The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy is a Netflix television series based on the comic books by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. Its first season premiered on February 15, 2019. The story begins in 1989, when 43 women around the world give birth at the same moment despite none having been pregnant when the day began. The eccentric billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves adopts seven of the children and trains them as a superhero team. He gives them numbers instead of names, though their robot mother, Grace, later provides the names used by the family.

The series follows the siblings as adults, after the team has broken apart. They reunite when Reginald dies, and Number Five returns from a future devastated by an apocalypse. The family’s attempt to prevent that catastrophe drives the first season, while their conflicting memories, abilities, and grievances complicate the mission. The central cast includes Elliot Page as Viktor, Tom Hopper as Luther, David Castañeda as Diego, Emmy Raver-Lampman as Allison, Robert Sheehan as Klaus, Aidan Gallagher as Five, and Justin H. Min as Ben. Colm Feore plays Reginald Hargreeves.

Each sibling has a distinct ability. Luther has enhanced strength, Diego can curve the trajectory of objects he throws, Allison can influence people by saying “I heard a rumor,” Klaus can communicate with the dead, Five can teleport and travel through time, and Ben can summon tentacled creatures from his body. Viktor’s powers are tied to sound and can cause destructive effects. These abilities are part of the plot, but the show focuses just as much on the siblings’ strained relationships and the consequences of Reginald’s upbringing.

The second season moves the family to Dallas in the 1960s, where they arrive at different points in time and become involved in events surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The third season introduces the Sparrow Academy, an alternate group raised by Reginald after a change to the timeline. The fourth and final season premiered on August 8, 2024, and follows the siblings after they lose their powers and confront another threat to the timeline.

The television adaptation was developed by Steve Blackman. Its soundtrack became a notable part of the show’s identity: scenes use songs including “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany and “Dancing in the Moonlight” by Toploader. Across four seasons, The Umbrella Academy combines time-travel and superhero plots with a story about an unusually dysfunctional family trying, repeatedly, to prevent the end of the world.