I need to kvetch about "Heroes"

I just finished watching season 1. It was really good (Joss Whedon-esque lines like, "Didn't I throw you out a window?" come to mind) for the most part (it was a bit soap opera-y for a short time) but the final few minutes were a bit of a let down. I kept saying, (yes, I occasionally talk out loud to the TV or DVD player) "Peter, you can fly!". I really, really, hate plot holes, especially big ones. A brief synopsis for those of you not familiar with the show: it's kind of like "X-men" and "Wildcards" because normal human beings realize they have extraordinary powers and are learning to control them and interact with the rest of the world. Some of them find out that a giant nuclear explosion is going to destroy half of NYC and they want to stop it. Peter Petrelli's power is that he can copy the powers of any other person. He's a really good guy but he finds out that he's going to absorb a nuclear radiating power that he can't control and then he's going to explode and cause the catastrophe. He's also absorbed his brother's power of flight. Oh, and he can regenerate. To me, this seemed liked a no-brainer. As soon as he was about to explode he could just fly high into our atmosphere, explode (yes, I know there would still be environmental problems but one thing at a time), regenerate, and come back down. NO ONE suggested this the entire season. Finally, at the last moment his brother flew down and flew him up into the sky sacrificing (we assume) himself in the process. I'm pretty sure I didn't miss any on screen explanation for this necessity, such as Peter concentrating so much on trying to stop the explosion that he couldn't fly or that he could only use one power at a time, but if I did, I apologize for my criticism. If not, however, I stand by my irritation and disappointment with the season one finale. GRUMP! GRUMP! GRUMP! Thank you for you attention. :)