Character history

Nathan was a lawyer working with the District Attorney's office. The District Attorney wanted to expose the Mafia connections of his father's client, Mister Linderman.As he was driving his wife home from a party in a convertible, anothervehicle repeatedly struck his car. Nathan inadvertently flew from hiscar after one of the strikes, causing the car to lose control and veeroff the freeway. The resulting crash caused a significant spinal injuryin his wife, Heidi, for which Nathan has blamed himself ever since.

Six months later, Nathan was running for Congress in a district of New York City. In the pilot episode, he was approached by his brother Peter,who told him that he'd been having strange dreams and believed he couldfly. Nathan claimed to be unconvinced. Their conversation wasinterrupted by the news that their recently widowed motherhas been arrested for shoplifting. Nathan, still primarily concernedwith his candidacy, cut his mother no slack and left her at the policestation with Peter. The following morning, Nathan watched from an alleyas Peter jumped off a building in an attempt to fly. As Peter fell,Nathan flew into the air and grabbed his hand. They descended for a fewseconds, but then the brothers lost their grip on one another.

The next day, Nathan was the first person Peter saw at his bedsidein the hospital. Nathan denied that he flew and tried to explain awaywhat happened as if it were simply a failed suicideattempt by Peter. Much later that night, Nathan was called to anotherrooftop, where Peter threatened to jump unless Nathan admitted that heflew. Nathan eventually admitted that he did fly. Both brothers soonlearned that Peter could fly as well, when he began to walk on thinair. Soon after that, Nathan was again approached by Peter withinformation about the power of flight and other superhuman abilities.Nathan was still more focused on his campaign and his family. Thatevening, Nathan held a press conference where he broached the subjectof depression. He revealed that his father suffered from it, and thatit was the cause of his death. Nathan then claimed that Peter's attemptto fly was actually a suicide attempt, to satisfy the press.Peter stormed out of the press conference, later cursing Nathan out andassaulting him, but went along with the story in public.

On his way to Las Vegas to meet with Mr. Linderman, Nathan was "harassed" by Mohinder Suresh,who attempted to warn him that his life may be in danger. Nathanmistook Mohinder for his father, Chandra, assumed that Peter sent him,and ignored the man. In Las Vegas, Nathan encountered Jessica Sanders, and the two shared an instant attraction, ultimately resulting in them sleeping together. Afterward, Mr. Bennet monitored them and had the Haitian kidnap Nathan.

A shirtless Nathan escaped when Bennet is distracted. Flying away, Nathan broke the sound barrier in the process. Nathan landed on his feet outside a dinerin the desert outside Las Vegas, though it was not a smooth landing.After entering and getting a shirt from the lady at the counter, Nathanmet Hiro Nakamura.Hiro said he saw Nathan fly and told the candidate that he has powers,too. Nathan was skeptical, but humored Hiro, who said he could teleportand manipulate time. Nathan asked about the upcoming election; Hirosaid he won by a landslide. Hiro promised to keep Nathan's secret and,when Nathan's ride arrived at the diner, Nathan agreed to give Hiro aride back to the city. After dropping Hiro off, Nathan went back tomeet with Linderman, only to run into Niki on the way. Niki tells himshe was supposed to sleep with him by the order of Mr. Linderman. Shesaid they blackmailed her and will do the same to him, using arecording of the incident. When Nathan met with Linderman's associateagain, he worked out a deal with her: Though their original deal wasfor two million dollars, Nathan became more certain than ever of hisvictory and negotiated for four million, saying, "for two million, yougot a congressional candidate in your pocket; for four, you'll get a congressman."

After Nathan returned to New York, he and his family had brunch witha newspaper reporter. During the brunch, the reporter questioned Nathanabout his connections to the reputed mobster Linderman, and Nathan'smeeting with a blonde woman in Vegas. Peter covered for Nathan, tellingthe reporter that Nathan was arranging a private clinic to treat himfor his mental health issues. That night, Nathan later lied to hiswife, Heidi, by assuring her that he really was arranging for Peter'streatment, and that the woman he met with was a doctor. Nathan latertold Peter that he cheated because of the guilt he felt about Heidi'sconfinement every day he looks at her. Before leaving, he also toldPeter about the failed kidnapping attempt, and warned his brother to becareful, saying that people would want to lock them up if they realizedthe two brothers had powers.

At home, Nathan inquired about a painting by Isaac Mendez which Linderman had purchased and Peter wanted back. Linderman sent it "straight to [Simone's] gallery".When the painting arrived, Nathan viewed it with Simone. The imagedepicted a man resembling Peter, dead under a homecoming banner and aclock. After seeing it, Nathan destroyed it, telling Simone that he wasprotecting Peter from getting himself killed. Nathan later appears tobail Peter out in "Fallout".

Military service

Nathan fought for the United States during the mid-1990s conflict in Bosnia, making him a war veteran.^[1] A picture of a naval officer can be seen on his desk in "Nothing to Hide".

Powers and abilities

Nathan possesses the power of self-propelled flight. He firstdiscovered his power when he inadvertently used it to save himself fromthe same car crash which left his wife wheelchair-bound.Though he has not used the power much in the series, he did use it tosave a woman from a burning building in an official webcomic. In "Hiros", he also broke the sound barrierusing his power. Despite a rough landing afterward, this may be a signthat he is beginning to hone his ability, or that his power isincreasing on its own. Currently, Nathan is very reluctant to use hisability, saying that he is afraid of both being seen as freak and takenin for scientific study.

Trivia

• Actor Adrian Pasdar said in an October 31, 2006conference call with journalists, that he would like his character'spolitical career in the series to eventually allow Nathan to becomePresident of the United States.