| Sentry | |
|---|---|
.png) Sentry as depicted inThe Sentry vol. 3 #1 (June 2018). Art byBryan Hitch. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Sentry #1 (2000) |
| Created by | Paul Jenkins (writer) Jae Lee (artist) Rick Veitch |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Robert "Bob" Reynolds |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Team affiliations | Avengers New Avengers Mighty Avengers Dark Avengers Horsemen of Death |
| Notable aliases | List
|
| Abilities | List
|
The Sentry (Robert "Bob"Reynolds) andThe Void are respectively asuperhero andsupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created byPaul Jenkins andJae Lee, with uncredited conceptual contributions byRick Veitch, the characters first appeared inThe Sentry #1 (2000).[1]
Robert "Bob" Reynolds / Sentry and the Void appears in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmThunderbolts* (2025), portrayed byLewis Pullman. He will reprise the role inAvengers: Doomsday (2026).
In the late 1990s, Paul Jenkins and Rick Veitch developed an idea by Jenkins about "an over-the-hill guy, struggling with an addiction, who had a tight relationship with his dog" into a proposal for Marvel Comics'Marvel Knights line. Jenkins conceived of the character as "a guardian type, with a watchtower", and came up with the name "Sentry" (after previously considering "Centurion"). Veitch suggested that the character could be woven into the history of theMarvel Universe, with versions of the character from the 1940s onwards depicted in artistic styles matching the comics of each period.
In the comics, Project: Sentry was launched in 1947, but soon disintegrated into multiple sub-projects with almost zero government control. Professor Cornelius Worth, a project-in-charge, completed the formula 10 years later in New York.[2][3] Veitch also suggested that due to some cataclysmic event, all recollection of the Sentry would have been removed from everyone's memory (including his own). Jenkins and Veitch decided that they would create not only a fictional history for the Sentry within the Marvel Universe, but also a fictional publication history in the real world, complete with imaginary creators ("Juan Pinkles" and "Chick Rivet", anagrams of Jenkins and Veitch's names). Jenkins pitched the concept to Marvel Knights editorJoe Quesada. Quesada decided to commission a miniseries written by Jenkins with art by Jae Lee, with whom Jenkins had previously worked on anInhumans miniseries.[4]
The Sentry was first introduced in his 2000 eponymous Marvel Knights miniseries written by Paul Jenkins with art byJae Lee.[5] The miniseries ran for five issues and then segued directly into a series of flashbackone-shots in which the Sentry teamed up with theFantastic Four,Spider-Man,Angel, and theHulk. These one-shots led toThe Sentry vs. the Void, an additional one-shot that wrapped up the story of the miniseries and one-shots. In 2005, writerBrian Michael Bendis reused the Sentry by making him a member of theNew Avengers. The Sentry played a minor role in the first arc,Breakout (issues #1–6), and was the focus of the second arc,The Sentry (issues #7–10); Jenkins himself was featured as a character in the second one. Also in 2005, the Sentry received another miniseries, written by Jenkins and drawn byJohn Romita Jr., which ran for eight issues. The Sentry appeared inThe Mighty Avengers as a member of that team, and later inDark Avengers in a similar capacity, and as protagonist inThe Age of the Sentry miniseries. He appeared as a regular character in theDark Avengers series from issue #1 (March 2009) until the time of his death in theSiege limited series.
On March 6, 2018, it was announced that the character would be given an ongoing series written byJeff Lemire and with art by Joshua Cassara and Kim Jacinto.[6] The series ended after five issues.
In 2024, a new Sentry miniseries was published. It introduced a new version of Sentry,Mallory Gibbs / Solarus, who gained Robert Reynolds' powers after his death during the "King in Black" event (2020).[7]
Civilian Bob Reynolds remembers that he is Sentry, a superhero whose "power of one million exploding suns" is derived from a special serum.[8][9] Realizing that hisarchenemy the Void is returning, Reynolds seeks out several prominent Marvel characters to warn them and to discover why no one remembers the Sentry.
The characters' memories of the Sentry and the Void resurface when Reynolds talks with them. The Sentry had taughtAngel how to conquer his fear of falling.Peter Parker's photograph of the Sentry earned him aPulitzer Prize and fame.Hulk had never forgotten the Sentry, whom he called "Golden Man". Under the Sentry's influence, Hulk had been a force for good and won the adoration of the public.Mister Fantastic remembered the Sentry was his best friend and that theFantastic Four had teamed up with him on many adventures. Meanwhile, the general public gradually came to remember the Sentry, as did Reynolds' old sidekick, Billy Turner, who was formerly known as the Scout (now scarred and missing a forearm, due to an attack from the Void).
During the course of his investigation, Reynolds andMister Fantastic discover that the Sentry and the Void are two halves of the same person. To save the world, Reynolds erased all memory of the Sentry from the mind of nearly every person on Earth, including himself. When the Void returns and threatens to attack the East Coast of the United States, Reynolds works with Mister Fantastic andDoctor Strange to erase the public's memory of Sentry once more.[10]
Reynolds reappears inside the supervillain prison theRaft, having been voluntarily imprisoned for murdering his wife Lindy Lee. WhenElectro causes a massive jail break at the Raft, Reynolds defends several other characters fromCarnage, whom he flies to space and rips in half.[11]
Eventually, theAvengers learn thatMastermind, under the direction of an enemy of the Sentry known only as the General, implanted a psychic "virus" in Reynolds' mind that impaired his memory. As a cry for help, he subconsciously implanted his memories into the mind of comic book writerPaul Jenkins, who then transferred those memories to comic books. The Avengers track Reynolds down and show him that his wife, who he confessed to murdering, is alive. The Sentry flees, and he finds himself waking up in the small suburban house he shares with Lindy. His appearance has changed in an instant, and he appears to be living the life of an ordinary man.
When the Avengers confront him, Reynolds insists that the Void is coming, who will destroy them all, and that he cannot stop it. The Void arrives, now a separate entity from Reynolds, and attacks the Avengers.Emma Frost frees Reynolds from the virus and restore his memories, and the Sentry joins the Avengers. Sentry's Watchtower appears atopStark Tower, where it had previous been hidden from view.[12]
Unable to reconcile that he, Robert Reynolds, and the Void are the same being, the Sentry confronts his psychiatrist, Cornelius Worth, and begins switching rapidly between his personalities. The Sentry explains that neither he, nor the Void, represent the entirety of Robert Reynolds, as the two do not share memories. Sentry reveals that Reynolds gained his powers as a teenager after stealing a serum that was developed in a failed attempt to recreate the super-soldier serum that createdCaptain America, intending to use it as a drug. The Sentry then bids Worth farewell, telling him that he will seek out help to answer his existential questions.[13]
The Void claims that the serum Reynolds ingested was several times more powerful than the super-soldier serum. He was considered dangerous by the government because his blood could be used to create more of the serum, enough for the entire world. Several failed attempts were made to kill him. Enraged by this revelation, the Sentry throws the Void into the Sun, telling his enemy that he no longer needs him to balance his own actions of good. The Void promises to return.[14]
The Sentry is recruited byIron Man to join theMighty Avengers, the newest incarnation of the Avengers. While at first there is some dispute between the Sentry and Lindy, Robert joins the team while Iron Man andMs. Marvel offer him assistance to treat his mental illness.[15] AfterUltron kills his wife Lindy, Sentry flies into a rage and attack him. He returns to his Watchtower to find Lindy alive, having apparently resurrected her himself.[16]
Sentry joins theDark Avengers,Norman Osborn's team of Avengers, stating that Osborn is helping him in return after Osborn confides his own mental deficiency in him.[17] However, the Void resurfaces and takes control of Robert Reynolds' body. Osborn flies to the Void, claiming that he was breaking their "deal", and hasBullseye murder Lindy Lee.[18]
During the 2010 storyline "Siege", Sentry is pitted against the Avengers and others who rebel against Osborn. At Osborn's request, the Sentry destroysAsgard. The Void then takes complete control of Sentry and killsAres.[19][20] After defeating the entire Avengers contingent, Sentry is eventually reverted to human form. He asks to be killed; following a brief outburst from the Void, his wish is granted byThor.[21] Thor carries Reynolds' body to the sun and cremates him there.
The Sentry is later resurrected by theApocalypse Twins, who use aCelestial Death Seed to transform him into a member of their newHorsemen of Death.[22] The Sentry claims he became trapped in the sun after his death, dying and regenerating repeatedly, and that the Void became bored and left him.
It is later revealed that Doctor Strange created a pocket dimension where Robert Reynolds can fight the Void with Scout and hisCorgi Watchdog, preventing the Void from controlling him in the real world. Unbeknownst to him, Billy has allied with Cranio, one of Sentry's oldest enemies, to duplicate the Sentry formula and trap Robert Reynolds in the pocket dimension, allowing Billy to become the new Sentry. Scout battles Reynolds, but is defeated and killed when Reynolds decides to stop fighting the Void and merge with him. The merged Sentry easily kills Scout, then removes Cranio from the pocket dimension. When the Avengers confront him, Sentry leaves for space.[23]
During the "King in Black" storyline, Sentry is summoned by the Avengers to fightKnull. He attempts to fly Knull into space, as he had done toCarnage, only for Knull to break free, kill Sentry by tearing him in half, and absorb the Void.[24]
Sentry's corpse is reassembled and used by Director None and the Blasphemy Cartel to house 100 million ghosts intent on destroying Stephen andClea Strange. The pair break the spell keeping the ghosts contained. Sentry's corpse explodes from the force of the ghosts' release.[25]
Mallory Gibbs and five other civilians acquire Sentry's powers, with Mallory later absorbing the powers into herself. She agrees to be arrested byMisty Knight until she can control her powers. Once she controls her powers, she decides to go by the new monikerSolarus.[26]
The Sentry's powers derive from a variant of the Super-Soldier Serum that "moves hismolecules an instant ahead of the current timeline."[27][28]
Sentry's exact abilities and their limits are unknown. He is shown to possess immense strength,[29][30][31] durability,[32][33][34] speed,[35] and senses. He can absorb and project vast amounts of energy,[36] capable of harming even the Hulk. The Sentry has also demonstrated the ability to teleport himself in a blinding flash of light, and fly at vast supersonic speeds.[37]
Robert Reynolds projects an entity as a dark side effect of his powers.[38] It has been claimed that for every benevolent act the Sentry performs, the Void corresponds with attempting an act of malevolence. The Void possesses several abilities that the Sentry does not, including the ability to create destructive storms and tendrils that attack the mind and force others to experience visions of the past and future.[citation needed]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Sentry #1 was the 31st best selling comic book in July 2000.[50]
David Harth ofCBR.com ranked theSentry comic book series 10th in their "10 Best Things About Marvel Comics From The 2000s," writing, "The Sentry told the story of the forgotten hero, a story about a man with too much power wrestling with his own demons and hidden history as one of Marvel's greatest superheroes. It was a great way to kick off the decade for the publisher."[51] Rosie Knight ofNerdist included theSentry comic book series in their "8 Must-Read Marvel Knights Stories," asserting, "This meta-text on superheroes fromThe Inhumans‘ Jae Lee and Paul Jenkins is one of the more unique takes that Marvel Knights had to offer, focusing on a middle aged man named Bob Reynolds who one day remembers he is in fact a hero named Sentry. This miniseries follows Bob as he attempts to warn other Marvel characters about the return of his foe, whilst also figuring out why no one can remember his superhero alter-ego. If you're not aware of the Sentry, then the big reveal here will be a real gut punch as Lee and Jenkins create a seminalSentry story in just five issues."[52]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Sentry #1 was the 17th best selling comic book in September 2005.[53][54][55]Sentry #2 was the 30th best selling comic book in October 2005.[56][57][58]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Sentry #1 was the 63rd best selling comic book in June 2018.[59][60][61]
Joshua Davison ofBleeding Cool wrote, "Sentry #1 is another excellent self-conscious superhero title from Jeff Lemire, and it does so without going fully meta, which is an overused tactic in modern comics. The story is compelling, and Bob Reynolds is made to be an interesting character to follow. This one gets a recommendation. Give it a read."[62] Adam Barnhardt ofComicBook.com gaveSentry #1 a grade of 5 out of 5, saying, "Lemire's ability to write the internal conflicts his protagonists face is second to none and after his iconic run onMoon Knight, a comic with Robert Reynolds was a long time coming. He's able to craft tales where the readers struggle to separate fact and fiction, yet everything eventually falls into place, and that's exactly the type of writer a character like Robert Reynolds needs. Lemire and The Sentry are a match made in heaven."[63]
A zombified alternate universe version of Sentry from Earth-295 appears inAge of Apocalypse as a member of the Black Legion.[64]
An alternate universe version of Sentry appears inAge of Sentry.[65]
An alternate universe version of Sentry who was killed byDeadpool makes a minor appearance inDeadpool: Killustrated.[66]
An alternate universe version of Robert Reynolds from Earth-58163 makes a minor appearance inHouse of M.[67]
A zombified alternate universe version of Sentry appears inMarvel Zombies. He is thepatient zero of the zombie virus, having been infected by his future self via apredestination paradox.[68][69][70][71]
Alternate universe variants of the Sentry appear inWhat If:
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sentry | Sentry (vol. 1) #1–5,Sentry: Fantastic Four;Sentry: Hulk;Sentry: Spider-Man,Sentry: X-Men andSentry Vs Void | December 1, 2001 | 978-0785107996 |
| The Sentry: Reborn | Sentry (vol. 2) #1–8 | August 23, 2006 | 978-0785117070 |
| Age of Sentry | Age of Sentry #1–6 | June 3, 2009 | 978-0785135203 |
| Sentry: Man of Two Worlds | Sentry (vol. 3) #1–5 | December 19, 2018 | 978-1302913380 |
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