In a series renowned for its bizarre and brilliant premise, Umbrella Academy continues to delight fans as more information is revealed about the series’ themes. Now, new details from creator Gerard Way reveal themes for beloved character Luther Hargreeves that were ingrained in the series since the beginning.
Luther Hargreeves, originally known as Number One and best known as Spaceboy, is the leader of the Umbrella Academy and twin brother to Number Five. Spaceboy’s defining character moment was his involvement in a disastrous mission to Mars. In order to ensure his survival Luther’s father performed a life-saving surgery that attached his head to the body of a Martian Ape, giving him all the physical abilities of one. Whether it’s the show or the comics, Umbrella Academy is no stranger to brutal moments featuring beloved characters, but this change’s significance actually fulfilled the DNA of Way’s original theme for the series.
In the trade paperback for Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite, Gerard Way’s design for Spaceboy is featured, with the names ‘Dr. Darwin,’ ‘Evolutionear,’ and ‘Evolucius’ suggested as his nickname. Elsewhere in the anthology, it’s noted that one of the major pitch images – the characters walking in a line – was also intended to reflect ‘the evolution of man.’ Umbrella Academy’s theme of evolution is not wholly unique to its genre, but its focus on individual representations of different stages culminating in the ape-like Luther at the very end is very deliberate. There’s a reason some argue that Netflix’s Luther redesign makes him less sympathetic. The idea of people evolving from one state to another is obvious in key character arcs, but it’s undeniably cool to see the evolution theme shown so literally from the very beginning.
There are many different ways for Way to implement an ‘evolution’ theme, and two main ways were through early character designs and thematic journeys through growth and change. This becomes much more apparent with the reveals of the original designs and names for the characters. Luther’s original name and design were clearly inspired by the idea of evolution, something that perfectly parallels Luther’s origins as Number One. It’s clear that Way was playing with ideas of evolution and change from the beginning. In a way, it makes sense – the characters are, after all, super-powered individuals who are very much outside the norm. But it’s still fascinating to see how this theme has played out in the development of the characters over time.
Ever since Umbrella Academy’s induction Luther Hargreeve’s original names and designs have been a clear reflection of the hidden theme of evolution. While the comic and show Umbrella Academy‘s Luther depiction differs, this core theme is still evident. This fact becomes all the more apparent with Luther’s status as Number One and placement on the evolution roster art from Gabriel Ba. Evolution is something that is still relevant in Umbrella Academy today, and it’s interesting to see how it will play out in future adaptations.
