I wonder if he had access to an MRI or a PET scan and could "figure out" (i.e. steal) how the powers worked using one of those.

Well, we know that can't be the case, given how quickly he got Isaac's power. And even the first power we saw him take, it didn't look like he went anywhere to do any scans. He just...looked inside. (And ate his brain.)

Jon, good point. I'd forgotten that Sylar was supposed to have killed Claire already. I think choice c is the likely option, given next week's episode. I actually really hope that's it, as it makes next week's episode not pointless. It basically becomes a Future!Hiro origin story.

Or maybe Hiro *did* prevent Sylar from blowing himself up, but now someone else (Peter) will blow up in his place. Perhaps because Linderman *really* wants NYC to go explody, and he has a backup plan.

Did Peter's visions of himself blowing up and Isaac's paintings of Peter blowing up start happening before or after he saved Claire?

Yeah, I'm going to believe he eats the brains until we're shown otherwise.

umm, big closet full of brains in jars in his apartment?

Was there?

Although I have to say, that strikes me as kind of impractical. Does he take public transportation carrying a brain around with him?

And how did he handle the brains when he was on tour with Mohinder?

Mohinder and Eden found the brains early on, along with some other creepy stuff. They left and called the cops, but by the time they got back, Sylar had cleaned the place out.

He doesn't need the brain once he's done, he was just keeping trophies.

Scola, Isaac's painting of the Exploding Man was before Peter saved Claire, and Peter got his vision after he saved Claire. Which... really does make it seem like because he kept Sylar from blowing up, he has to blow up instead. It wasn't him ALL ALONG. It was supposed to be Sylar. But he changed the timeline. That's awesome.

Also, this essentially means that Future Hiro is from an alternate timeline and is practically a different character, and our Hiro will not necessarily become him if they end up saving the world. Although at that point, Future Hiro may cease to exist. Depending on how they do alternate timelines on this show.

Maybe the original Peter Petrelli in the original timeline got his scar because he had not saved Claire.

Current Peter Petrelli may never scar.

Maybe the original Peter Petrelli in the original timeline got his scar because he had not saved Claire.

Current Peter Petrelli may never scar.

This makes the most sense to me, because if he has Claire's healing ability, why would he scar?

Maybe the original Peter Petrelli in the original timeline got his scar because he had not saved Claire.

Hm, or maybe there's an anti-hero with a power that he can't recover from.

Oh, I LOVED the timelines.

Okay, this is wild speculation regarding the knowledge that someone may explode in a few eps, but do you think Peter could absorb someone else's explosion and therefore keep the city safe? Do you think that's even possible?