The Commission Handlers
The unseen guardians policing the fabric of time to prevent catastrophic paradoxes.
The Commission Handlers serve as the enforcers and field operatives for the Commission, a shadowy intertemporal organization dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the space-time continuum. Unlike the Umbrella Academy members who were recruited by Sir Reginald Hargreeves, these agents are recruited from various time periods and may possess innate powers—such as Number Five's ability to teleport—in addition to relying on Commission-issued technology. They act as the Commission's eyes and hands, tasked with monitoring history, eliminating threats to the timeline, and retrieving wayward time travelers.
- Affiliation
- The Commission
- Primary Function
- Temporal Enforcement and Surveillance
- Base of Operations
- The Hotel (Commission Headquarters)
- Status
- Active throughout multiple timelines
- Notable Members
- Number Five (former field agent/assassin), The Handler (Ms. Handler)
- Weaponry
- Time-locked firearms, specialized gadgets
Lore & Background
The relationship between Handlers and the Umbrella Academy is complex and often adversarial. While both groups deal with superpowers and global crises, their methods differ vastly: the Academy acts on instinct and personal bonds, whereas Handlers follow strict protocol dictated by the Commission's algorithms. A central figure in this dynamic was Number Five, who jumped to a post-apocalyptic future as a child, remained in a child's body after returning, and served as a field agent/assassin for the Commission during that time before his escape back to 2019, revealing that he had once been one of them. This history highlights the brutal reality of their world: even those with immense power can be conscripted into the Commission's service, forced to serve as the ultimate arbiters of time until they break or are discarded.
In Their Own Story
The rain in 1960s London tasted like copper and old secrets. The Handler adjusted her collar, checking the chronometer on her wrist; it was already three seconds off from the official timeline. 'Target acquired,' she whispered into her comms, her voice steady despite the chaos unfolding around them. A young man with a strange coat stumbled out of an alleyway, bleeding from a wound that hadn't existed a moment ago. She didn't hesitate. The Commission's rules were clear: anomalies must be pruned before they bloom into catastrophes. As she raised her weapon, the air shimmered, and for a split second, she saw not just one future, but a thousand branching paths where this man could destroy everything. 'Sorry,' she murmured, pulling the trigger.
Reader's Guide
The mission of the Commission Handlers is singular: to ensure the timeline remains unbroken by hunting down temporal anomalies and neutralizing threats before they can alter history. They operate under a strict hierarchy led by the Commission itself, an entity that exists outside of linear time. While specific leadership names are often obscured, their authority is absolute within the organization's jurisdiction. Membership in the Handler ranks is not open to the public; agents are either born with unique abilities or selected from existing super-powered individuals who have been deemed necessary for temporal enforcement. Notable figures include Number Five, who served as a Handler for over sixty years before defecting, and various unnamed agents who assist him during his return to the Academy. Their relationship with the Umbrella Academy is fraught with tension. Initially, they view the siblings as loose cannons threatening the timeline's stability. However, as the series progresses, this dynamic shifts from pure antagonism to a reluctant alliance when larger threats, such as the apocalypse or the Kugelblitz, endanger all of reality. Handlers often serve as both obstacles and guides for the Academy, forcing them to confront the consequences of their actions across time.
Did You Know?
- Number Five jumped to a post-apocalyptic future as a child, remained in a child's body after returning, and served as a field agent/assassin for the Commission during that time.
- Handlers are equipped with technology that allows them to track individuals through different points in history instantly.
- The Commission operates out of a mysterious hotel that exists outside of normal time and space, serving as their central hub.
- The Handler (Ms. Handler) is a named, high-ranking Commission official, not an unnamed field operative, and some Handlers—like Number Five—possess innate powers rather than relying solely on Commission technology.