The Umbrella Academy

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The Umbrella Academy
Promotional artwork
Publisher	Dark Horse Comics
Schedule	Monthly, every third Wednesday
Format	Limited series
Publication date	September 19, 2007[1]
Number of issues	6
Main character(s)	Sir Reginald Hargreeves Spaceboy The Kraken The Rumor The Séance 00.05 The Horror Vanya Hargreeves
Creative team
Writer(s)	Gerard Way[2]
Artist(s)	Gabriel Bá James Jean (cover illustrations)[3]
Letterer(s)	Jason Hvam (Internet preview only)[2] Nate Piekos
Colorist(s)	Dave Stewart[3]
Creator(s)	Gerard Way[4]

The Umbrella Academy is a comic book limited series written by Gerard Way of the rock band My Chemical Romance. The comic features illustrations by Gabriel Bá, cover art by James Jean, colours by Dave Stewart and letters by Blambot's Nate Piekos. The six-issue limited series^[5] is released by Dark Horse Comics, the first issue making its premiere on September 19, 2007.^[1] (See: 2007 in comics)

[edit] Main story

The members of the Umbrella Academy, a disbanded group of superheroes, reunite after the death of their adoptive father, "Sir Reginald Hargreeves". Hargreeves, an alien disguised as a famous entrepreneur, collected the members of the Umbrella Academy shortly after their birth and trained them to save the world from an unspecified threat. After his death, the members carry on his plan to save the world.

[edit] Influence

Way has stated that the biggest influence on this piece of work is his favorite writer, Grant Morrison of Doom Patrol. He has also said that Pat McEown of ZombieWorld: Champion of the Worm was a big influence on his work. Way has said that Edvin Biuković is his all-time favorite artist and that "his Grendel Tales are like my bible to draw from".^[4]

[edit] Characters

• The Monocle (Sir Reginald Hargreeves) – An alien disguised as a wealthy entrepreneur and inventor, he adopts the members of The Umbrella Academy at birth.
• The Umbrella Academy:
  • 00.01 Spaceboy (Luther Hargreeves) – The leader of The Umbrella Academy; his body is that of a gorilla’s and was transplanted after a failed expedition to Mars. His powers are enhanced physical strength and resilience. After his career with The Umbrella Academy he moved to the Moon and lived at the Annihilation Control outpost. On the moon, Luther is attended to by a robotic butler of sorts, named Ben; it is possible that the robot was named in honour of his deceased brother 00.06. Spaceboy is most likely named after the song "Spaceboy" by the Smashing Pumpkins off the album Siamese Dream. The Smashing Pumpkins are one of Gerard Way's favorite bands.
  • 00.02 The Kraken (Diego Hargreeves) – The reckless and rebellious member of the group, described by The Monocle as “an insolent brat”. He has the ability to hold his breath indefinitely and has demonstrated a strong affinity for knife-throwing. He and Luther have a very clear rivalry and Diego seems unwilling to take orders from Luther.
  • 00.03 The Rumor (Allison Hargreeves) – Described as narcissistic. She has the ability to prevaricate, whatever she says becomes the truth. After her career with The Umbrella Academy, she married her boyfriend Patrick, who she has since divorced, and had a daughter named Claire.
  • 00.04 The Sèance (Klaus Hargreeves) – Showcasing a fretful, morbid temperament, his powers are to contact the dead, levitate and telekinesis. He has the words "Hello" and "Goodbye" tattooed on the palms of his hands.
  • 00.05- (erroneously referred to as The Future) Disappeared at the age of ten and reappears in his childhood form 20 years into the future. 00.05 appears to be capable of traveling through time under his own power, although he was forced to spend decades in the future trying to prove the possibility of backwards time-travel before he was able to achieve it. He was shown to have aged normally in the distant future, but regressed back to his youth in transit. 00.05 claims to have read accounts of the Academy's immediate future and their connection to an apocalypse.
  • 00.06 The Horror (Ben Hargreeves) – He possesses monsters under his skin from other dimensions. He is deceased, but no information regarding his death is given.
  • 00.07 The White Violin (Vanya Hargreeves) – The most estranged member of the group, Vanya showcases no particular powers, other than an interest in music. Vanya is known to have written a book detailing her life with the Academy and her decision to leave.
• Inspector Lupo – A police officer (a character similar to Commissioner Gordon of Batman).
• Abhijat – The Monocle’s bodyguard and assistant.
• Dr. Pogo – A talking chimp associated with The Monocle.
• Mrs. Hargreeves - Referred to as "Mom" by the members of the Academy. While the Monocle is shown in a portrait in the first issue, with a woman beside him, this is apparently not the children's "Mom," who shows up in the second issue and appears to be an only partially animate plastic mannequin. Little information is given as to her origins, though.

[edit] Series

The six part series, Apocalypse Suite, began with the release of the first issue on September 19, 2007. One issue is to be released on the third Wednesday of every month for six months.^[1] The series editor is Scott Allie, and the series assistant editors are Rachel Edidin and Sierra Hahn. The series designer is Tony Ong.

[edit] #1: “The Day the Eiffel Tower Went Berserk”

Cover of the first issue of The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite that was released on September 19, 2007

The first issue, “The Day the Eiffel Tower Went Berserk”, was released on September 19, 2007. The inside front cover features notes made by Sir Reginald Hargreeves on his seven adopted children, numbered by usefulness.

[edit] Plot

After a brief background is given on The Umbrella Academy, the plot jumps ten years ahead and tells of an event when The Umbrella Academy (aged ten) saved Paris, resulting in The Eiffel Tower flying into space. The story then jumps ahead another 20 years and sets the scene for future issues. Spaceboy is on the moon when he receives a call that The Monocle is dead. Vanya (00.07) receives a mysterious phone call telling her to audition for the chair of a violin player. When Spaceboy arrives at the mansion he encounters 00.05, who has has returned from the future. He states that "there is worse to come".

There are also pages of information; inside the front cover is a featured list of the members of The Umbrella Academy, from the "personal notes of Sir Reginal Hargreeves". On the last page of the story (back to back with the letters page) is an excerpt from the Encyclopedia Umbrellica, offering more details and background information on their exploits in Paris.

[edit] #2: “We Only See Each Other At Weddings And Funerals”

The second issue, “We Only See Each Other At Weddings And Funerals”, was released on October 17, 2007.

[edit] Plot

Issue 2 starts the day after Issue 1. Spaceboy is told The Rumor is at the mansion and they greet each other at The Horror's statue. It is revealed he is dead but the cause is unknown, at which point Seance arrives. At a carnival in the city robots cause destruction because of the apparent reformation of The Umbrella Academy. The Future then describes what happened when he left and how he returned. The Kraken turns up and has a small confrontation with Spaceboy. The funeral attracts media attention. The Monocle's wife arrives at the funeral, and says a few words about the Monocle before her cloak is ripped off by The Kraken. She is revealed to be a talking mannequin of sorts, possibly a creation of Hargreeve's to serve as a mother figure to the children. The Kraken then argues with Spaceboy. Meanwhile, in response to the phone call she received last issue, Vanya (00.07) arrives at the Icarus Theatre where she is told to play her violin by a figure obscured by a blinding light. When the light goes off she is in front of many spectators and a skeleton in a suit who calls himself 'The Conductor' of 'The Orchestra Verdammten'. He claims that his new composition, 'The Apocalypse Suite', could destroy the world if played accurately. After hearing the plan, Vanya leaves but The Conductor anticipates her return. At the mansion Spaceboy and The Kraken have a violent conflict. Spaceboy has his laser up to The Kraken but they are broken up by the Rumor and 00.05 when he reveals that the world ended a mere three days after Hargreeve's death. After a moment, the group of heroes realize that the carnival is on fire - Spaceboy reveals that the culprits are the Terminauts, created by the malicious Dr. Terminal (a villain from their past) that were to activate if the Umbrella Academy were ever to reform. The Kraken jumps into the water, and Spaceboy orders everyone to the Televator. The Umbrella Academy has been reformed. The issue ends with a quote from the Monocle at his acceptance speech at the National Thallium Awards.

Like the short story, "...But The Past 'Aint Through With You" taken from the My Chemical Romance song “Kill All Your Friends”, a b-side from the single "Famous Last Words".^[6] This title is similar to the story told in the song, talking about only seeing each other at funerals 8,9 And 10 years apart and walking away and leaving your friends. almost like saying 'maybe it will be you next. I'll see you then, at your own funeral'

[edit] #3: “Dr. Terminal's Answer”

The third issue, “Dr. Terminal's Answer”, was released on November 21, 2007.

[edit] Plot

Issue three begins with a flashback from the Rumor, where she's caught in a daze remembering a childhood moment, being held captive by Dr. Terminal. She's snapped back to reality by Spaceboy, and she fades back to the current situation- a burning carnival. The Terminaunts which had activated last issue have been wreaking havoc upon a childs' fair, and Space, Rumor, and Seance are fighting to rescue the children. In a cab nearby, Vanya is rushing to the scene, although is later turned down and rejected by a furious Kraken. Meanwhile, number 00.05 is being tested by Doctor Pogo, watching the news on a television. Suggesting to begin searching for clues on how close the Apocalypse may be, he leaves Pogo and his "mother" and takes off. It would be important to note that within the brief moment Vanya actually made it to the fair, she was nearly destroyed by a terminaunt missile but saved by the Kraken, who took that opportunity to yell at her, rather venerably, to "get lost," because she had left them once already. There is implication that the Terminaunts are destroyed, and the super-team agree that this is only a minor scratch compared to what is coming, ending the adventure. In the Icarus Theater, however, Vanya enters glumly, and, accepting the pitful loneliness she is about to take on, requests to join the Orchestra Verdammten.

The book is finished with a small table of amusement park injuries, followed by the weekly Letters to the Editor section.

[edit] #4: “Baby, I'll Be Your Frankenstein”

The fourth issue, “Baby, I'll Be Your Frankenstein”, was released on December 19, 2007.

[edit] Plot

The fourth issue begins with a flashback to eighteen years ago. Vanya runs through the Academy, shouting about how she hates everyone around her. She is consoled by Dr. Pogo and, when she states that there's nothing special about her, Pogo tells her that she is indeed special because, unlike her siblings, she doesn't need to destroy in order to be herself. We then jump to the present, where Vanya is being forcefully experimented on by The Conductor of the Orchestra Verdammten. The Conductor reveals that he killed several people to get copies of Hargreeves' secret notes, one of which indicates that Vanya is the most dangerous member of the Umbrella Academy. The Conductor states that while the orchestra is powerful, they need one pure soul to lead them all. Vanya says she will kill him, but before she can move, The Conductor flips a switch and begins Vanya's transformation. We transition to Number 00.05 and Dr. Pogo, who are flying around the city looking for signs of the apocalypse. As they survey the depravity around them, they discuss whether or not the earth is truly worth saving. Back at the Icarus Theatre, Vanya wakes up, now transformed into a pure white creature. At the Academy, The Kraken appears in the parlor (to the surprise of his siblings) and initiates a family fight over who their father loved the most before leaving the group. With The Kraken gone, the rest of the Academy decide to go out and patrol to make sure the city is still safe. Elsewhere, 00.05 and Pogo enjoy coffee at a diner until three men in red and black gas masks enter looking for 00.05. Again back at Icarus, the Conductor reveals Vanya, now dubbed 'La Viole Blanche' (The White Violin). Her entire body is now pure white and the design of a violin runs down her torso. She picks up her violin and plays a single note, ripping the Conductor in half and killing him instantly. She now stands in front of the group, triumphant, and declares that tonight they will kill the Umbrella Academy and tomorrow they will end the world.

The book ends with a riddle: Two bodies have I, though both joined in one. The stiller I stand, the faster I run. The answer is 'an hourglass'.

[edit] #5 "Thanks For The Coffee"

The fifth issue, "Thanks For The Coffee" was released on January 21st, 2008.

[edit] Plot

In this fifth installment, the story begins with Inspector Lupo investigating a crime scene where shortly before mysterious masked characters come looking for 00.05. Agnes, a waitress at the diner where it occurred, describes how 00.05 killed every last masked character (whose identity we are yet to find out) before stating that 00.05 last words to her were- "thank you for the coffee." References to the beverage are frequent throughout the novel.

The story then continues with 00.05 searching through Hargreeves room at the Umbrella Academy, looking for a gun to finish himself when the end of the world arrives, but comes instead across Hargreeves Monocle, which when worn, shows the wearer who someone really is. In this case 00.05 looks at Dr Pogo and sees how he was mistreated in the lab, before collapsing and passing out.

Elsewhere, the Rumor and Spaceboy are standing on a building in the city, drinking coffee. they discuss briefly Rumors Daughter, Claire. After which point Spaceboy enquires whether or not the Rumor has lost her powers.

After this the White Violin pays a visit to the Umbrella Academy, promptly destroying the glass windows and the statue of the Horror in the grounds. She also continues to kill Dr Pogo.

The Rumor, Spaceboy and the Séance then turn up to the carnage, and the plot ends with a newspaper being delivered showing the same report that was displayed on the day the world ended. The headline reads "Perfect Day- Nothing bad to report".

[edit] #6 "Finale, Or Brothers And Sisters, I Am Atomic Bomb"

The sixth issue, "Finale, Or Brothers And Sisters, I Am Atomic Bomb" was released on February 20th, 2008.

[edit] Plot

As the world lingers on the brink of complete annihilation, the dysfunctional fighting team must put their issues aside as they attempt to save planet Earth from The White Violin.

[edit] Short Stories

A first short preview story of the series was released on November 2, 2006 on the Dark Horse Comics website.^[2] The first printed story was “…But the Past Ain’t Through With You.” which appeared in the 2007 Dark Horse Comics Free Comic Book Day issue.^[3] Another story, “Safe & Sound”, was published in July of 2007 in Dark Horse Presents online on MySpace.^[7]

[edit] Internet Preview

An Internet preview was released on November 2, 2006 on the Dark Horse website. The story was lettered by Jason Hvam.^[2]

[edit] Plot

The story is only two pages long and contains two main characters, The Séance, appearing as an adult, and The boy, #00.05. Both are in a laboratory at the Umbrella Academy at 2:54 in the morning and The Séance is connected to a machine. The boy transports The Séance to a medieval French war via a time machine. The Séance appears on horseback and in armor in the middle of a battle as he gives orders in French to the troops. A soldier comes up to him telling him (in French) that it they must wait for reinforcements. A cannonball explodes and The Séance is back in the laboratory, still in armor.

[edit] “…But the Past Ain’t Through With You.”

Cover of the 2007 Dark Horse Comics Free Comic Book Day issue, featuring the first printed story of The Umbrella Academy, “…But the Past Ain’t Through With You.”

The first printed story of the series, "…But the Past Ain’t Through with You.", appeared in the 2007 Dark Horse Comics Free Comic Book Day issue. The title may be a reference to a line from the My Chemical Romance song "Kill All Your Friends", a b-side released with the single "Famous Last Words".^[8] The line reads "and you can sleep in a coffin, but the past ain't through with you". Nobody, including Gerard Way has made any reference to the origin of the name. The name could also have come from a quote from the film Magnolia (the exact quote being, “We might be through with the past, but the past ain’t through with us”).^[9] The comic book was released on May 5, 2007, Free Comic Book Day. The comic book also features the début of Pantheon City written by Ron Marz and illustrated by Clément Sauvé and Zero Killer written by Arvid Nelson and illustrated by Matt Camp.^[3]

[edit] Plot

The plot summary in this article or section is too long or detailed compared to the rest of the article. Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot.

The story begins with Spaceboy, The Rumor, and The Séance finding The Rumor’s body in an alley. A reporter with a camera tries to take a picture of the body but The Rumor destroys the film by telling a lie about the defect in the camera. Spaceboy receives a message that help is needed in Tokyo to defeat a sea serpent. The scene changes to the studio of the Lucifer Clark Show, a late night talk show, with the Murder Magician, accompanied by his assistant, The Assistant. The Murder Magician matter-of-factly admits to killing The Rumor in front of Lucifer Clark and a live studio audience, both of which seem to not take him seriously. The Murder Magician goes on to reveal his Murderbot, which he claims he will to murder people. The audience once again seem to not take him seriously and responds with laughter. The scene changes to Inspector Lupo complaining about the situation in the studio with two police officers, while they await the appearance of the Umbrella Academy. All five members appear, just having teleported from Tokyo. Inspector Lupo explains the situation: the Murder Magician has hypnotized Lucifer Clark and the audience, activated the Murderbot, and demanded ten million dollars and a date with a soap opera actress named Gina Barbeux. Spaceboy instructs Inspector Lupo to keep his men posted outside the studio. The scene changes to the inside of the studio, which is now being destroyed by the Murderbot. The Murder Magician and The Assistant are dancing on stage and Lucifer Clark is in a Dagger Head Box. As the Murder Magician is about to saw Lucifer Clark in half, the Murderbot crashes to the ground. The Umbrella Academy appears and Spaceboy orders the Murder Magician to surrender. The Murderbot’s hand lands on Spaceboy, pressing him into the stage. The Kraken attacks the Murder Magician as The Assistant flees. Spaceboy emerges from the crater lifting the Murderbot’s hand. He orders The Horror to grab the other arm and The Séance to loosen the bolts of the robot. The Horror and Spaceboy each pull a hand, severing the robot’s arms, effectively destroying it. The Rumor seeing The Assistant on the lighting rig lies and tells her that the rig was assembled in a “rush job”. The rig collapses, seemingly killing The Assistant. The Monocle (Sir Reginald Hargreeves) appears in the studio to everyone’s surprise and asks how The Rumor’s body could have been found if she is still alive. Spaceboy explains that The Rumor lied about going to the library after she was found out of the house after midnight. She was actually sneaking out to see her boyfriend. Spaceboy holds up a library card with a picture of The Rumor and the name “Allison Hargreeves AKA The Rumor” and explains that her lie had manifested into another Rumor, which was killed by the Murder Magician. The Monocle commends Spaceboy on his work and states his amazement that he led the Murder Magician to a copy instead of the actual Rumor. The Kraken, enraged, asks The Monocle why he would have told the Murder Magician were to find The Rumor. The Monocle responds by saying, “to teach her a lesson”. The story concludes with The Monocle exiting the studio as he says, “class dismissed”. An editorial note at the end of the story informs the reader that the next installment of the Umbrella Academy some characters “may or may not be living and/or dead”.

[edit] “Safe & Sound”

“Safe & Sound” is an eight-page story published in the first issue of the second volume of Dark Horse Presents in July of 2007. The second volume of Dark Horse Presents (an anthology comic book, which was the first comic ever published by Dark Horse) appears monthly exclusively online on the social networking website MySpace for free. The comic book also features stories for the series Sugarshock! written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by Fábio Moon (Gabriel Bá’s twin brother) and Samurai: Heaven and Earth written by Ron Marz and illustrated by Luke Ross.^[7]

[edit] Plot

The plot summary in this article or section is too long or detailed compared to the rest of the article. Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot.

The story begins with The Kraken on top of a moving car occupied by criminals. The credits on the page say “Safe & Sound / featuring The Kraken / Formerly of the Umbrella Academy”. The cars occupants, a driver, a man in the passenger seat with a Tommy Gun, a Gypsy fortuneteller in the back seat, and a little girl in the back seat are all aware that The Kraken in on top of the vehicle. After The Kraken stabs the top of the car, the fortuneteller, who is holding a green crystal ball, orders the man in the front to shoot The Kraken, who manages to escape injury. When the girl in the back says that she wants to go home, the fortuneteller tells her she can as soon as her father pays the ransom. The Kraken punches the man with the gun through the window, prompting the fortuneteller to order the driver to slam the brakes. The Kraken and the man with the gun are ejected from the car, the latter going through the windshield. The Kraken flies through a window of an unoccupied clothing store. The other occupants in the car exit the vehicle and the fortuneteller produces a cartomancy card that portrays death. The driver than indiscriminately shoots at the clothing store with the Tommy Gun. The Kraken emerges on top of the car (behind the fortuneteller) and demands the release of the girl. She pulls out another cartomancy card with devil. The driver shoots at The Kraken, who jumps towards him and punches him. The knocked-out man falls to the ground. The fortuneteller, still defiant, tells The Kraken not to produce his blade, or else she will drop the green crystal ball, which she claims holds the life of the girl she is holding hostage. She claims that if it drops the girl will die. The Kraken throws his knife at the fortuneteller’s shoulder and she drops the crystal ball, which shatters on the ground. The fortuneteller is in shock to see that the girl is still alive and is surprised by a punch delivered by The Kraken. The next scene shows the fortuneteller being arrested who is hysterically saying that the girl should have died. Inspector Lupo (a character similar to Commissioner Gordon of Batman) thanks The Kraken for saving the mayor’s daughter. The Kraken reaches into the back seat of the fortuneteller’s car and produces a crystal ball, identical the one that was destroyed. He hands in to the Inspector and tells him that it is, “Something important. Take care of it.”

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The official The Umbrella Academy MySpace page
• Pages 11-13 of the first issue
• Pages 1-5 of the second issue
• The Umbrella Academy.net (Spanish)
• The Umbrella Academy Brasil

[edit] Interviews

• Gerard Way: Flexing His Writing Muscles with Umbrella Academy, Comics Bulletin, August 27, 2007
• Gabriel Bá: Shaping Umbrella Academy's Landscape, Comics Bulletin - Gemma Milroy, September 11, 2007
• Gerard Way: Broadening Comics' Audience with Umbrella Academy, Comics Bulletin - Gemma Milroy, November 26, 2007
• The Umbrella Academy: Superhero kids in a class of their own, Sequential Tart, October 1, 2007
• UMBRELLA ACADEMICS: Way & Allie Talk Umbrella Academy #3, Comic Book Resources, November 19, 2007
• Comic Geek Speak: Episode 327 - Gerard Way Interview, Comic Geek Speak, November 16, 2007
• APOCALYPSE SUITE: Way talks Umbrella Academy, Comic Book Resources, April 22, 2008

[edit] Reviews

• Sunday Slugfest - The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite #1 (of 6) Review and #3, Comics Bulletin

[edit] Short stories

• Internet preview
• “Safe & Sound”