Fans of NBC's smash hit new TV show "Heroes" will be familiar with a popular phrase/tagline within the show, "Save the cheerleader, save the world."
But what about the other characters? Every hero needs a tagline, a catchcry, a slogan or an evocative description, yet the only character given one so far is a cheerleader?
It's time for some other characters to get some recognition of a similar kind.
And first cab off the rank would have to be "The Nurse", Peter Petrelli.

Name: Peter Petrelli
Alias: The Nurse
Other known aliases: Peter Pan
Power/s: The ability to mimic other people's power/s
Why he needs a tagline: It's obvious that the writers are setting Peter up as one of the main characters to draw the many disparate threads of the storyline together. Claire "The Cheerleader" Bennet is obviously going to play an important role in the future of the series, and she has her own tagline already - and it has become a tagline for the show as a whole. It seems fitting that Peter is also given one.
Suggested tagline: Kill the nurse, save the 'verse.

Peter Petrelli's power is likely to prove detrimental to the long term health of the storyline in "Heroes", as we have already witnessed instances where Peter's ability to "mimic" other powers has conveniently allowed him to avoid trouble. From mimicking Matt Parkman's telepathy to create a sort of mental feedback to avoid having his mind read, to mimicking the Cheerleader's ability to heal, allowing him to survive what were probably life-ending injuries.
How long will it be until we have Peter teleporting around the place with Hiro? Or using Hiro's power to travel backwards in time himself? Or phasing through walls as D.L. Hawkins is able to do? Or who knows what else, as more powers are discovered?

Basically, are we going to be treated to a great many episodes where the entire plot device is "What power does Peter Petrelli get to play with this week?"

But perhaps most importantly, and as has been alluded to on the show, the Nurse needs to die in order to prevent him ever mimicking the power of Theodore "Ted" Sprague, who has the power to emit radiation from his body, enabling him to emit heat as well as causing effects similar or identical to radiation poisoning on those around him, as well as the environment. Should Peter ever mimic Ted's power it is entirely possible that he won't be able to control it - much as he could not control his telepathy with Matt Parkman - and could very well explode in a catastrophic fashion with consequences it is difficult to foresee. Other heroes can bend the laws of physics to suit their ends, there is no reason to assume that Peter's mimickry of Ted's power would be constrained by the limits of a typical nuclear type explosion using the amount of material contained in an average human body.
Thus if you kill the nurse, you might very well save the entire universe.

Alternative taglines: Shove the nurse in a hearse. Punch Petrelli in the belly. Inter Peter down a meter. Try and smother Nathan's brother.


What do you think? Should Peter Petrelli be one of the next characters killed off on Heroes? Have your say in the "Kill the Nurse" Guestbook!