after a night's sleep i've had time to speculate more on this.
--------------------SPOILER FROM EPISODE 7---------------------
adam can absorb powers too, and went back in time to kill kensei as part of a bigger plot in changing history that is connected to the killings of the parents, the virus, and punishing humankind? and he is posing as kensei to lure hiro, but failed in the end (but survived since he has several powers just like peter)?
either way, i'm wondering how they are gonna flip this.