The Umbrella Academy Theory: Harlan Is The 43 Kids’ Superpower Source

Could Harlan Cooper (Justin Paul Kelly) be the source of all superpowers in The Umbrella Academy? One of the biggest unanswered questions in the series is how 43 children across the world came to be born with extraordinary abilities. And Harlan’s accidental acquisition of his powers in the 1960s suggests a possible cause for the 21st century phenomenon.

Harlan, an autistic preteen raised in the oppressive suburbia of 1960s Dallas, Texas, first encounters the supernatural when Vanya Hargreeves (Ellen Page) travels back in time. As one of the seven members of the Umbrella Academy, Vanya has powers that go way beyond the norm. In season 2, that difference takes on another dimension after a tragic accident in which Harlan nearly drowns that leads to Vanya unintentionally transferring some of her power to the boy during CPR. He’s then given the ability to affect the world around him based on his emotions and mental state, much like Vanya, and exhibits little control.

At the end of season 2 of The Umbrella Academy, it’s revealed that Harlan retains some of this power, even after Vanya seemingly reverses the process and travels back to the future. Harlan’s ability to levitate objects could be a seed planted in the timeline — a small sprout that will eventually grow to affect dozens of other people. While the scope of Harlan’s powers is unknown, the fact that he acquires them 26 years before the members of the Umbrella Academy are born may explain how the academy was created in the first place.

The Umbrella Academy Hasn’t Yet Answered The First Big Mystery

The Umbrella Academy was formed by eccentric billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) after he took an interest in 43 children who were all born at the same time on Oct, 1, 1989. The extraordinary fact about these births is that none of the mothers of the children had been pregnant when the day first began. This mystery is the foundation of the Umbrella Academy and has yet to be directly addressed in the show.

In season 2, it was revealed that all 43 of the children born likely had superpowers, beyond the seven who were adopted and trained by Hargreeves. The introduction of Lila (Ritu Arya), who appears to control all the powers of the Umbrella Academy, suggests that there are up to 35 more children out there who all have otherworldly abilities. This solidifies the connection between the children, raising questions about exactly what they can do, why their powers are what they are, and how they came to be born.

Season 2 Showed That Powers Can Be Transferred

The powers of the children in The Umbrella Academy seem relatively straightforward in season 1. Each child was born with a unique ability that they can use at will, whether that’s to fight crime or rise in the ranks of society. But season 2 showed that those powers may be far more malleable than initially suspected. Not only do the central members of the Umbrella Academy each seem to show nuanced changes to their powers (that could be put down to evolutionary changes) but there is an even more fundamental change in regard to how powers can be passed on.

When Vanya revives Harlan, she demonstrates that powers can be transferred from person to person. The conditions necessary for a transfer of power are unknown, but could depend on the relationship between two people (Vanya has a close relationship with Harlan and a motherly affection for him), one person’s potential for power (Harlan is autistic, which could make him more open to a power transfer), or the circumstances of the transfer (Harlan was technically dead before being resuscitated by Vanya). Whatever the intricacies, the fact that powers can pass from one person to another is an intriguing, enlightening new development.

When Harlan is revived, not only does he gain temporary access to Vanya’s powers, but the transfer also seemingly alters him permanently. Crucially, the effect of Vanya’s power on Harlan hints at the ability to make enduring genetic changes that could explain the show’s big mystery. The connection between the 43 children could be at that genetic level and it could be that Harlan had some relationship or encounter with the 43 mothers and later triggered their births with a power surge.

Harlan’s Volatility And Powers Is A Dangerous Mix

One thing The Umbrella Academy has proved over and over again is that using superpowers can have unintended consequences. The fallout from even a small use of power can be enormous. Vanya’s struggle to control her powers in seasons 1 and 2 of the Umbrella Academy has resulted in murder, global catastrophe and even nuclear war. Eventually, Vanya is able to get a handle on her abilities, but not before facing her own mental and emotional issues.

Harlan’s autism makes him even more unpredictable. His sensitivity to the world and difficulty communicating could make him more prone to lashing out with his power in response to his emotions as the season 2 climax foreshadowed. The traumatic death of his father and the added stress of a kidnapping attempt could actually lead to Harlan being the villain of The Umbrella Academy season 3. It’s also difficult to imagine that his power will continue to go unnoticed. Could Harlan’s shaky control result in an unintentional transfer of power on a larger scale? Or perhaps a tragic accident that is the key to the creation of the 43 children?

Vanya “Always Being The Bomb” Actually Means She Is The Root

The apocalypse isn’t an infrequent occurrence in the Umbrella Academy, but historically, the cause is always the same — Vanya. Twice before, Vanya’s powers have spun out of control and resulted in explosions of power that have a cascading effect, triggering disasters that eventually wipe out humanity. In both seasons 1 and 2, all roads seem to lead back to Vanya.

Could that be the case in season 3 as well? The audience is used to fireworks from the seventh member of the Umbrella Academy, but her influence over worldwide events could be even more pervasive. Whenever Vanya touches down in the timeline, she seems to create a ripple effect of disaster. Vanya’s transfer of powers to Harlan could have the same outcome, triggering the creation of superheroes that have too much power, eventually destroying the world. It’s a classic time loop — Vanya creates Harlan, who creates Vanya, who creates Harlan – and The Umbrella Academy season 3 could explore this in greater detail.

About The Author

Jasmine Gallup
(115 Articles Published)

Jasmine Gallup is a writer for ScreenRant, covering fantasy, science fiction and superheroes. She’s worked as a freelance reporter since 2018.

By day, Jasmine writes for a small North Carolina newspaper near her hometown of Cary. By night, she explores the depths of film and television alongside her twin sister.

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