The Umbrella Academy is a Netflix original series based on a graphic novel that follows the Hargreeves, a group of siblings with superpowers as they try to stop the apocalypse. One of the siblings, Allison, has been known to be the heart of the family, constantly focusing on keeping her family together and safe by any means necessary. Allison also happens to have the power to influence the world around her by simply speaking the phrase “I heard a rumor” before telling her targets whatever she wants to happen. This sort of reality bending power along with Allison’s immense love for her family gives Allison a multitude of connections to a similar comic book character, Scarlet Witch.
The recently released third season followed Allison and her brothers returning to their time after being accidentally scattered throughout the 1960s, where certain actions of theirs altered the timeline and changed their version of the present day. One such consequence of the change in the timeline is that the children of the Umbrella Academy were never born. And while Allison’s first thought when she got back to the present day was to check up on Claire, the sad truth is that her daughter had not been born in this reality. However, manipulating reality is at the core of Allison’s power as well as Scarlet Witch’s.
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff falls to the temptation of dark, reality warping powers in order to get to a reality where her twin sons were alive and well. Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch, was resolute in her mission to get back to her twins and given enough reason it is easy to see how anyone with that kind of power could come to the same conclusion for someone they loved. And while it caused a shift in her characterization, Allison seems to be going down the same path, utilizing her power for darker purposes.
Throughout the seasons, Allison has been shown to have a rocky relationship with her power. The many rumors she has used to mold her life in the way she wanted has made the power seem more like a seductive monster than heroic aid. Allison’s tumultuous past with her power often causes her to refrain from using it unless in dire circumstances or when her family is in danger. And the recent season saw the family in great danger.
The third season of the show featured the Umbrella Academy going up against superpowered individuals just like them. However, with Claire gone Allison goes through a storyline akin to Scarlet Witch’s where her grief causes her to act differently then she would normally; fierce and aggressive. In the end of season three Allison is given an extraordinary chance to change things and rearranges reality the effects of which will no doubt be explored in season four.
While the similarities in powers and motivations are evident, Allison, thankfully, has something that Scarlet Witch didn’t, a family. Allison’s support system in the form of her brothers could be what keeps her from sliding into even darker actions, though some of her siblings are better influences than others. Season three of The Umbrella Academy brought many twists and turns within the lives of the super siblings but hopefully for Allison, the road they have traveled has led her to reunite with her beloved daughter.
The Umbrella Academy Season 3 is available to stream on Netflix.