How The Umbrella Academy Handles Superpowers Differently
It's no secret that the superhero genre is a bit oversaturated in the modern era, from TV to cinema and beyond. With a single idea getting so much exposure from so many unique creators, a fascinating new spin on the concept breaks the surface and stands out.
Season 3 of Steve Blackman and Jeremy Slater's adaptation of Gerard Way's cult hit comic book series The Umbrella Academy is out on Netflix now. The chaotic time-hopping adventure does what it's always done best: cleverly blending superhero action with dysfunctional family drama to create something moving and exciting. One of the interesting side effects of those two central ideas is that the superpowers of the series are often portrayed as symptoms, effects, or even causes of dysfunction.
The Umbrella Academy Season 3 Review
Seven siblings each possess their unique superhuman gifts, all of which are rendered tragically broken by an abusive and neglectful father figure. Much like their superpowers, every member of the Hargreeves family has a radically different way of dealing with their trauma. Unlike a lot of superpowered teams, very little effort is spent making each member seem like an equal participant in the act of heroics. Some members of the Academy are so powerful that they need to hold back to be fair to the competition. The same is true of each member's psychological health. To differing degrees, each member of the group's powers reflects and influences their trauma response and resulting neurodivergence.
The most obvious example of this storytelling element belongs to Klaus. Number four's powers got a pretty substantial rewrite between the comic and the series, leaving him easily the weakest of the team in the first two seasons. In combat, he's utterly
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