the evidence seems to suggest an advance form of empathy. Thoughts?

Actually, I think it is a mix of both Peter and Sylar's power! Or more an ''in-between''! He doesn't copy the power, but doesn't kill either... Just stealing them!

Yeah it seems as though power imitation is the recurring thread in the Petrelli family. The question now is, did he steal Peter's ability to absorb powers, or just the ones he has absorbed?

If he had stolen the ones he absorbed then peter would have just automatically absorbed them back

His ability is EVERYTHING!!

He stole them all, as he demonstrated Elle's ability after he stole the powers.

Definitely steals at no cost of life (unless you're Adam and lose your ability to heal after living for 400+ years, where as Peter copies with no effect, and Sylar steals at the giver's expense. Arthur's right in between!

He seems to "steal" them by touch.

Peter could have automatically absorbed them back, and not re-call them because a new emotion is brought forth with them.

Also, isn't it redundant for a person who can steal abilities to absorb a power that allows ability absorption? Seems like having the same power twice...

Or at least that of the villains in the room.

Looks like Arthur Petrelli steals the powers away from anyone he touches. He touched Adam, causing Adam to lose regeneration and age to around 400 years old (disentegrated). And when he touched Peter, Peter became powerless, and Arthur gained all his powers. That is INSANE. Real scary dude. Not exactly sure how one would stop him, especially with the huge upgrade from Peter. Really looking forward to seeing this all play out.

so yeah it seems Arthur has the ability to steal others' abilities. Adam's death was just a result of his ability being stolen (being 400 years old, his body was in a constant state of regeneration and once regen was gone, he became his actual age).

so i'm assuming this means Arthur now has empathic mimicry, but i doubt that will stop him from stripping people of their powers. i wonder how Peter will regain his power? kinda blows 'cause i was enjoying pete with IA.

umm he steals peoples powers... including peters ability to absorb or else it would keep going in a circle. and don't forget the Adam Monroe thing 0.0

None of what he did really related to Sylar's power of knowing how everything works.

It's was like empathy but he actually took it away.

Yeah, it seems that his power is similar to Rogue's (from X-men). Power absorption through physical contact.

The question is, though, when he got Peter's power, did he just get the powers Peter absorbed or Peter's absorption ability as well? Either way, he's scary.

He steals powers completely, by touch. He seems to be able to master them quickly as well...

He now has immortality and regeneration -- per Adam. So nothing can stop him?

Sylar can stop him. Slice him open, figure out the power, and drain Papa Petrelli of all of his abilities.

Arthur is definitely a power thief. I don't think there's any way to deny that now.

As for Peter, I think he lost everything. Including the mimicry. It would've been a bad call for Arthur to let him keep that in a room full of powerful people.

The Haitian with a gun can stop him. The Haitian with a gun can stop alot of things, actually.

his ability makes me want to look back on those GNs covering young Linderman and Arthur. remember, that woman was a power thief.. i wonder if there's any relation? perhaps Arthur has IA and the power thief was his first victim?!

maybe we'll see a GN on it tomorrow..

ah yes the haitian. where is he? o.o

peter = copy/paste
author = cut/paste
sylar = cut/copy/paste

lol

A couple of things, Arthur has to have other powers that he had obtained previously given the fear and dread that Maury has towards him, but then we saw that with is ability to freeze mom P. There had to have been a severe falling out between him and Linderman(I'm thinking that his death pronouncment was a cover to what happened to him). I also wonder if Arthurs stealing ability came with the hunger that Sylar had lived with, or if it hasn't what that new found sensation will do to him?

Haha. Nice one.


But really, I think Arthur is the perfect solution for people who don't want their powers. In fact, he should just send them all an invite, set up a line and touch them all.

The ability to take away powers... AND give them back.

So... is this how Mohinder will lose his powers?

Will Mohinder's ability be the end of Arthur Petrelli, I wonder?

That would be a fun way for him to go out.

The most powerful hero by far is the Haitian, assuming of course, that someone doesn't wack him on the head. He doesn't have to touch anybody or even focus on anybody to be effective, that's a huge advantage. He didn't even know Daphne was in the area yet she couldn't use her super-speed. And luckily, his buddy is the guy with no powers, a big gun, and no fear.

The Haitian is being hidden away and for good reason by Angela because she knows how important he is to stopping what she is seeing in her visions. Now if Arthur took his ability, the show's over.

I don't think it's just to give them back, I think he can give anyone any of the powers that he collected.

That's what I am guessing also. It would help explain why Maury is so afraid of him, because it could easily be that a long time ago he took Maury's power and Maury was miserable, so he gave it back and now Maury is grateful.

The question is though, why would he ever be giving Peter his ability back? Doesn't make sense, unless he is near death and feeling sorry for his son for some reason, or he just can't control the "hunger" aspect and thinks it is associated with Peter's innate ability.

I've been wondering how Angela still has her power if Arthur was only able to take powers. If he is able to give them as well then my question would be answered.

That's what I think as well, at least from what I've seen. He can take them away and give them back, or bestow powers upon people.

I'd actually say a more primitive form of empathy. Arthur has to touch you to gain your power and he has to actually rip it out of you to use it himself.

Peter's empathy has evolved so that he just has to be in the general vicinity of someone to gain their power and he only copies it, he doesn't have to steal it.

And Arthur definitely took peter's empathy. First off, why wouldn't he make the acquisition of powers easier for him? That way he doesn't have to de-power his allies to use their powers himself.

That's even if he had the choice to pick and chose... Like mentioned above, I think there's a good chance his ability is like rogues. When he touches a person, he takes all their powers, no matter what.

I figure that's what will ultimately happen - Sylar kills Arthur, takes his power and becomes the big bad for the season after all.

arthur cant gain the haitians power because he wouldnt have the power to absorb the ability in the haitian's vincinty

2 things...

First, it seems like Arthur's power derives from his right hand. Notice the emphasis placed on it thusfar. Even when he's in the bed, its practically pampered.

Second, if arthur now has Peter's ability, will it even be necessary to take anyone else's power away from them? Or is he just being a jerk?

Well, in last weeks GN, we saw that Future Peter did absorb The Haitian's power. So there is a way, but we don't know what that is.

It could be that if The Haitian is knocked unconscious, Peter or Arthur could absorb his power.

Oooo good point... In fact, it's not just the hand it focuses on. It's the ring. Perhaps it's a green lantern sort of deal? Maybe the ring steals all powers for the wearer to wield with full mastery? Something Arthur may have made when he was jealous of the powers of those around him in the days before the formula.

He's got the huuungggeeeerrrr!!

If this keeps up, how will arthur die?

its getting to a point of being a lil too powerful

We need the vortex guy

He could get jettisoned into the sun.

what i'm guessing is that arthur will be demised by people who have innate enviromental powers...

remember sylar and elle?

perhaps people like tracy or elle can prevent the absorbtion since its all by touch..

obviously they have to be wary of them first..

I like to think that that's not the case considering peter still had elle's power.

thing is peter wasn't wary of him~

well, it seems that daddy p has to touch someone for the his power to work. if he absorbs peter's then it wouldn't even have to do that...

HOLY FREAKIN DUCKETS MAN! HES GOT HIROS POWER TOO!!!

Only One Rule In Fighting Petrelli Senior :: Don't EVER touch him!

not like you can actually kill him anyway

If he didnt have Hiro's power, he could stop time and separate his head from his body.

Or Teleport him into the sun.

OMG I GOT IT! He finds the formula, gives it to Pete, granting him his Empathy back, who copy's Hiro's power and goes back in time to steal Vortex Man's power and throws Papa into a vortex to nowhere!

I feel like the writer's have no idea what they are doing anymore. Arthur would need a power beyond what he has to be able to take Peter's empathy. What we have seen is that he can alter his own dna by copy/pastying an ability. Through this process he changes the copied dna to his own. This would effectively remove any power other then Peter's, as his ability is to alter his own dna at no harm to the copied and should be the perfect balance to his father's ability. By no means should Peter's ability be removed by a character like Arthur, nor should they have removed his abilty in such an insulting matter. When Peter walked in the room he was capable of absorbing his father's power. If his father knew his son was so powerful he would have taken his ability when he decided he was going to become a nurse, as any father would*. If I were to have any confidence in what the writers were doing then Arthur will only be able to remove the side effects of the power, such as Adam's immortality, or Peter's collection, or even Sylar's hunger (which I personally believe to be the key to the volume) rather then the ability itself. In my scenario, Peter would be able to absorb, Adam would be able to heal if he were not far beyond what his body could take, and Sylar would be able to save the world from a villain worse then his 3rd season incarnation.

*this post is dedicated to the male nurses of America, keep reaching for that rainbow.