WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for You Look Like Death: Tales from the Umbrella Academy #3 by Gerard Way, Shaun Simon, I.N.J. Culbard and Nate Piekos of Blambot, on sale now.
One of the most intriguing moments in The Umbrella Academy series is when Klaus went to Heaven and met God. In the Dallas comic, God was a rude cowboy who sent him back to Earth to stop Hazel and Cha Cha. In the Netflix series, the deity was a young girl on a bicycle who sent him to meet Reginald Hargreeves to learn about his dad's suicide.
However, fans have often wondered why Klaus would ever be invited to meet with the Creator given his history of bad behavior and how he endangered his siblings. And now, that mystery may have been solved in Tales from The Umbrella Academy: You Look Like Death #3.
In this prequel to Apocalypse Suite that explores Klaus' tormented past, Klaus is in Hollywood, following his worst impulses to Hollywood. There, he's staying with Viv, a washed-up, older actor who he's given new life to by channeling ghosts into her. Now, she's actually winning roles again as she imitates dead stars. But a key part of this journey has been Klaus overdosing and visiting the Void where he's been bonding in a cafe with a man, Lyle.
Lyle is a writer who neglected his family and that's considered a sin in this realm. In this Purgatory, Lyle is met by what seems to be a lawyer, and she keeps trying to find something nice he did, whether it's tucking the kids in or saving animals, all so she could present his case. Lyle's trial is due soon, and he'll either go up into Heaven or down into Hell. Admittedly, it's cruel because Lyle isn't a bad person, he just hasn't done much good as he was obsessed with his novel and deemed his family unworthy of his time.
When Klaus once more visits the Void after losing consciousness back home, he's seen comforting Lyle again. Klaus shows selflessness, empathy, compassion and warmth he didn't even offer his family. It's a thank-you for Lyle listening to Klaus' problems, and this act of kindness in Purgatory may well be why Klaus was allowed to enter Heaven. The angelic lawyer is most likely taking notes and we can even see Klaus being called to the stand to vouch for a regretful Lyle.
Klaus is objective and as a neutral voice, hearing him speak about Lyle's inherent goodness to a judge could go a long way towards accumulating karma points of his own. This, in and of itself, acts as a pre-trial for Klaus, testing his character and laying a foundation for whether or not God wants to entertain someone with so many skeletons in the closet.