Isaac Mendez

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Isaac Mendez
Isaac, as he appears in the first episode.
Portrayed by	Santiago Cabrera
First appearance	"Genesis"
Statistics
Superpower(s)	Precognition^[1]
Gender	Male
Age	28^[2]
Occupation	Artist, author

Isaac Mendez is a fictional character portrayed by Santiago Cabrera in the television series Heroes.

1 Character history
2 Powers and abilities
- 2.1 Art work
3 References

[edit] Character history

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Isaac Mendez's story began in the first episode, where he was a struggling, tortured artist living in New York City. His girlfriend and art dealer was Simone Deveaux. However, Mendez was addicted to heroin, and had little success quitting permanently, which put a strain on his relationship with Simone. This strain is worsened when Isaac realized he could see ambiguous future events and paint them when high on heroin. Isaac at first assumed the paintings to be "evil" and tried to destroy them, but Simone saw them as artistically impressive. Near the end of the pilot, Isaac overdosed. Simone brought help in the form of nurse Peter Petrelli, and Isaac survived.

After he recovered, Isaac seemed to have accepted his "destiny" to save New York from a large, nuclear-level, mushroom cloud explosion he saw in one of his precognitive trances. Isaac had also come to believe he needed the heroin to "paint the future", and no longer cared about quitting. Simone doubted Isaac's powers and would not stand idly by while he ruined his life using heroin, so she left him. During their conversation, Simone also mentioned that Isaac's comic book, 9th Wonders!, may be late as he continued with his precognitive painting.

In the fourth episode, Simone came to Isaac requesting new paintings for a showing at her art gallery. Isaac offered earlier works instead, saying that he needed the newer ones to tell the future. Simone doubted she could even sell the older ones and was still unconvinced of Isaac's powers. Isaac proclaimed he knew about her kiss with Peter the previous evening. Simone assumed that Isaac had followed her, but he showsed her his drawing, saying he had made it seven weeks prior. Isaac then said he needs money for "painting supplies", by which he meant heroin, which he hoped would help him find a way to stop the nuclear explosion. Simone left and Isaac broke out his "tools" to shoot up. At one point in the episode, he said "I'm gonna be a hero". After shooting up, he experienced a vision of Claire Bennet at her school around Homecoming time, being chased and cornered by a shadowy figure.

In the fifth episode, Peter came by to find images of "the cheerleader" that a future version of Hiro Nakamura told him to save. However, Isaac was distraught over the current state of his life and felt he'd wasted his time. Peter disagreed and persuaded Isaac to look past their differences. Peter found the kind of painting he was looking for, though Isaac explained he could not finish it, as he was out of both heroin and money to buy more. Peter still believed they should keep trying and, through his ability to mimic other people's powers, managed to paint the picture himself, saying he could see the finished work in his mind. The phone rings after he finishes. Issac explains that it's just some Japanese man (in fact it's Hiro) that he can't understand, and Peter realizes that it's Hiro.

In "Better Halves", Isaac and Peter realize they don't know who the cheerleader was or where she lived. They noticed that one of Isaac's canvases of the future was missing. Isaac realized that Simone had taken it to sell with his other paintings. He didn't remember what he had painted, because he was high at the time. After Peter left to try to track down the painting another way, Eden McCain visited Isaac's apartment, claiming to be a fan.

In the following episode, Isaac and Eden were in a paper plant in Odessa, Texas where Mr. Bennet worked. Bennet told Isaac that he helps people with special powers to better use them, and suggested that he could teach Isaac to use his powers without heroin. However, Bennet desperately needed Isaac to finish a painting of an attack, which he believed would let him protect his daughter Claire. Isaac tried again to paint without the drugs, but after that proved unsuccessful, Mr. Bennet had Eden persuade Isaac to take heroin willingly and paint an image.

In "Homecoming", Isaac painted a picture of a man glowing brightly, which Isaac later describes as "a man exploding", rather than anything related to Claire. Then, in "Fallout", he began painting again, though he didn't believe the paintings to be anything more than art since he hadn't taken any drugs since painting the previous image. After Eden told him that Claire had been saved, he realized that the future could be changed. Eden gave him a phone and an access card, suggesting that he do something. To that end, he called Hiro and arranged a meeting. After meeting Hiro, seeing the future issue of 9th Wonders!, and realizing that his most recent drawings were in fact of events from the then-future, he decided to again paint without heroin. Relaxed and advised by Hiro to concentrate, he successfully activated his powers, painting a picture of Hiro, brandishing a katana, encountering a dinosaur.

[edit] Powers and abilities

Isaac has the power of precognition, which allows him to depict images of the future while in a trance-like state. While in this state, his pupils and irises fade into light white color and he becomes unresponsively focused on painting the images in his mind. Very little context comes to Isaac when he sees the future. He can't tell anything about the people or places beyond what he sees at that moment. Thus, he is often surprised to find out weeks later what his work is actually depicting. Also due to the previous heroin use, Isaac was not able to clearly remember certain images after he painted them, as he stated in "Better Halves."

Originally, Isaac's powers were triggered by the use of heroin, and he was unable to use his powers without it. During the episode "Hiros", Peter Petrelli copies Isaac's precognitive ability without the use of heroin. A TV Guide article from early October, 2006, revealed that he would eventually try to find out if his power works without using heroin.^[1] In "Seven Minutes to Midnight", Isaac attempted just this, unsuccessfully. He does so successfully in "Fallout", after relaxing and taking advice from Hiro Nakamura to concentrate.

[edit] Art work

Made for the show by comic book artist Tim Sale, Isaac's paintings are shown to be accurate predictions of future events. They are, in order of appearance:

Uluru

Man facing Uluru.

One of Isaac's paintings is the depiction of a man facing some sort of monster surrounded by fire and destruction. The image is named "Uluru" in 9th Wonders' picture gallery.^[3] This monster also appears in the online comic, where it asks the painter, "Isaac, what have you done?" The monster has also been spoken of by D.L Hawkins while discussing the 9th Wonders comic book, also drawn by Mendez. A painting of Uluru is also seen among Isaac's "earlier work" that is rejected by Simone in the fourth episode. Another instance of Uluru appears as a screen saver on Hiro Nakamura's computer.

"Genesis"

The depiction of a full solar eclipse which happens later in the first episode.^[4] Simone stops Isaac from destroying this painting.
A hand holding a transparent container (possibly a glass) with a bubbling liquid inside.^[5] Isaac destroys this painting. Possibly the hand is that of Theodore Sprague, who is seen in "Seven Minutes to Midnight" boiling a glass of water with his radioactive powers.
An unfinished painting of a girl appearing to be in a yellow jacket.
The depiction of a burning bus which is confirmed to be a suicide bombing in Israel.^[6]
The depiction of a fiery train wreck.^[7] Claire Bennet saves a man from this incident and Isaac sees the story on the news.
A portrait of a man jumping off a building and seemingly flying.^[8] This is the painting that encourages Peter Petrelli to do the same thing.
A large explosion and the resulting mushroom cloud in Midtown Manhattan.^[9] This painting is shown as being done on the concrete floor of Isaac's apartment.

"Don't Look Back"

In the second episode, it is shown that the explosion Isaac depicted is to happen at 11:52 AM EST on November 8 in the story's original timeline.
In Hiro's "five weeks into the future time frame" Hiro discovers the comic book 9th Wonders!, which details events of his and Ando's journey. Isaac wrote and illustrated the book.
In Hiro's "five weeks into the future time frame", there are a great many paintings of a symbol resembling an RNA helix. This symbol appears in many places throughout the series.

"One Giant Leap"

A picture of a girl walking away from a boy in a school hall. A previous scene indicates these are Claire and her classmate Zach, respectively.
A couple kissing under a red umbrella. A previous scene implies that the couple is Peter and Simone.

"Collision"

Peter standing amidst apparent floating locker doors.^[10] This later occurs in the episode "Homecoming", when Peter confronts Sylar and has locker doors hurled at him.
Claire in an ampitheater as a shadowed figure approaches her. Comes to pass in "Homecoming".
Hiro and Ando standing before a dank cityscape, under a banner with part of the word 'Homecoming'.^[11] Comes to pass in "Fallout".
A close up of a scared-looking Claire.^[12] Comes to pass in "Homecoming".

"Hiros"

A shadowy figure^[13] standing over the prostrate figure of a cheerleader (presumed to be Claire but it was apparently Jackie), whose head has been severed. (Finished by Peter Petrelli)^[14] Comes to pass in "Homecoming".

"Better Halves"

Niki Sanders lying on the floor of her home's bedroom. He later wipes off a layer of paint which covered an RNA-shaped tattoo on her back revealing that the painting is actually of Jessica Sanders.^[15] Occurs in the previous scene of the episode.

"Seven Minutes to Midnight"

An image of Charlie, a waitress, serving food at a diner.^[16]
A flame engulfed car from the scene of Theodore Sprague's escape. Occurs at the end of the episode.

"Homecoming"

A picture of Peter in front of Union Wells High School at 8:12 p.m., presumably dead.^[17] Occurs at the end of the episode.
A picture of a person glowing bright red, later described by Isaac as an "exploding man."^[18]

"Fallout"

Sketches of Hiro socializing with Charlie before her death.^[19]
A picture of Hiro brandishing a katana while encountering a Tyrannosaurus.

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b Zepeda, Dana Meltzer (October 2006). "Everybody's Heroes". TV Guide (October 9-14): 30-31.
^ Official NBC Cast Page (Flash). The official NBC character description of Isaac. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.
^ 9thwonders.com. Picture of Monster. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
^ 9thwonders.com. Picture of Eclipse. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
^ 9thwonders.com. Picture of Boiling water. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
^ 9thwonders.com. Picture of Bus on fire. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
^ 9thwonders.com. Picture of Train wreck. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
^ 9thwonders.com. Picture of Peter Flying. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
^ heroes-pictures.com. Picture of Mushroom Cloud. Retrieved on 2006-11-22.
^ NBC.com. Picture of Peter with lockers. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
^ NBC.com. Picture of Hiro and Ando. Retrieved on 2006-11-14.
^ NBC.com. Picture of Claire scared. Retrieved on 2006-11-14.
^ NBC.com. Unfinished Picture of Sylar. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
^ NBC.com. Picture of Sylar finished by Peter. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
^ NBC.com. Picture of Niki with tattoo. Retrieved on 2006-11-14.
^ heroes-pictures.com. Picture of Charlie. Retrieved on 2006-11-22.
^ heroes-pictures.com. Picture of Peter Dead. Retrieved on 2006-11-22.
^ NBC.com. Picture of a man glowing brightly. Retrieved on 2006-12-05.
^ heroes-pictures.com. Sketches of Charlie and Hiro. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.