Sparrow Academy: The Umbrella Academy’s new friend or foe?
It feels like it was only yesterday. It was July and the middle of a global crisis when Netflix‘s The Umbrella Academy Season 2 came swooping in to save the day. Now, we apparently are still in crisis. But luckily The Umbrella Academy will return and help take our minds off things. They didn’t come alone though. For Season 3, they’re bringing the Sparrow Academy with them. Who might they be, you ask. Are they the new baddies? Are they some sort of long lost family? Let’s find out.
The Umbrella Academy
In case you didn’t known yet, The Umbrella Academy TV show is based on an American comic book series. The books are illustrated by Gabriel Bá. It’s the brainchild of former My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way. It was first published by Dark Horse Comics in 2007.
In the books, the Sparrow Academy is another superhero team based in Norway. They’re from the same batch of kids who were all born at the same time on the 1st of October, 1989. They’re affiliated with Mom (Grace in the Netflix show), who’s the Umbrella Academy‘s primary caregiver and adoptive mother.
They were first introduced during the 2017-2018. It’s the arch called The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion. In that mini-series, they consider the Hargreeves children as their family.
Unfortunately, little is still known about the identities of the Sparrow members. The next comic installment, which will be aptly called The Umbrella Academy: Sparrow Academy isn’t released yet. The continuation to the story was only confirmed by Way last July 2020.
In The Comics
With the limited page appearances that the Sparrow Academy has in the books, there’s just too little to go by. Aside from knowing that there are 7 of them and that they’re numerically named too, we only see the members in a few panels. Clad mostly in red, black, and silver, the Sparrows appear just in time to save their Umbrella counterparts.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics
Courtesy of Dark Horse ComicsLuckily, we get to see 5 out of the 7 using their powers in the comics. Moreover, we only get to know the names of two of members too — one is Number One.
Just like Luther Hargreeves, this Number One looks like he possesses incredible strength. But unlike Luthor, he doesn’t have an ape for a body as a result of a science experiment.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics
Courtesy of Dark Horse ComicsThe other name Sparrow is Carla. Her power? She’s able to make Vanya Hargreeves walk again after being paralyzed the waist down. How? She just said so. Could she have the same powers as Allison Hargreeves — to be able to push/make people do as what she says? It appears so, but it seems Carla’s is a reality-warping kind.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics
Courtesy of Dark Horse ComicsThe one in a blue sweatshirt is unnamed, but it appears that they can emit a black plasma-looking blast from their mouth.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics
Courtesy of Dark Horse ComicsAnother unnamed character is the one in the trench coat. She can turn into what seems to be a quarrel of sparrows or a murder of crows.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics
Courtesy of Dark Horse ComicsThe odd-looking one looks bloody wicked. As a living voodoo doll, what they do to themselves, they can project to several others simultaneously.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics
Courtesy of Dark Horse ComicsThe two other Sparrows are’t named — a blonde mascular woman and a floating green box.
On Netflix
Courtesy of Netflix
Courtesy of NetflixThe TV series has definitely strayed away from its comic book origins since the 1st season. For the Sparrows, they only show up as a result of an altered timeline in the last scene of season 2. Moreover, the new season of The Umbrella Academy is definitely a hotbed for potential shockers, and we’re going into unknown territory this time.
Don’t worry, though! Netflix just dropped the bomb and made the cast Facebook-official. Here’s what we know about them so far:
SPARROW NUMBER ONE
Courtesy of Netflix’s Jingle Jangle
Courtesy of Netflix’s Jingle JangleAKA Marcus
PLAYED BY: Justin Cornwell
WHERE WE’VE SEEN HIM: Justin is an actor, writer, and musician. We last saw him singing “This Day” as the young Jeronicus Jangle in the 2020 Netflix original Christmas movie Jingle Jangle.
Both charming and chiseled, Sparrow #1 is a colossus that can outmatch even the strong Luthor. He’s honest, virtuous, and demanding. Like a good leader, he keeps the family together. He’s graceful but lethal, and calculated but compassionate. He doesn’t need to raise his voice just to prove a point. He’s the brawns and the brains of this operation.
SPARROW NUMBER TWO
Courtesy of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy
Courtesy of Netflix’s The Umbrella AcademyAKA Ben
PLAYED BY: Justin H. Min
WHERE WE’VE SEEN HIM: The first Justin in the show, he plays the Umbrella Ben, who died in the events before the first season. In season two, he crossed the light after fulfilling his final mission with his family.
This isn’t your mommy’s sweet (but dead) little Benny that we’ve come to know and love. Sparrow #2 is a scheming tactician, wrapped up in a pretty boy’s body. Vicious, pragmatic, and hyper-vigilant— this Ben is determined to gain his status as the team’s leader at all costs.
SPARROW NUMBER THREE
Courtesy of CW’s The Flash
Courtesy of CW’s The FlashAKA Fei
PLAYED BY: Britne Oldford
WHERE WE’VE SEEN HER: Britne is a film and television actress. She played Cadie Campbell in Skins, Peak-a-boo in CW‘s The Flash series, and Regan in Hunters.
Swallow #3 sees the world in a special way. She comes across as someone who doesn’t like people or any human interaction at all. She’d rather spend time being alone than be with anyone. But underneath her misanthropic demeanor, she just wants to have a friend. She’s the smartest person in the room, and she won’t stop until she gets the job done.
SPARROW NUMBER FOUR
Courtesy of The Family Channel’s Degrassi: The Next Class
Courtesy of The Family Channel’s Degrassi: The Next ClassAKA Alphonso
PLAYED BY: Jake Epstein
WHERE WE’VE SEEN HIM: Jake is an actor and a singer. He played Craig Manning in Degrassi, Chuck Russink in Designated Survivor, and Brian Altman in Suits.
Years of crime fighting have left Sparrow #4‘s face and body with countless of scars. To compensate, Alphonso arms himself with a sarcastic and biting sense of humor. The only thing he likes better than verbally battering anyone foolish enough to get in his face, is some pizza and a six-pack of beer.
SPARROW NUMBER FIVE
Courtesy of ScreenSlam
Courtesy of ScreenSlamAKA Sloane
PLAYED BY: Genesis Rodriguez
WHERE WE’VE SEEN HER: Genesis is a model and an actress, who started out doing lead telenovela roles. She co-starred with Paul Walker in Hours. She also played Sarah in Entourage. Her most notable roles include being the voice actors for Perfuma in She-Ra and the Princess of Power and Honey Lemon in both the Big Hero 6 movie and series.
Swallow #5 is a romantic and a dreamer. She feels that a higher cosmic power is calling her to see the world and experience a life beyond her upbringing. But obligations to her family keep her tethered to the Academy, as does her fear of crossing the family line. But she does have plans, and she might just be brave enough to act on them one day.
SPARROW NUMBER SIX
Courtesy of Vogue
Courtesy of VogueAKA Jayme
PLAYED BY: Cazzie David
WHERE WE’VE SEEN HER: Cazzie is a creator, actress, and NY Times best-selling author. She’s a columnist and has even written for Vanity Fair, the Holywood Reporter, Glamour, InStyle, and Vogue.
Swallow #6 is a loner hidden under a hoodie. Although, she doesn’t say much. It’s because she doesn’t have to. Jayme has a fear-inducing snarl. Catch a glimpse of it, and you’ll run across the street to avoid what follows. Smart and sharp as a knife, she spends most of her time hanging with Alphonso, her only friend.
SWALLOW #7
Courtesy of Netlfix
Courtesy of NetlfixAKA Christopher
WHAT IS IT: He’s 6 sides of floating existential dread
Swallow #7 is a telekinetic cube. With an origins unknown, he can turn the room freezing cold and induce paralyzing fear. He’s basically a dementor in a box taken directly from Snyder’s Justice League. He acts as the Sparrows’ consulted oracle who hands out incredible advice. He most of the time serves as the family mediator. He’s trustworthy, loyal, and treated by the Sparrows like any other sibling. Christopher is a force to be reckoned with.
Season 3 for The Umbrella Academy is slowly taking shape. It’s definitely different than its source material, but it’s also one for the books. With the coming of the Sparrow Academy, we can’t help but wonder if they’re really on the Hargreeves‘ side like in the comics.
This much addition to the cast will also certainly bring some serious drama, and you can’t blame us if we’re hoping for a showdown. Importanly, could there really be a bigger problem lurking in the horizon? With this number of superpowered beings in one show, anythings’s a possibility. Only time will tell now. Could Number Five possibly take us forward in time now?
Stay tuned for The Umbrella Academy Season 3 on Netflix, the world’s leading on-demand video streaming platform, this 2021. It will have 10 episodes.
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All GIFs used in this article were made from giphy.com, with clips taken from various sources.
The featured image is courtesy of Netflix.
