SAVE THE CHEERLEADER, SAVE THE WORLD...

The question is, "Did they?"

MSNBC.com writes of the NBC hit, Heroes:

For a week, and at practically every primetime commercial break, NBC taunted viewers with this earnestly whispered cheerleader-saving imperative, promoting Homecoming, the Nov. 20 episode of Heroes, in which both the audience and the super-powered characters finally learn their destiny. But when the episode was over, neither viewers nor the so-called heroes knew much more than they did in the episode a week before.

Of course, longtime viewers of Guiding Light have known a secret about Hayden Panettiere, who plays aforementioned cheerleader, for quite some time now.

She is none other than little Lizzie Spaulding (photo above)!

Currently on GL, Lizzie, as played by Marcy Rylan, is preparing to give birth (and use her newborn baby as a way to entrap the Daddy forever), while Lizzie's grandfather, Alan, gleefully rubs his hands together and twirls his evil mustache (okay, it's more of a beard) in anticipation of snatching the tot for himself.

All in all, it's hard to say whose life -- superpoweredered cheerleader's or the mom-to-be's -- is more dramatic, these days.

(Fun Fact: Hayden Panettiere and Marcy Rylan co-star in the direct-to-DVD film Bring it On - All or Nothing. That's two -- two! -- Lizzies for the price of one!)