Mythology of Heroes

Heroes includes a number of mysterious fictional elements that have been ascribed to science fiction or supernatural phenomena. Tim Kring and the creators of the series refer to these fictional elements as part of the mythology of the series. Kring confirmed that although the show does have a unique mythology, he doesn't want to sink too deeply into it. Rather, Kring has used volumes to wrap up ongoing plot lines, rather than carrying them over long periods of time, as in Lost. As far as the overall mythology of the series, Kring said "we have talked about where the show goes up to five seasons."

Ordinary People Discovering Extraordinary Abilities was the promotional campaign for the series, before and after its debut. In an interview conducted by Lost producer Damon Lindelof, Kring states "...it's a show about characters dealing with extraordinary things happening to them. That is the central premise. So my sense is that if one can assume that dealing with their extraordinary abilities is something that these characters will always face, then their stories can bend and morph and evolve forever."

Within the first two volumes, it was implied that these superpowers were genetic; however, in several interviews, Tim Kring has shied away from discussing the origins of the characters' abilities. Kring has given his own personal theory on powers, stating, "...my original theory was that we’re living in such a fucked-up world and things are so awful that Earth needed to populate itself with people who were going to do something about it." When asked in the same interview to give a direct answer, Kring responded, "I’m not going to give an answer to that because that becomes a really fun part of the show." In the third volume, "Villains", it is revealed that some characters' powers, such as Nathan, Tracy, and Niki, are synthetic, having been artificially created by a special formula.

Different characters have different levels of control over their abilities; for example cellular regeneration is always active, Maya's power can be brought on by stress, and telekinesis can be controlled accurately. Furthermore, some abilities have been shown to be able to extend beyond the possessor to their clothing, personal items, or even other individuals who do not share the power. Such examples include phasing, teleportation, shape-shifting, time travel, invisibility, and cellular regeneration (through a transfusion of blood).

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