Sentry (comics)
Encyclopedia
Sentry is the codename of several unrelated fictional character
s of the Marvel Universe
. Currently, the most prominent Sentry is Robert Reynolds
, appearing in Marvel's New Avengers and Mighty Avengers titles, and the subject of two limited series
.
, a large android placed on Earth by the alien race The Kree
, later discovered by the Fantastic Four
. Other models of the Sentry robot later appeared in issues of various comics series.
was a Guardsman
at the Vault
, a prison for super powered criminals. While there Curtis befriended Hugh Taylor, a new Guardsman fresh out of the Army
. Curtis left the Vault sometime after Hugh was murdered by Venom
during an escape.
After that, Curtis and a few of his fellow Guardsmen joined The Jury
, an agency organized by General Orwell Taylor
. Their purpose was to track down and destroy Venom. To that end many of them were armed with sonic and fire generating weapons to which the alien symbiote was vulnerable. After the death of Orwell, the firm was reformed by his older son Maxwell to fit the principles of civil rights and the legal court system. It was in fact a change done in accordance with Curtis' personal ideology of law and order. At a final fight with Hybrid, he was seriously injured, not only by physical damage, but also by mental contact with the symbiotes.
Almost all of his later team members were his colleagues from the Vault, either those involved in the riot, or those involved in the Guardsmen at other times. They include Screech
(Maxwell Taylor), Ramshot
(Samuel Caulkin), Bomblast
(first name unknown, last name Parmenter), Firearm
(unknown) and Wysper
(Jennifer Stewart).
His former enemy Scott Washington aka Hybrid was also a Guardsman in the Vault.
in one of their fights. He has flight technology made differently from the others, with a ramjet propulsion mini engine installed into his boots. His whole costume is a green-brown color while his partners' are "standard" Guardsmen colors. He has a powerful energy gun. There's a lock-pick tool kit inside his right glove.
vol. 2 #4 (April 1999), with frequent appearances in this and the concurrent The Amazing Spider-Man
title throughout Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2 #24. Mysterious and seemingly up to no good, Ward lurked behind the scenes of the title until he ran afoul of Dr. Octopus and the Sinister Six
. Ward reappeared a few issues later, and his backstory and connections to Spider-Man ally Arthur Stacy and the mysterious Ranger were revealed in a storyline running Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2. A former S.H.I.E.L.D.
agent operating as Sentry, Ward was as a double agent for Z'Nox aliens, who used Ward to aid in an invasion of Earth. Years later, as Z'Nox aliens found themselves on Earth during a brief period when it was designated an intergalactic prison, Ward was infected by Z'Nox lifeform, mutating him into a half-human/half-alien being. Ranger subsequently sacrificed himself to destroy Ward.
first appeared in his own Marvel Knights
limited series
(September 2000), in which he was marketed as a forgotten creation of Stan Lee
, a falsehood that was eventually revealed to be a marketing ploy. Robert Reynolds has been retcon
ned into having existed inside the Marvel Universe
since its creation, but the public forgot about him when it was revealed his subconscious creates a deadly counterpart, the Void. His popularity not diminished, he became a member of the Avengers
and has been the subject of a several other limited series.
Robert "Bob" Reynolds is said to have the power of a million exploding suns. And his power is not limited to any one capability, nor to only his conscious mind. His powers are also said to be virtually limitless as seen in the Dark Avengers
when he is killed by Morgan le Fay
and then somehow rematerializes in front of the Avengers team back at their HQ. It is also mentioned in the Dark Avengers issues that the Sentry no longer requires most human necessities. He can super-heat his entire body, sterilizing it so he doesn't need to shower, and his digestive system also produces enough nutrients that he doesn't require food or drink. In Siege #2 he is shown to be strong enough to kill the War god Ares
. He has flown to the Sun within minutes and survived its heat. Apparently he got his powers from an enhanced version of the Super-Soldier Serum that created Captain America. In Siege #4 he is killed by a lightning strike from Thor after the Void is fully released. Thor then wraps his remains in a cape and disposes of them in the Sun.
Val, first appeared in Spaceknights
#1 (October, 2000) and was created by Jim Starlin
and Chris Batista
. He is a defender Spaceknight and is a warrant officer of the flagship of the Galadorian army. He was wounded during an assault by the Trionians, who killed the Prime Director, the first man of the Galadorian nation and its fleet sent on a mission to stop ethnic cleansing in their Universe.
, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s private version of the Hubble Space Telescope
is called Sentry. It is used for detailed imaging within the Solar System and was the first to detect Gah Lak Tus when it appeared over the Great Red Spot of Jupiter
.
During the second Sentry mini-series, when the Sentry begins to tell his origin, a false comic-book cover appears that reads Ultimate Sentry, which shows the Robert Reynolds version of the Sentry. This false cover also states that it was created by Brian Michael Bendis
and drawn by Mark Bagley
, a reference to their Ultimate Spider-Man
series.
. This Sentry is the source of the infection in Marvel Zombies
. He is never called by name, and is only identifiable by his costume. Other aspects of his appearance are more reminiscent of Superman
including short, spitcurled hair rather than the Earth-616
Sentry's long hair. The zombie Sentry is also missing a patch of his uniform roughly in the shape and location of Superman's "S" shield due to Ash shooting him in the first issue of the prequel miniseries Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
. Originally, the source of the infection was intended to be a zombie version of Superman, hence the similarities. However, due to copyright issues, tradmarked names and images such as Superman's logo had to be omitted.
Some reprints of Marvel Zombies
have altered artwork to remove these similarities.
The zombie Sentry isn't seen again after infecting the Avengers
shortly after his arrival. His fate is not revealed.
In Marvel Zombies Return
, it is revealed that Sentry from Earth-Z is the original host seen in Ultimate Fantastic Four #21. After being bitten by a contaminated Hulk, the Earth-Z Sentry is trapped by Giant-Man in order to power up the Multidimensional Device owned by Uatu (the Watcher) in the Blue Area of the Moon. After Spider-Man releases Sand-Man with nanobots that destroy all zombies present (except for the Sentry himself), Uatu appears and sends Sentry into the universe that was first infected, thus beginning the infection, trapping the Sentry in a time loop and thereby containing the infection to an extent.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s of the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. Currently, the most prominent Sentry is Robert Reynolds
Sentry (Robert Reynolds)
The Sentry is a fictional character in the . The character first appears in The Sentry #1 and was created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, with uncredited conceptual contributions by Rick Veitch.-Creation:...
, appearing in Marvel's New Avengers and Mighty Avengers titles, and the subject of two limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
.
Sentry 459
The first Marvel Comics character to use the name was Sentry 459Sentry (Kree)
Sentry-459 is a fictional character that appears in the . It is one of series of giant humanoid robots built by the alien race the Kree. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #64 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
, a large android placed on Earth by the alien race The Kree
Kree
The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
, later discovered by the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
. Other models of the Sentry robot later appeared in issues of various comics series.
Fictional character history
Curtis ElkinsCurtis Elkins
Sentry is a member of The Jury in the fictional Marvel comic universe. His rank is commanding officer. His ethnicity is African-American.-Fictional character biography:...
was a Guardsman
Guardsman (comics)
Guardsman was the name of a superhero in the Marvel Universe, but was later applied to a small squad of agents. He/they wear suits of power armor while working security at the Vault; the suits were designed by Tony Stark, better known as the superhero Iron Man....
at the Vault
Vault (comics)
The Vault is the widely used nickname of a fictional defunct prison facility for technological-based superhuman criminals in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. The prison's full official name is the United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals.It first...
, a prison for super powered criminals. While there Curtis befriended Hugh Taylor, a new Guardsman fresh out of the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Curtis left the Vault sometime after Hugh was murdered by Venom
Venom (comics)
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
during an escape.
After that, Curtis and a few of his fellow Guardsmen joined The Jury
The Jury (comics)
The Jury is a fictional group of armored vigilantes in the Marvel Comics universe. The team was first introduced in Venom: Lethal Protector #2.-History:...
, an agency organized by General Orwell Taylor
General Orwell Taylor
General Orwell Taylor is a character in the Marvel comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Orwell Taylor and his wife had two sons Hugh and Maxwell . Hugh joined the army, and afterwards he became a guard at the Vault, a prison for super powered criminals...
. Their purpose was to track down and destroy Venom. To that end many of them were armed with sonic and fire generating weapons to which the alien symbiote was vulnerable. After the death of Orwell, the firm was reformed by his older son Maxwell to fit the principles of civil rights and the legal court system. It was in fact a change done in accordance with Curtis' personal ideology of law and order. At a final fight with Hybrid, he was seriously injured, not only by physical damage, but also by mental contact with the symbiotes.
Almost all of his later team members were his colleagues from the Vault, either those involved in the riot, or those involved in the Guardsmen at other times. They include Screech
Screech (comics)
For other uses of the word Screech, see Screech .Maxwell "Max" Taylor aka Screech is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:...
(Maxwell Taylor), Ramshot
Ramshot
Samuel Caulkin aka Ramshot is a fictional character in the Marvel comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Ramshot is a member of an armored group of vigilantes dubbed The Jury. Caulkin was recruited into the Jury by General Orwell Taylor to help him avenge the death of his youngest son Hugh....
(Samuel Caulkin), Bomblast
Bomblast
Bomblast is a fictional character in the Marvel comics universe. He is a member of the The Jury.-Fictional character biography:Parmenter was recruited into the Jury by General Orwell Taylor after the death of the General's son Hugh who worked as a Guardsman at the Vault with Parmenter.Not much is...
(first name unknown, last name Parmenter), Firearm
Firearm (Marvel Comics)
Firearm is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics who exists in that company's Marvel Universe. He is a member of The Jury.-Fictional character biography:...
(unknown) and Wysper
Wysper
Wysper is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared Venom: Lethal Protector #2 and was created by Dan Slott and John Calimee.-Fictional character biography:...
(Jennifer Stewart).
His former enemy Scott Washington aka Hybrid was also a Guardsman in the Vault.
Powers and abilities
Although their suits of powered armor were made by altering Guardsmen suits, they are neither identical nor equal, and let the wearer possess different abilities. Sentry's strength is the greatest of them all. He was strong enough to hold down Spider-ManSpider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
in one of their fights. He has flight technology made differently from the others, with a ramjet propulsion mini engine installed into his boots. His whole costume is a green-brown color while his partners' are "standard" Guardsmen colors. He has a powerful energy gun. There's a lock-pick tool kit inside his right glove.
Sentry (Stewart Ward)
Steward Ward appears as a Senator in Peter Parker: Spider-ManPeter Parker: Spider-Man
Peter Parker: Spider-Man is the name of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics, both of which feature the character Spider-Man.-Volume One :...
vol. 2 #4 (April 1999), with frequent appearances in this and the concurrent The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
title throughout Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2 #24. Mysterious and seemingly up to no good, Ward lurked behind the scenes of the title until he ran afoul of Dr. Octopus and the Sinister Six
Sinister Six
The Sinister Six are a group of supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe, drawn from Spider-Man's rogues gallery. The original incarnation of the group was organized by Doctor Octopus, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 ....
. Ward reappeared a few issues later, and his backstory and connections to Spider-Man ally Arthur Stacy and the mysterious Ranger were revealed in a storyline running Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2. A former S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
agent operating as Sentry, Ward was as a double agent for Z'Nox aliens, who used Ward to aid in an invasion of Earth. Years later, as Z'Nox aliens found themselves on Earth during a brief period when it was designated an intergalactic prison, Ward was infected by Z'Nox lifeform, mutating him into a half-human/half-alien being. Ranger subsequently sacrificed himself to destroy Ward.
Sentry (Robert Reynolds)
The Sentry known as Robert ReynoldsSentry (Robert Reynolds)
The Sentry is a fictional character in the . The character first appears in The Sentry #1 and was created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, with uncredited conceptual contributions by Rick Veitch.-Creation:...
first appeared in his own Marvel Knights
Marvel Knights
Marvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Worldwide, Inc. that contains material taking place within the mainstream Marvel Universe .-Production:...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
(September 2000), in which he was marketed as a forgotten creation of Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
, a falsehood that was eventually revealed to be a marketing ploy. Robert Reynolds has been retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned into having existed inside the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
since its creation, but the public forgot about him when it was revealed his subconscious creates a deadly counterpart, the Void. His popularity not diminished, he became a member of the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
and has been the subject of a several other limited series.
Robert "Bob" Reynolds is said to have the power of a million exploding suns. And his power is not limited to any one capability, nor to only his conscious mind. His powers are also said to be virtually limitless as seen in the Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that have featured various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers...
when he is killed by Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay (Marvel Comics)
Morgan le Fay is a fictional character in the , based loosely on the Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend. In this version of the character, she is the half-faerie half-sister of the mythic Arthur. Her elven heritage granted her immortality, and she used this time to master the mystic arts. She...
and then somehow rematerializes in front of the Avengers team back at their HQ. It is also mentioned in the Dark Avengers issues that the Sentry no longer requires most human necessities. He can super-heat his entire body, sterilizing it so he doesn't need to shower, and his digestive system also produces enough nutrients that he doesn't require food or drink. In Siege #2 he is shown to be strong enough to kill the War god Ares
Ares (Marvel Comics)
Ares is a fictional character, a deity in the Marvel Comics Universe based on the Greek god of the same name. He first appears in Thor #129 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
. He has flown to the Sun within minutes and survived its heat. Apparently he got his powers from an enhanced version of the Super-Soldier Serum that created Captain America. In Siege #4 he is killed by a lightning strike from Thor after the Void is fully released. Thor then wraps his remains in a cape and disposes of them in the Sun.
Sentry (Val, the Galadorian)
Spaceknights
Spaceknights is a name used by at least three distinct groups of characters in the fictional . The better known group is a core concept of the 1980s comic book Rom Spaceknight, while the other two are far more recent creations and not much is yet known about them.-Galador's Spaceknights:The...
#1 (October, 2000) and was created by Jim Starlin
Jim Starlin
James P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters...
and Chris Batista
Chris Batista
Chris Batista is an American comic book artist, known for his work on a number of titles for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, including Steel, Spaceknights and Thunderbolts.-Career:...
. He is a defender Spaceknight and is a warrant officer of the flagship of the Galadorian army. He was wounded during an assault by the Trionians, who killed the Prime Director, the first man of the Galadorian nation and its fleet sent on a mission to stop ethnic cleansing in their Universe.
Ultimate Sentry
In the Ultimate UniverseUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s private version of the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
is called Sentry. It is used for detailed imaging within the Solar System and was the first to detect Gah Lak Tus when it appeared over the Great Red Spot of Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
.
During the second Sentry mini-series, when the Sentry begins to tell his origin, a false comic-book cover appears that reads Ultimate Sentry, which shows the Robert Reynolds version of the Sentry. This false cover also states that it was created by Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...
and drawn by Mark Bagley
Mark Bagley
Mark Bagley is an American comic book artist. He has worked for Marvel Comics and DC Comics on such titles as The Amazing Spider-Man, Thunderbolts, New Warriors, and Ultimate Spider-Man.- Early life and career :...
, a reference to their Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
series.
Marvel Zombies
A zombie Sentry appears in the "Crossover" story arc of Ultimate Fantastic FourUltimate Fantastic Four
Ultimate Fantastic Four is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Fantastic Four comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
. This Sentry is the source of the infection in Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
. He is never called by name, and is only identifiable by his costume. Other aspects of his appearance are more reminiscent of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
including short, spitcurled hair rather than the Earth-616
Earth-616
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
Sentry's long hair. The zombie Sentry is also missing a patch of his uniform roughly in the shape and location of Superman's "S" shield due to Ash shooting him in the first issue of the prequel miniseries Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness is a five-issue 2007 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in association with Dynamite Entertainment, an intercompany crossover in which Ash Williams, hero of the popular Evil Dead film and comic book, finds himself in the Marvel Zombies...
. Originally, the source of the infection was intended to be a zombie version of Superman, hence the similarities. However, due to copyright issues, tradmarked names and images such as Superman's logo had to be omitted.
Some reprints of Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
have altered artwork to remove these similarities.
The zombie Sentry isn't seen again after infecting the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
shortly after his arrival. His fate is not revealed.
In Marvel Zombies Return
Marvel Zombies Return
Marvel Zombies Return is a weekly five-issue comic book limited series, published by Marvel Comics in late 2009. It is part of the Marvel Zombies series of comic books.-Publication history:...
, it is revealed that Sentry from Earth-Z is the original host seen in Ultimate Fantastic Four #21. After being bitten by a contaminated Hulk, the Earth-Z Sentry is trapped by Giant-Man in order to power up the Multidimensional Device owned by Uatu (the Watcher) in the Blue Area of the Moon. After Spider-Man releases Sand-Man with nanobots that destroy all zombies present (except for the Sentry himself), Uatu appears and sends Sentry into the universe that was first infected, thus beginning the infection, trapping the Sentry in a time loop and thereby containing the infection to an extent.
External links
- Sentry (disambiguation) at the Marvel Universe
- Sentry at the Marvel Database Project