Show: "Heroes"
Character: Geek-turned-creep Sylar
Most dastardly deed: The series of murders that leads Sylar to assume the identity of mild-mannered Zane Taylor and then buddy up with scientific hero tracker Mohinder. Of course, Mohinder wants to find the heroes to help them; Sylar thinks their brains would be tasty snacks that give him even more powers. "I certainly was kind of on a spree there on the road with Mohinder," Quinto says. "You know, both of [the victims] were these kind of unassuming people who were both so endearing; they were characters you wanted to know more about." Oh, well.
Best line: In the episode where the plot travels along with Hiro to five years into the future, Sylar is revealed to have shape-shifted into a likeness of Nathan Petrelli — who was elected to the U.S. presidency. In the Oval Office, he encounters saved cheerleader Claire, whom Sylar failed to whack years ago. Slowly morphing from Petrelli to his normal visage, he longingly sighs: "I've waited a long time for this." Yiiiikes.
Ploy for pity: Aw, he was just a sad, hardworking watchmaker before he became a supernatural serial killer. "I really use the watch shop, the stillness, the time pieces with those really minute details, the monotony," Quinto said. "He was born as a very lonely, isolated, solitary, meek person."
Inspired by: All those other supernatural serial killers out there. Just kidding. Quinto says he has to shift on a dime because Sylar's ability to suck traits from other heroes means that he'll be healing himself one week and melting metal the next — or sometimes in the same episode. "The character is never in a box," he said.
Trademark tic: No, he's not pointing at you when he raises his index figure in your general direction. He's telepathically opening your skull like a can opener.
You know you're in trouble when ... Sylar is nice to you. Face it, folks, if he shows any decency at all to another character, that character is about to get crucified by paintbrushes or worse.
