Super 'Heroes'

[Emma]

Save the cheerleader. Save the world."

Never have more incongruous words been spoken.

And if you watch TV - at all - you've heard this phrase plenty of times. It comes courtesy of the hot new NBC serial-drama "Heroes" (9 p.m. Monday), a hour-long show about a bunch of average Joes who are discovering they possess superpowers.

But "Save the cheerleader. Save the world."?

OK, that one stumps me, and about everyone else (13 million viewers each week) watching. Back in high school, my buddies and I would say, "Date a cheerleader - you'll be happy." Except that was pure speculation - none ever had a chance at dating a cheerleader. So, in a way, our dating lives were pure fantasy, just like the premise for "Heroes," where people seemingly out of the blue wake up one day to find themselves capable of extraordinary things.

Two brothers, Nathan and Peter Petrelli, apparently inherited the super gene. Nathan can fly - real fast. And like most little brothers, Peter imitates his older sibling's talent or that of any other super person nearby. Artist Isaac Mender paints the future, and it ain't pretty. High school cheerleader Claire Bennett discovers she's indestructible - not even a stake through her brain can kill her. Perhaps the coolest character is Hiro Nakamura, who can bend time and space.

But that's not all. Check out Niki Sanders, a Las Vegas online stripper, who is two people inside of one, a condition formerly known as schizophrenia. And Matt Parkman, a cop who can read thoughts. Want more? Who is Mr. Bennett? We all know he's Claire's caring stepfather, but behind his horned-rimmed glasses is a mysterious man who likes to mess with the mind. Is he good? Or is he the evil Sylar?

If you haven't watched "Heroes," it's tough to wade in at episode seven and catch up because it has so many divergent points of entry. The show jumps from Odessa, Texas, to Las Vegas and then New York.

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