'LOST'

Famous catch phrase: "Live together, die alone."

Time travel: Desmond's leaps forward and back in time have helped him prevent tragedy.

Comic connection: Walt, who has since left the island, read comic books from which some images seemed to become real, such as a polar bear.

Mental illness: While institutionalized, Hurley believed his imaginary friend, Dave, was real.

Cataclysmic event: Failure to push the hatch's button resulted in the hatch exploding, the sky turning purple and the downing of Oceanic Flight 815.

Diverse cast: Korean, Caucasian, blacks, Latin and Middle Eastern characters make up the cast.

Subtitles: Subtitles translate Jin and Sun's Korean dialogue.

Wheelchairs: Before regaining his mobility on the island, Locke was confined to a wheelchair.

Lists: The island's Others prepared a list of castaways with their backgrounds.

Paper products: Hurley owned a box company that employed Locke.

Medical experimentation: The sinister Others performed physical and psychological experiments on Walt, Claire and Jack, among others.

Frequent deaths: In three seasons, "Lost" has killed off Boone, Shannon, Ana-Lucia, Libby and Mr. Eko. More will go before season's end.

As if there weren't enough head-scratching questions on ABC's "Lost" (9 p.m. Wednesdays), many of the show's fantasy-craving fans have found a new set of mysteries to ponder, thanks to NBC's "Heroes" (8 p.m. Mondays). As both reach their season-ending cliffhangers, let's examine how the castaways from "Lost" compare with TV's newest set of bizarros.

'HEROES'

Famous catch phrase: "Save the cheerleader, save the world."

Time travel: Hiro jumps back and forth in time to prevent tragedy.

Comic connection: Isaac, who has since died, drew comic books that presaged the future.

Mental illness: When Niki looks into a mirror, she sees her dead but murderous twin, Jessica, who sometimes takes over.

Cataclysmic event: The heroes must come together to prevent Peter Petrelli from exploding and reducing New York City to flaming ruins.

Diverse cast: Japanese, Caucasian, black and Indian characters make up the cast.

Subtitles: Subtitles translate Hiro and Ando's Japanese dialogue.

Wheelchairs: A car accident has confined Nathan Petrelli's wife, Heidi, to a wheelchair.

Lists: Mohinder's father gathered a list of ordinary citizens suspected of having extraordinary powers.

Paper products: Mr. Bennet's "company" cover is Primatech Paper Co.

Medical experimentation: Claire's father and his sinister company have traveled the globe "bagging and tagging" those with extraordinary abilities.

Frequent deaths: In its first season, "Heroes" has just begun its promised killing spree with Eden, Simone and Isaac. More deaths are promised.