Samson Gray

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Samson Gray
Samson Gray.jpg
Portrayed by John Glover
First appearance Exposed
In-story stats
Known abilities Intuitive aptitude
Known acquired abilities:
Home formerly Newark, NJ
Residence Trailer in woods;
formerly a taxidermy shop in Newark
Occupation Taxidermist
Significant other Gabriel's mother (deceased)
Child Gabriel Gray
Sibling Martin Gray (brother)
Other relatives Virginia Gray (sister-in-law, deceased)

Samson Gray is a taxidermist from Newark, New Jersey. His brother, Martin, reveals that Samson is the biological father of Gabriel Gray.

Character History

A Clear and Present Danger

Sylar goes to Baltimore, MD and visits Harbor Watch Shop, and is reunited with Martin Gray, the ex-husband of his adoptive mother Virginia Gray. Martin states that he is not the biological father, but rather his brother Samson is. Sylar uses his ability of lie detection to determine that truth, and then goes to Newark to pay a visit to Samson Gray's home. There, he finds on the mantel a childhood picture of himself, a picture of Samson holding a pelt, and Samson sitting on a motorcycle, but does not find Samson at home.

Trust and Blood

Mary and Luke Campbell see police cars parked outside Samson Gray's home and Mary says that she never liked that old man. After Sylar holds them hostage in their own home, Luke tells Sylar that he knows Samson and can help to find him.

Building 26

Sylar and Luke drive west in search of Samson Gray. At one point, Luke asks Sylar if he likes birds as much his father did, and reveals that Samson used to take him out birding. This awakens a childhood memory in Sylar of being taken out in his father's red wagon as a small child. Luke knows that the young Sylar was sold for money, and suggests that Samson confessed this to him because he reminded the old man of his son.


Sylar visits an abandoned diner and has flashbacks of his father bringing him there as a little boy in 1980. Samson brings the young Gabriel over to a table where a man and a woman are sitting; they hand Samson a bundle of cash and he hands over his son. He then turns and heads out the door, but Gabriel runs out after him. Samson Gray then gets in his car and appears to argue with Sylar's mother. From outside the car, Gabriel watches as his father slices his mother's head open. He then pushes her body out of the car and drives away as Gabriel stares in horror.

Shades of Gray

Sylar finally finds Samson in a trailer in the woods. Sylar says he's Samson's son and that he plans to kill him, but Samson turns around, revealing he's on oxygen, and tells him to go ahead as he's dying of cancer anyway. Samson performs taxidermy, which he says is a hobby, on a rabbit, with Sylar's assistance. He uses sedation to prevent the rabbit from escaping, and reveals that, like Sylar, he can take other people's powers but that he no longer uses or even remembers most of those he once possessed. Samson admits he can't remember why he sold Sylar and killed his mother, simply because it didn't really matter to him. He explains how terrible it is to have led an unfulfilled life, and mocks Sylar for always choosing easy targets that are not a challenge.

When Sylar accidentally cuts his own hand with a knife, Samson watches in amazement as the cut heals. Sylar explains that he took this ability from a cheerleader and boasts that he will never die, but Samson says that a longer life would mean only more suffering. Distracting Sylar's attention for a moment, Samson uses telekinesis to pin him to the wall with arrows, then sedates him. Sylar wakes up to find his father trying to cut open his head; his hunger has been reawakened and with his health restored, he says he will use his abilities to take real power and "change the world". However, Sylar successfully uses telekinesis to disarm and restrain his father, and comments that as a hunter, he should have known he was "playing possum". He nearly strangles Samson with his oxygen tubes, but eventually leaves him to die in pain from his disease. Samson is later seen smoking calmly in his chair, breathing with an oxygen mask.

I Am Sylar

Imagining that he is speaking to his adoptive mother, Sylar explains how he went to visit his father but found him alone and pathetic, and knew that he didn't want to become him.

An Invisible Thread

Sylar tells Claire Bennet that his father is currently dying. He then tells her he met his biological father, and that it was disappointing. Later, as Matt Parkman reprograms Sylar's mind to make him believe he is Nathan Petrelli, he goes through the moment at Big Jim's Franks and Fries where Samson sells a young Gabriel to Martin Gray.


Sylar tells Claire that both their fathers are killers.

Evolved Human Abilities

Samson Gray's innate ability is intuitive aptitude, the ability to intuitively understand how something works. Like Sylar, he used this ability to collect abilities from other evolved humans, but claims to have forgotten most of them. He has so far displayed telekinesis and sedation.


  • In an interview producer/writer Bryan Fuller said Samson "was going to be the ultimate evil, the devil essentially." This was later cut as it was deemed to be too similar to the Villains story arc.

See Also

Fan Theories

Please refer to Theory:Samson Gray for fan-created theories and other speculation.

  Season Three Characters edit

Claire BennetNoah BennetMaya HerreraAndo MasahashiHiro NakamuraMatt ParkmanAngela PetrelliNathan PetrelliPeter PetrelliTracy StraussMohinder SureshSylar



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