The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy is a Dark Horse Comics short comic book series written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá that won the 2008 Eisner Award. The first series, The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite, ran from September 2007 to February 2008, and the second, The Umbrella Academy: Dallas, ran from November 2008 to April 2009. The first issue of the third series, Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion, was released on October 3, 2018. As of February 2019, 2 issues have been published. A live-action television adaptation premiered on Netflix on February 15, 2019.
The Umbrella Academy comics had a small fanworks fandom, with fans posting art to deviantart and tumblr. The television series has inspired renewed interest in the fandom and drawn in new fans. As of 10 March 2019, there are 159 fanfics on fanfiction.netThe Umbrella Academy is listed in the comics section. and over a thousand fanworks on the AO3Split between two fandom tags, but some fanworks are tagged with both: 254 in The Umbrella Academy (Comics) and 1067 in The Umbrella Academy (TV). (For comparison, in July 2017, there were 74 fanfics on fanfiction.net and 60 fanworks on the AO3.)
Because Gerard Way was the frontman of My Chemical Romance, there is a lot of crossover interest among Bandom fans.
==Comics Canon==
In an inexplicable worldwide event, 47 extraordinary children were spontaneously born to women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, "To save the world."
These seven children form the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers.
Number	Name 	Epithet 	Powers
1 	Luther Hargreeves 	Spaceboy 	Super strength + an emergency procedure gave him the torso of a gorilla
2 	Diego Hargreeves 	The Kraken 	Can hold his breath forever, can curve anything he throws
3 	Allison Hargreeves	The Rumor 	Can control minds and bend reality with the phrase "I heard a rumor..."
4 	Klaus Hargreeves 	The Séance 	Can communicate with the dead and temporarily make them corporeal
5 	Number Five 	The Boy 	Can displace himself through time and space + 58 years old in a boys body
6 	Ben Hargreeves 	The Horror 	Can summon tentacled horrors from his body
7 	Viktor Hargreeves 	The White Violin	Can use sound pitches to cause destruction
==Crossover with Bandom==
My Chemical Romance fans were anticipating The Umbrella Academy for months before the first issue came out.batmanboxers. , posted in chemicalromance, 2007-01-23. In September 2007, so many fans were posting about The Umbrella Academy to chemicalromance, the general MCR comm, that a mod posted an announcement banning the topic and directing people to a separate community, theumbrella_acd; comments on the post noted that the comic book signings they had been to had been attended primarily by MCR fangirls.theguernica. , posted in chemicalromance, 2007-09-23. Meanwhile, one of theumbrella_acd's posting rules read, "No posts about My Chemical Romance will be accepted unless they are directly connected to The Umbrella Academy as well. This community is dedicated to Gerard Way's The Umbrella Academy, not Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Ray Toro, Bob Bryar, and Frank Iero's post-hardcore band." (Accessed 9 July 2017.)
A small percentage of MCR fanworks incorporate the Umbrella Academy in some way. For example, one 2010 Bandom Big Bang entry was an AU "where bandom are filmmakers and Gerard is directing the Umbrella Academy movie." On the Archive of Our Own, MCR is the most common crossover fandom for the comics fandom after cross-listed comics and tv fandom fanworks, though the overall numbers are low.As of 22 March 2019. 349 fanworks in the comics fandom tag, 266 of which are also tagged with the television fandom, and 9 of which are MCR. However, the relationship with MCR does not seem to have continued in the television fandom; MCR does not make the top ten crossover fandoms in the AO3 television fandom tag.Filter sidebar on the works page as of 22 March 2019.
==Netflix show==
In July 2017, it was announced that The Umbrella Academy would be adapted into a live-action Netflix series, which premiered in 2019.Umbrella Academy at Netflix.com
Season One consisted of 10 episodes and aired on February 15, 2019. Season Two was released on July 31, 2020. Season Three was released on July 22, 2022. Season Four, the final season, was released on August 8, 2024.
=== Season Four Controversy ===
Season Four of the Umbrella Academy consisted of six episodes instead of the usual ten.https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/the-umbrella-academy-season-4-episodes-exclusive/ After watching the series, many fans complained about the pacing of the show, including time spent on a scene in which characters vomited in a van while "Baby Shark" played in the background, as well as the lack of a "dance scene," something that was present in all three previous seasons.
Additionally, fans complained about the ending of the show, in which Five discovers that the reason the world keeps ending is because of the Marigold-generated birth of the Hargreeves siblings, and the Hargreeves (and Lila) sacrifice themselves to save the world. Fans made connections to the Hargreeves' trauma and compared this to encouraging suicide.Tumblr post by lostfangirlz, posted August 9, 2024. Accessed September 25, 2024.
Another controversy was over the Five/Lila pairing. After Five and Lila got lost in the trans-timeline subway, they spent several years together, during which they begin a relationship. As Diego/Lila was already a popular ship, many fans did not think it was likely that Lila would cheat on Diego, her husband and father of her children, with his brother. Some fans of Five disliked the way that he was characterized in this plotline.Tumblr post by very-straight-blog, August 8, 2024. Accessed September 25, 2024
 
The show's release led to the Who is Gerard Way meme.
==Differences between the show and comics==
*The comic book series uses codenames referring to their unique abilities while the show uses the character's names outright. 
*The TV show embraces diversity and has a larger variety of ethnicities and histories of the characters.
*In the comics Ben isn't dead. 
*Newly invented characters in the show such as The Handler, Lila Pitts, The Swedes, Sissy Cooper, and Raymond Chestnut. 
*Sparrow Academy and Hotel Oblivion plots
*More queer characters including Vanya transitioning from female to male into Viktor coinciding with Elliot Page's transition.
==Shipping==
The fandom has more gen fic than any other category on AO3.
* Klaus Hargreeves/Dave Katz (Klave)
* Hazel/Agnes
* Number Five/Dolores
* Diego Hargreeves/Lila Pitts
* Viktor Hargreeves/Sissy Cooper
* Allison Hargreeves/Raymond Chestnut
===Harcest===
The main characters were born due to spontaneous birth from 43 women around the world. Sir Reginald Hargreeves adopted 7 children and gave them numbers, rather than names, and trained them to be superheroes. There is much debate regarding whether this makes shipping them with one other incest, given that the children were raised as family, to an extent. Others arguing that because they were raised in such a clinical environment, it's more comparable to a boarding school than adoption, and thus it's not incest. Cultural standards differ across the world.
After the question of "Is it incest?" there's the question "Is that a problem?" There is a contingent of fans who are happy to embrace the pseudo-incest. Many more, even if they're not exactly on board with the incest, still feel that anti-shipping is a toxic force within a fandom, and that people should ship and let ship.
 	Luther 	Diego 	Allison 	Klaus 	Five 	Ben 	Viktor
Luther 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Diego 	Diego/Luther 	 	 	 	 	 	
Allison	Allison/Luther	Allison/Diego	 	 	 	 	
Klaus 	Klaus/Luther 	Diego/Klaus 	Allison/Klaus 	 	 	 	
Five 	Five/Luther 	Five/Diego 	Five/Allison 	Five/Klaus 	 	 	
Ben 	Ben/Luther 	Ben/Diego 	Allison/Ben 	Ben/Klaus 	Five/Ben 	 	
Viktor 	Luther/Viktor 	Diego/Viktor 	Allison/Viktor	Klaus/Viktor	Five/Viktor	Ben/Viktor	
==Fanwork Examples==
===Comic book fandom===
====Fanart====
*I heard a Rumor you died today by MicahVanZandt (Feb 10, 2009)
*bromance and thin mints by 021 (Apr 30, 2009)
*Umbrella Line-Up by rikako-chan (October 20, 2010)
*The Rumor cosplay by EmilyScissorhands (April 15, 2011)
*The Prime-8's Tour Poster by Raygunwilldance4hugz (August 7, 2011)
*request - the umbrella academy by dragonmanX (Sep 23, 2012)
* The white violin- Vanya cosplay by SHIcosplay (July 20, 2013)
*psychedelia by muddyguts (Sep 15, 2013)
*untitled art by ghostparachutes (November 10, 2017)
====Bandom crossovers and fusions====
MCR bandmembers as Umbrella Academy characters:
*Killjoy Academy by MOONBTCH on deviantart (on tumblr) (April 2011)
*The White Violin by HumanPinCushion (May 9, 2017)
===Television show fandom===
====Fanfiction====
*Keep A Light On by DarkFairytale, Diego & Klaus and Ben & Klaus, "All these lights,” Klaus wafted his hand around. “They helped me sleep at night, and now, well now, I just have more grown up methods.” He popped the cigarette in his mouth. He let it dangle from his bottom lip as he struggled with his lighter. (February 20, 2019)
*From Beyond the Grave by flumen, Ben & Klaus and Diego & Klaus and Allison/Luthor, When Ben first visits him from beyond the grave, Klaus nearly wakes every corpse in the vicinity with his screams. (February 25, 2019)
*Bring Back the Lost by SnafuConstellations, Klaus/Dave, Klaus uses his newfound powers to introduce his siblings to Dave. (February 18, 2019)
*The Dead Aren't Good Company by RosyPages, Klaus & Reginald and Ben & Klaus, They’d been back in time for less than a month when their father forced Klaus back into the mausoleum. But maybe this time his family can do the right thing. (February 26, 2019)
*Hugs for Benjamin by Katydid_99, Diego & Klaus and Ben & Klaus, 'Klaus ODs. Again. Diego visits him in the hospital and learns more than he ever wanted to know. (February 19, 2019)
*If You've Got the Time by doctorkilljoy, Klaus/Dave, The trials and tribulations of Klaus Hargreeves, and a family that doesn't notice when he's in peril. (February 17, 2019)
*Bloody Fingernails by Poshii, Diego & Klaus and Klaus & Vanya, Diego and Klaus get trapped in a room together. (February 21, 2019)
*Istanbul by Utopsite, Dave/Klaus and Diego/Eudora, Once again, the Umbrella Academy saves the day - not that the day cares much about it one way or another. (February 20, 2019)
*Numb Without You by Fearless_leaderr, Father puts a statue up in the courtyard, bronze immortalising a boy forever. Ben would hate it. “I hate it,” Ben says from beside him, crossing his arms across his chest. (February 20, 2019)
*We're Running Just As Fast As We Can by CloudElemental, Vanya & Hargreeves siblings, She wish she could go back to not feeling. This- this guilt and grief and shame was filling her up, drowning her. She couldn’t fix this. Just like she couldn’t fix Allison when she slashed her throat open with her bow. Being sorry wasn’t going to change anything. Vanya is given the chance to fix her mistake, save the world and her siblings. She really doesn't know what she's doing. All she knows is that the future she made can't be allowed to happen. (February 20, 2019)
*War is Hell by sauropod, Dave/Klaus, Klaus' hands were still filthy with dried blood and muck as he fumbled at the clasps, the combination lock on the top. Desperate, blind hope had his heart going a mile a minute. The dial still read that seemingly random set of numbers it had the first time he opened it on the bus, what felt like a lifetime ago. (February 23, 2019)
*a hazy shade of winter by highqueenalice, Klaus & Vanya and Ben & Klaus and Ben & Vanya, In which Vanya has a stalker, Ben is a tired ghost and Klaus is Klaus. (February 24, 2019)
*and i know that you’ll be by my side by luciimariiellii, Klaus & Vanya, Klaus is the only constant in Vanya’s life. He’s fucking insane, but he’s always there. Even when she doesn’t expect it. (February 24, 2019)
*Ghosts of You(th) by SilvertonguedClotpole, It was a mausoleum, and right now it was probably the best chance they had at hiding from those chasing them. But of course, a mausoleum isn't just a mausoleum to Klaus. It was a hell. And his siblings were about to see a true glimpse of what it was like being Klaus Hargreeves. When they're forced to hide in the cemetery, the siblings get more than they bargained for when they have to fight to remain hidden, and fight to keep their brother from toppling over the edge. (February 25, 2019)
* Chaotic Good | The Umbrella Academy by scooteringdinosaur. Features an OFC, Edelyn "Eddie" Hargreeves. (Aug 30, 2020)
Crossover Works:
*The Fault in our Leap by PhantomWriter, A week after the Chitauri Invasion, a wormhole appeared in New Mexico. Though instead of some monstrous-looking aliens, seven children emerged instead. Seven superpowered children. Director Fury wasn't happy. (February 27, 2019) (MCU crossover)
====Vids====
* You Do You by xenchantedqueen
* Sinners by zowho
* Once I was 7 years old by KamiQueen
====Fanart====
*but now you’re out of sight by luluxa (February 22, 2019)
*i want to be numb again by luluxa (February 27, 2019)
* by gdemontreuil, (August 7, 2020)
Umbrella_children_and_one_creepy_old_man.jpg|umbrella children and one creepy old man by Victoria Hoover
HargreevesHuddle.jpg|It’s a Hargreeves Huddle by Bhavna
====Meta====
* Five, and the effects of Reginald Hargreeves’ parenting by atalana (March 23rd, 2019)
* The Umbrella Academy Siblings & Shipping and The Umbrella Academy Luther & Allison Romance Scandal?, video essays by ShippersGuideToTheGalaxy (Mar 2019)
==Fannish Resources==
* theumbrella_acd, livejournal community created 29 July 2006
* Archive of Our Own fandom tags:
** The Umbrella Academy (Comics)
** The Umbrella Academy (TV)
* FanFiction.Net
** Comics
** TV
* Tumblr
** umbrella academy tag
** fyumbrellaacademy, tumblr account created January 2011
* DeviantArt community: tuacommunity
==References==
*
Category:My Chemical Romance