Sylar == Good Guy?

[Mixairian]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=9060

It's interesting that Grey/Sylar is a watch maker. Does his profession have anything to do with Richard Dawkins' "The Blind Watchmaker" or William Paley's "watchmaker analogy" regarding evolution?

Or is it a homage to Dr. Manhattan in the Watchmen? All good references. All good answers. The greatest thing about this writing staff is that everyone brings their own references to the game. We all agree on watchmaker, but it means something different to all of us.

Continuing with the watch thing, might his ability to understand and fix these tiny, very intricate watches be a metaphor for the larger “Heroes” puzzle?

We hope that it works on a lot of levels. Time. Evolution. Tiny cogs and gears coming together to make something greater than the sum of its parts. We can debate for hours.

Alright. Let's start off slow. Sylar knows where all the pieces fit together. He knows the way things are supposed to work.

We first see him sent over the edge when he see's the Telekinetic refusing to accept his power.

Assuming there is some greater power in the world of Heroes, perhaps Sylar saw a symptom within' Mr. Telekinetic which he inherently knew would be a plague upon many of those would be Heroes.

We have met four people first hand that he has tried to kill. Some of them he was successful, others have yet to come pass.

• Mr. TK who just wanted to be normal.
  
• Isaac (in the future) the painter junkie, who at the time could not accept his ability without the use of chemical interference.
  
• Hiro's Girlfriend, who up until Hiro went into the past was resigned to her death.
  
• Claire who until very recently had despised her powers and just wanted to be normal.

In each of these events you have a very special person who in some form or way denies their gifts and abilities to change the world in opt for a normal life. They deny what is special within them and try to fight what they are meant to be: something great.

The passed over attempts:

• Peter. He could have easily taken his brain, consumed and ran.
  
• Matt. The female detective was downed and Sylar could have easily taken Matt off guard with TK. He didn't. He ran.

Now what does this all mean. Those gifted individuals who have accepted their powers and embraced it are deemed worthy of sorts and thus do not require him to fix.

The main argument against is that he did not know they were Heroes but if their names were on Suresh's list, this may prove otherwise.

The idea I'm running with is that Sylar knows that there is something inherently wrong with the world and is trying to fix everything. There is no direct method him for him to move all the pieces together so he is creating an event and a focal point (himself) to focus all these gifted individuals on. By having them feel hunted and chased down, they are forced to acknowledge their gift as special and as a whole they must stand up and act out.

Sylar knows that these people must acknowledge who and what they are and embrace it. Thus he creates a system for such response.

He does after all know the way things work and is good at fixing things.

Yeah, yeah. I wrote this very half assed.

 

[Eddie Brock]

or he is just using Chandra's list to hunt them down, THUS he didn't know that Peter and Matt were Heroes

 

[Mixairian]

or he is just using Chandra's list to hunt them down, THUS he didn't know that Peter and Matt were Heroes

Wasn't Matt on that list?

 

[Eddie Brock]

Wasn't Matt on that list?

probably, but Sylar wasn't focusing on that, he was focusing on the girl

 

[Mysterio]

"supposed to work" is only in his twisted view. and i think he was already over the edge before he murdered the telekinesis guy.

let's not kid ourselves. he's not a good guy. not even remotely close to being a good guy.

 

[Valerie_f4]

If he killed someone he is bad. In my books.

 

[Corinthian™]

What I think about Sylar is very simple. He was obsessed with this powers. It was obvious ever since he met Chandra. And to tell you the truth, a guy that takes out brains in order to accomplish "the greater good" is ****ed up to begin with...

 

[lars573]

If he killed someone he is bad. In my books.

That is so juvenile and simplistic.


Sylar is the villian of this piece. But he's not a rampaging psychopath like say the Joker or Carnage. He's more like Magneto or Ra's Al ghoul. A bit twisted but has a plan and reasons for everything.

 

[Valerie_f4]

Well, He wants powers to kill people. It's quite explainitory.

 

[Morg]

Good Guy? As if, he kills others to get their powers because he doesn't want to be just a normal guy. Doesn't matter if the pewrson old or young he wants the powers for his own selfish reason

 

[hippie_hunter]

Mr. TK who just wanted to be normal.

But he wanted the telekenisis himself

Isaac (in the future) the painter junkie, who at the time could not accept his ability without the use of chemical interference.

Except by the time Issac in the future was killed he didn't need the drugs. He learned how to do it without the drugs.

Hiro's Girlfriend, who up until Hiro went into the past was resigned to her death.

He wanted her supersmart brain. She didn't even know she had a power.

Claire who until very recently had despised her powers and just wanted to be normal.

Again, he wanted a very strategic power.

In each of these events you have a very special person who in some form or way denies their gifts and abilities to change the world in opt for a normal life. They deny what is special within them and try to fight what they are meant to be: something great.

Charlie didn't even know she had a power. All of those people didn't want to die! Sylar went after each of these people for their very strategic powers. Claire had a powerful regenerative ability. Brian Davis had telekenisis. Eden had the power to convince people to do anything. Charlie could have had the ability learn everything there is to know in the entire world. Issac can see the future, so he can see what possible mistakes he could make and avoid them.

Peter. He could have easily taken his brain, consumed and ran.

Sylar tried to kill Peter. But at the end of the fight he himself was hurt and the police were arriving. Also, Sylar and Peter basically have the same abilities. They both take other people's powers.

Matt. The female detective was downed and Sylar could have easily taken Matt off guard with TK. He didn't. He ran.

That's because Matt shot him.

 

[Mysterio]

That is so juvenile and simplistic.


Sylar is the villian of this piece. But he's not a rampaging psychopath like say the Joker or Carnage. He's more like Magneto or Ra's Al ghoul. A bit twisted but has a plan and reasons for everything.

juvenile and simplistic? yes, good and evil are pretty darn simplisitc. Sylar's morals are not aligned with Magento's morals at all. they're not even in line with Ras Al Guhl. this guy isn't walking along the edge of the razor blade like Col Kurtz, balancing between good and evil, sane and insane; he's firmly in the evil camp.

 

[Eddie Brock]

That is so juvenile and simplistic.


Sylar is the villian of this piece. But he's not a rampaging psychopath like say the Joker or Carnage. He's more like Magneto or Ra's Al ghoul. A bit twisted but has a plan and reasons for everything.

not the greatest comparisons

now, if Sylar killed "normal" people because he wanted the Heroes to rule the world, then we might have a Magneto correlation
i can't comment on Ra's Al Guhl because i only know of him from Begins

 

[The Question]

Just so you know: Ra's believed in making a better world free of crime and corruption where humanity lives in harmony with nature. Unfortunately, he's come to believe that the only way to acheive this is to topple all world governments, wipe out 90% of the human population, and set himself up as ruler of the remnants of humanity. So yeah, the Ra's analogy hardly fits for Sylar.

 

[pyrodude2]

does anyone like sylar at all?

 

[Abaddon]

He couldn't have easily taken Peter's brain. He was injured. I'm more interested in what that little girl he was after powers are.

 

[Mixairian]

Good Guy? As if, he kills others to get their powers because he doesn't want to be just a normal guy. Doesn't matter if the pewrson old or young he wants the powers for his own selfish reason

Or perhaps he see's the greater need for Heroes to acknowledge their powers and use them for a greater good. By becoming the embodiment of what most simple folks would call evil, he gathers those forces of good to work together and achieve their destiny.

But he wanted the telekenisis himself

There was no direct evidence he wanted TK himself. He just wanted some outward sign of being different and an acknowledgment of his own place in the world.

Except by the time Issac in the future was killed he didn't need the drugs. He learned how to do it without the drugs.

We don't know if future Isaac in Hiro's vision was drug free.

He wanted her supersmart brain. She didn't even know she had a power.

She had said to Hiro after he went back into the past that she had resigned to her fate because of the blood clot in her brain. She knew death was coming and just accepted it instead of trying to change the world.

Again, he wanted a very strategic power.

Or perhaps he needed a wider range of abilities to be able to direct those other Hero forces.

Charlie didn't even know she had a power. All of those people didn't want to die!

Did I once say they wanted to die? I said they did not want their gifts. They rejected it. Charlie had resigned to dying. None of those people were actively trying to put their powers to use, that was the point I was making. Charlie aside, most of them tried to deny them and would rather be "normal".

Sylar went after each of these people for their very strategic powers. Claire had a powerful regenerative ability. Brian Davis had telekenisis. Eden had the power to convince people to do anything. Charlie could have had the ability learn everything there is to know in the entire world. Issac can see the future, so he can see what possible mistakes he could make and avoid them.

Eden's death was one of opportunity. Not one of strategy or planning. Though on another level, her death help Mohinders new found zeal to find and unite the Heroes.

Sylar tried to kill Peter. But at the end of the fight he himself was hurt and the police were arriving. Also, Sylar and Peter basically have the same abilities. They both take other people's powers.

He threw high speed locker bays at him. He didn't try opening his skull or taking his gift. Now, as for the article I posted in another topic. I believe it was alluded that Sylar DOES NOT have the same or similar powers to Peter.

That's because Matt shot him.

And he had the strength to "leap away" which means he was capable of moving at least 185lbs of force. More than enough to remove Matt's gun and skull.

juvenile and simplistic? yes, good and evil are pretty darn simplisitc. Sylar's morals are not aligned with Magento's morals at all. they're not even in line with Ras Al Guhl. this guy isn't walking along the edge of the razor blade like Col Kurtz, balancing between good and evil, sane and insane; he's firmly in the evil camp.

His contention was with that "anyone who kills is evil." It is that mentality that is childish and simplistic.

Just so you know: Ra's believed in making a better world free of crime and corruption where humanity lives in harmony with nature. Unfortunately, he's come to believe that the only way to acheive this is to topple all world governments, wipe out 90% of the human population, and set himself up as ruler of the remnants of humanity. So yeah, the Ra's analogy hardly fits for Sylar.

Makes sense in my mind IRL. A central despot.

 

[Morg]

He couldn't have easily taken Peter's brain. He was injured. I'm more interested in what that little girl he was after powers are.

The cheerleader? She has a healing factor sort of like Wolverine

 

[Abaddon]

Not Claire, the little girl whose parents he killed.

 

[Morg]

Oh her, so far I haven't seen any used of her powers so I have no ideal

 

[Fanticon]

Hell no...he's evil to the core.

 

[GL1]

Excellent theory! A show like heroes needs a villain so deep that the lines between hero and villain are blurred.

But he wanted the telekenisis himself

But his talent involves broken things. And the option of taking TK man's power didn't even occur to Sylar until he realized the man was broken. Sure Sylar is mad, and acting out of selfish motives, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't think he's doing a service to the world by fixing the broken things, such as heroes who don't want to be special. It also doesn't mean he's not right.

Except by the time Issac in the future was killed he didn't need the drugs. He learned how to do it without the drugs.

In the new timeline, yes Isaac learns to paint without drugs, but that was prompted by, Hiro, motivated by his trip to the future. Unless there's some major time paradoxing going on, Nov 8th Isaac did not learn to paint without drugs from Hiro and Ando in Midland Texas.

He wanted her supersmart brain. She didn't even know she had a power.

Again, he wanted a very strategic power.

Hence broken. Sylar looked back and forth between Hiro and Charlie and picked the girl with the LEAST power of all over Hiro, who is obviously on Chanda Suresh's list. There's simply nothing more strategic than killing Hiro while he's taking a whiz.

Charlie didn't even know she had a power. All of those people didn't want to die! Sylar went after each of these people for their very strategic powers. Claire had a powerful regenerative ability. Brian Davis had telekenisis. Eden had the power to convince people to do anything. Charlie could have had the ability learn everything there is to know in the entire world. Issac can see the future, so he can see what possible mistakes he could make and avoid them.

Sylar happened upon Brian Davis at random and Eden came to him. How Sylar picks from the list is still a bit of a mystery, but the fact is, there were more strategic choices to be made. Sylar didn't take them, strategy is not king in his mind. Chances are his power, to see what's broken, limits who he can steal powers from. It makes sense, it works, and it's consistent with what we've seen.

Sylar tried to kill Peter. But at the end of the fight he himself was hurt and the police were arriving. Also, Sylar and Peter basically have the same abilities. They both take other people's powers.

It could be said that Sylar tried to kill Peter because he got in the way. Strange, though... wouldn't Peter have picked up Sylar's ability to see what was broken with the situation...

That's because Matt shot him.

Then Matt turned his back and Sylar got up. At that point he could have taken Matt out but simply decided not to.

It's a sound theory at this point boys. Sylar is only attacking victims who are 'broken,' even if it's only according to his definition of broken. The idea that Sylar can detect what is broken according to the 'Destiny Force' that Isaac controls with his paintings is another matter entirely, but one fun to ponder nonetheless.

 

[Abaddon]

Claire is not broken.

 

[lars573]

juvenile and simplistic? yes, good and evil are pretty darn simplisitc. Sylar's morals are not aligned with Magento's morals at all. they're not even in line with Ras Al Guhl. this guy isn't walking along the edge of the razor blade like Col Kurtz, balancing between good and evil, sane and insane; he's firmly in the evil camp.

Actually Col. Kurtz was firmly off the deep end. He lost the ability to reason normally. That's the reason he seemed sane and insane, good and evil. He'd gone primal. Kurtz had become a jungle beast that loved literature.


The reason I picked the characters I did was because at first glance Sylar actions bring to mind someone like Joker or Carnage. Picking people at random and brutally killing them. This is the layer the lawmen of Matt and blonde sidekick (I forget the characters name) see. But the deeper layer that we've seen shows he has more in common with Magneto and Ra's Al Ghoul. They all see something as being wrong, out of place, in need of balancing. Sylar goals are unclear so going by what has been shown indicates his "fixing" is a lot smaller in scope than Magneto or Ra's. But they all have a ruthless drive to impose their will to solve said problem. Without petty considerations like morals or human life restraining their actions.

 

[Abaddon]

Sylar just wants power for himself. I thought that was obvious.