For more on Umbrella Academy, check out our Ending Explained feature here. Or learn all about What Happened to Ben!There's certainly no shortage of new TV shows based on comic books in 2019. But there's one series that seems to be on everyone's radar this year - Umbrella Academy. Based on the comic books from Gerard Way and artist Gabriel Bá, this new Netflix series puts a darker, quirkier spin on the X-Men formula.
If you're not sure why everyone is looking forward to the show's debut, it's time to brush up on all things Umbrella Academy. Here's everything you need to know about the premise, characters, and setting of this oddball superhero saga.
Umbrella Academy Explained: The Basics
The Umbrella Academy begins when 43 superhuman infants are suddenly born to mothers who had shown no signs of pregnancy beforehand. A wealthy inventor and philanthropist named Sir Reginald Hargreeves adopts seven of these children and raises them to be superheroes at the titular Umbrella Academy. Unfortunately, with Hargreeves being a ruthless taskmaster who cares only about results, these seven children grow up to be dysfunctional, psychologically damaged heroes.
The three Umbrella Academy stories published so far feature the adult Hargreeves children trying to reconnect and
work together as a functional team. It's not easy putting the past behind them, but these heroes are the first and only line of defense in a world even stranger than our own.
Umbrella Academy Characters
The Umbrella Academy consists of seven members, each one of them adopted as an infant by Hargreeves and groomed to become superheroes. Each of the seven children were given a number by their father, ranking them in order of their abilities and usefulness.
Number One (Spaceboy) - Luther Hargreeves is the leader of the team and the one most eager to please his father. His innate super-strength was further enhanced after his head was grafted onto the body of a genetically engineered Martian ape. He spends most of his time off-planet and has a hidden crush on his adoptive sister, Number Three.Number Two (The Kraken) - While Diego Hargreeves doesn't have much in the way of power (beyond the ability to hold his breath indefinitely), his combat skills and ruthless personality make him the most skilled fighter of the group. Basically, if Spaceboy is the Umbrella Academy's Superman, Kraken is its Batman.Number Three (The Rumor) - Allison Hargreeves may well be the most powerful member of the team. She can rewrite reality simply by speaking the phrase, "I heard a rumor..." She's also perhaps the most psychologically damaged Hargreeves sibling, plagued by guilt over the fact that her ex-husband has full custody of their daughter, Claire.Number Four (The Seánce) - Klaus Hargreeves has the ability to levitate and commune with the dead, but only when he isn't wearing shoes. Klaus is by far the most morbid and nihilistic member of the Hargreeves family, a fact that definitely wasn't helped by briefly dying and being rejected by both Heaven and Hell.
Number Five - The only member of the family not to have a normal name, Number Five is a time traveler trapped in the body of his 10-year-old self. His original disappearance caused the Umbrella Academy to break up, and since returning from a hellish future, he's been instrumental in keeping the old gang together.Midseason TV Shows We Can't Wait to Watch
Number Six (The Horror) - Little is known about Ben Hargreeves apart from his ability to unleash monsters living underneath his skin. Ben died during an early Umbrella Academy mission, with only a memorial statue left to keep his memory alive.Number Seven (The White Violin) - As the only member of the family with no superhuman powers as a child, Vanya Hargreeves was often ignored or insulted by her father. As an adult, her years of violin practice pay off when Vanya is recruited into the Orchestra Verdammten and transformed into the supervillain known as The White Violin.
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