The Ultimate Face-Off

What's the hot new look in 2007 for the depressed catastrophe-survivor-about-town? The mangy beard. Following Jack Bauer's bushy (and quickly shorn) lead on 24, Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) sported a gone-to-pot Paul Bunyan in May's Lost season finale , and now so does Heroes' brother-grieving, ditched husband Nathan Patrelli (Adrian Pasdar). Cheek to cheek, Nathan's unkempt Beard of Woe seems the real deal, as opposed to Jack's pelt-and-spirit-gum drama-club assemblage, and scores points for sexiness: Judging from the disfigured reflection Nathan caught in the mirror, his chin rug may be hiding something, and the ladies love mystery…hairy, hairy mystery. While Jack's flash-forward scruff has a Jesus-ness that befits his savior complex, such biblical haggardness clearly ain't suave enough to seal the deal on a late-night airport booty call with Kate. Petrelli wins this chin-up contest by a very long hair.