelli: Loving Parent/ Genocidal Maniac
Nathan Petreli: Will Blow Up New York if you Vote For Him/ Matt's Favourite Jumbo-Jet
Peter Petrelli: Our Favourite Hero Puppy/ Willing to Slice Relatives Heads Open
Gabriel Gray: Serial Killer/ Doting Father and All Around Nice Guy
Claire Bennet: Damsel in Distress/ The Most Dangeous Woman in 4 Years Time

LMAO, I love it!

Its so true though!

*Peter gives Sylar some major smackdown*

Peter: I'm going to be the most special one there is!

Next Episode

*Peter trying to rescue Sylar*

Peter: Just kick his ****** and lets get out of here!

I call this the Jack Sparrow Law of Oppurtunity

Which can also be;

45: Its ok to kill your friends and relatives, if it can keep you alive and benefits you the most...

46. If you concentrate hard enough, you cans gives yourself a real cools nosebleed!

or freeze time

47. If you can paint the future, and it is your only ability, the general rule of thumb is that you will suffer a fatal head wound

48. If you eat waffles regularly, you are or intimately know a hero/villain

49. If you previously starred in Dallas, you have aquired enough cunning to take on some of the most powerful heroes/villains without a power of your own

50. If you are a hero/villain, you cannot tell the difference between a turtle and a tortuise

51. Telepathy is an incredibly versatile power that many would kill for. It allows you to bring someone's nightmares to life, control all aspects of their brain and learn their deepest secrets. However, if you should find yourself being held at gunpoint by a speedster who is being blackmailed by a power hungry megalomaniac, you'll find your ability is rendered ineffectual. Because you two have a love, you see. A real, beautiful true love that's meant to last through time and not end in nuclear holocaust related tragedy. The future said so. And the future is never wrong.

52. Pyrokinesis is yet another amazing ability. Unfortunately for you, you'll find that its practical applications are inexplicably limited to the basic functions of a glorified lighter.

Lol at 52. Flint: Look what I can do (cooks the Jiffypop)


53. Expect parental interference in your quest to save the world..

Hiro: Oh noes, Dad's trying to give me a company!

Arthur Petrelli: Your grounded and I'm taking all your toys away.

54: Illiteration is catchy

Save the cheerleader, save the world...

55: If your name is illiterated, expect superpowers this christmas...

...and family relations you never knew existed!

56: In any dark future, you can always expect to see the Haitian on the side of the bad guys...

Saying nothing and just going with it...

57: Ask Mohinder...

I know it sounds innocuous but trust me, at the bleakest moment he will always get a breakthrough hunch that advances the plot somehow...

58. If you are a hero / villain and don't hold a steady job, you don't have to worry about stuff like health care because you can either regenerate or a mysterious evil company will give it for free.

59. Mysterious evil companies also give free room and board.

^ Or you die not long after discovering them.

Peter happened to exemplify that converse position in "It's Coming", too!

Cool.

60. Use an eclipse to explain the loss of the HEROES' special abilities - It's a good plot point (it was used with the firebenders in Avatar: The Last Airbender, too) to mix it up a little, and a good way to save money on special/visual effects.

61. Unless the hero's/villain's ability just "happens", without any active sign that it's bein' used, adopt a "signature move" - It helps one identify that a hero/villain is about to do something that the unspecial folks can't, and the actions can still be used when the budget may be lackin', as in rule #60.

62. Don't annoy the serial killer. (...especially if you're just an normal dumb@$$ with a gun)

63. The jungle is a terrible place to hold conferences or arguments.

64. With great power comes... many eclipses.

65. While cosmic events like eclipses can seriously mess with people and powers that could be used for world domination, they're incomparable to mommy, daddy and general family interpersonal issues.

66. If you're a Petrelli, you're guarenteed to survive, especially if you're Nathan.
*Rules don't apply to fake Petrelli's a la Sylar.

67. As pertaining to rule #61, avoid a "signature move" that makes you look ridiculous, if for some unforeseen (Or even foreseen.) reason, you happen to lose the power that correlates with that "signature move". Examples, Matt "Tough guy" Parkman, Hiro "Constipation" Nakamura, etc.

68. Whether or not one of the heroes/villains of a certain storyline is a master of time and space, it's a fun diversion to have the character visit the past for a spell - If your name is Hiro, it may happen more than once. Other folks who've been seen in a similar situation? Marty McFly, Kyle (and Derek) Reese, The Doctor (in the fun Doctor Who ep, "Blink"), and Sam Tyler.

69. When affected by rule #68, a good story is for the characters to interact with ancestors or other members of their family - Some others who have had that experience, in addition to those listed above, are Claire Bennet, Sam Beckett, Dan Vasser, and Rose Tyler (who isn't the same one as Sam Tyler's mom)...

70. A hero/villain will rarely ever be detained by a member of law enforcement acting in his/her official capacity, so a hero/villain almost has no fear of legal repercussions when committing an illegal act - This isn't a Law & Order or CSI spinoff, so those sorta rules do not apply (and can actually interfere with the storyline), even if a character has bloody hands and is wearing a blood-stained shirt.

71. If there should be a storyline where a hero/villain must be arrested, then have it happen south of the border - If rule #70 needs to be challenged, then have the people arrested in Mexico. It's a good way to deal with a frustrating situation but not have any lasting repercussions when the characters come back to the U.S. This not only happened to Alejandro, but it also occurred in an episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, to John and Riley.

72. Unusual/illegal activities couldn't actually go unnoticed by the authorities, so to show that heroes/villains may have someone watching them, some token Federal agent might be written into the story - As with rule #71, this is also seen not only in HEROES, but T:TSCC as well. For HEROES, Agent Audrey Hanson was the one who was paying attention, and with TSCC, it's Agent James Ellison. However, when any kind of investigation interferes with the storytelling (as mentioned in rule #70), then either drop the token agent storyline, or have the person take a break from their official duties.

73. When confronted with suspicious new family ties no Hero/Villain shall confirm or deny these alleged family ties with DNA testing since the show's token geneticist is currently mutating into a giant cockroach.

74. Being a Pre-Cog (of the Issac variety) isn't nearly as cracked up as it seems.

Congratulations on your ability! Though beware as you will not be able to predict anything that will generally help yourself in any sort of way, and that you'll never last a full season. You'll also have loads of paintings of random people who are completely unrelated to you, but you'll never paint anything immediately useful- such as Lottery numbers. Thought the first is great if you're a comic book Artist, otherwise good luck.

To be a hero - You must always tell your brother you love them!

76. A hero, when driving a cab, should be wary of the next person who gets into his cab after a guy named Peter is given a ride - It'll be a rare instance, however, if Peter asks you if you've ever wondered if you were meant for something extraordinary, then just take that as a clue that, pretty soon, your life will not remain routine or normal.

77. If your nosy daughter has a history of putting herself in harm's way, just to be involved, then keep her drugged as long as you can so she can't interfere with your morally-grey plans.
She most likely will fight you at every turn, so there shouldn't be a problem finding justification to keep her incapacitated somewhere.

78. It is pointless to run away from someone who just implanted a GPS chip in your arm

And don't make a get-away on the tricked out, 2-way communicator motorcycle just gifted to you.

79. If your name is Nathan, take the season finale off - Of course, in real life, you wouldn't know that people are actually watching you on a tv show and that the scene you're in happens to be from the last episode of the season, however, if you figure that much out - get out of the scene, if possible, 'cuz the chances are pretty good that something'll happen to you where it'll at least look like you don't survive to see another season.