Who are the Real Villains on Heroes’ ‘I Am Become Death’?

On tonight’s episode of Heroes, “I am Become Death,” Peter and Matt both see (one by dream and one by time travel) four years into the future and given what they see you have to wonder which of our heroes are actually heroes and which are villains.

Peter and Sylar face off against Daphne and Claire four years in the future.

In the future – in which anyone can have an ability if they want – the line between right and wrong is blurred.  But it’s clear that sides have been chosen – at least by some.

Peter – future and present – was on one side.  He doesn’t think people can be trusted with abilities.  Therefore, it’s ironic that his actions end up creating an army of people with abilities and he himself acquires an ability he can’t handle.

On the other side are a leather-clad Claire, a longer-haired Daphne, Knox and the Haitian.  What this side wants – besides Peter dead – is unclear. 

In the first clash of sides, Claire kills Future Peter, but Present Peter escapes.  How did Peter die?  I thought he had Claire’s healing ability.  Sure the Haitian was there, but Present Peter knocked him out which should have made his power useless.  Is a bullet in the back of the head really deadly for Peter?  Why can he be killed, but Claire can’t if he got his power from her?

The second battle is at the Bennett house where Sylar – I mean Gabriel – is playing June Cleaver with his son, Noah.  Is anyone else blown away by the fact that the supreme villain from the last two seasons is not only playing house, but has a son of his own now.  Just who is Noah’s mom?

It seems unclear if Gabriel has chosen sides in the future, but Claire is definitely holding a grudge against him.  However, after painting the future – which showed what? – Sylar gives Present Peter his power to understand how things work.  Unfortunately, in the ensuing battle Little Noah is killed by Knox and Sylar goes supernova, killing 200 thousand.

Daphne gets away, but dies in Matt, her husband’s, arms in front of Molly and their daughter Danielle.

Peter and Claire also survive.  And she is enjoying torturing him until President Nathan and First Lady Tracy stop her.  While trying to understand Nathan’s motivation, Peter becomes the monster he always thought Sylar was.

Still the question remains, who is the real villain(s) here?

Meanwhile back in the present, Matt wakes up from his future dream and chooses a turtle as his spirit totem to guide him to changing the future.  Seriously, he couldn’t have chosen a faster animal?  At this rate, he has no hope of changing anything, let alone getting out of Africa this season.

Tracy learns that she is one of identical triplets – Niki and Barbara are her sisters – who were subjects of DNA manipulation by The Company after their parents died.  After they were given their powers, the triplets were separated which begs the question, where is Barbara?

Frustrated that Zimmerman can’t cure her and unable to confess ton killing the reporter, Tracy takes a header off the office building after resigning.  But Nathan – at the urging of imaginary Linderman – saves her life.  And the beginning of the future relationship is born.

Hiro and Ando spent most of the episode arguing with each other in a cell in Level 2.  Just when Hiro is about to escape sans Ando, Angela tells Hiro that he holds the secret to unlocking the mystery behind the formula.  Reenter Adam.

Finally, Mohinder spent the episode playing The Fly and he was even less helpful in the future.  All we know is that he didn’t get the formula right.

My biggest question is based off the preview for next week when Angela tells Nathan that they gave him his power.  Who was “given” powers and who was born with it, if anyone?  Zimmerman made it sound like he wasn’t the only one working for The Company.  How many others were conducting “experiments?”

What did you think of the episode?  What questions did it leave you with?

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