Sylar is a serial killer who hunts super-powered individuals in order to take their abilities. His real name is Gabriel Gray and he started out as an ordinary watchmaker. Initially he had a talent for knowing how things work simply by looking at them. Clever, but not the kind of superpower he dreamed of.
His mother always told him he was 'special' and he started to believe he was destined for greater things. When Chandra Suresh approached him and told him about his theories, Gabriel at last felt like his destiny was going to be fulfilled. But having run a number of tests, Chandra informed him that he found no evidence of any special abilities. Gabriel was furious and determined to prove him wrong.
He contacted another subject from Chandra's list, killed him and stole his telekinetic ability. He then went back to Chandra and demonstrated his new-found power. Chandra was impressed and continued with the tests. However, it became clear that the two fell out at some point resulting in the tragic consequences that followed.
