Why did Polarity suffer a seizure in Gen V? Details explored

Sayan
Gen V (Image via Amazon Prime Video)
Gen V (Image via Amazon Prime Video)

Polarity, played by Sean Patrick Thomas, is one of the most important supporting figures in Gen V. A celebrated alumnus of Godolkin University, a former superhero, and the father of Andre Anderson, he represents the pressure older supes put on the younger generation to carry their legacy. But in Season 1, Polarity’s health issues come into sharp focus.

While giving an interview, he suddenly suffers a seizure, losing control of his magnetism-powers in public. Metal objects fly out of control, injuring bystanders and leaving Andre to helplessly watch his father crumble.

Gen V later explains that years of using his magnetic abilities caused micro-tears in his neural pathways. These injuries built up over decades, leading to permanent brain damage and unpredictable seizures. His condition highlights how prolonged exposure to Compound V and the constant strain of powers take a toll on supes as they age.

Doctors warn Andre that Polarity’s abilities are destroying him from the inside, forcing him into physical therapy and limiting his powers. The seizure is not just a random health scare; it’s a warning sign about the dangerous side effects of being a lifelong supe, a theme that connects back to Andre’s own future.


Polarity’s seizure in Gen V is linked to years of power strain

Gen V (Image via Amazon Prime Video)
Gen V (Image via Amazon Prime Video)

Polarity’s seizure in Gen V is tied directly to the long-term damage caused by decades of using his magnetism-powers. A neurologist explains that every time he manipulates magnetic fields, the strain tears into his neural pathways.

These micro-tears don’t heal, and over time, they accumulate into irreversible brain damage. By the time audiences see him collapse, the condition is already advanced. His seizures are violent, often strong enough to dent cars and cause metal objects to crush anything nearby. This is not just a case of old age but the result of his body breaking down under the constant pressure of Compound V.

The impact is devastating for Andre, who witnesses firsthand how powers inherited from his father come with a hidden cost. When Polarity undergoes seizures in the ambulance, Andre tries to counter the effects by using his own abilities, but he cannot match the magnetic force spiraling out of control.

An EMT is injured during the chaos, showing how dangerous these episodes can be for anyone nearby. Doctors later tell Andre that his father’s condition will only worsen if he keeps using his abilities. Physical therapy may slow the decline, but the damage cannot be reversed.

Polarity’s situation also pulls back the curtain on a broader truth about Vought’s experiments. Compound V has always been marketed as a miracle, but the show hints at the darker reality that supes are not immune to long-term consequences.

Gen V (Image via Amazon Prime Video)
Gen V (Image via Amazon Prime Video)

The seizures suggest that even if powers look impressive, the human body isn’t built to sustain them forever. His condition adds weight to the idea that many older supes may be silently suffering, hidden away in facilities like Vought’s Global Wellness Center to prevent the public from seeing their decline.

In Gen V, for Polarity himself, the seizures symbolize a loss of control. Once a B-list superhero and a public figure, he is now dependent on medical care and can no longer reliably use the abilities that defined him once.

His insistence that Andre carry on the Polarity name feels more like desperation than inspiration, as if he knows his own time as a supe is finished. This breakdown of his health is both a personal tragedy and a warning sign for what Compound V does to its users when the spotlight fades.


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Edited by Deebakar