Thoughts On The Sentry

[Darthphere]

I wish i knew wtf youre talking about.

 

[Doombringer]

Ninas, Ninas... lets cut out the immaturity and all try to act like big boys and girls, 'mkay?

Thanks for the scans by the way Darth. Its sad how they wrote Hulk so out of character when in relation to Sentry in his recent mini.

"Okey Dokey."

 

[ssj wolverine]

I tend to like original characters like Spidey, Wolverine, Surfer, etc. I don't have the interest in investing my time into reading about characters like Sentry and Gladiator that are nothing but ripoffs.

 

[Havok83]

Thats because youre reading Bendis sadly.

could be. He hasnt done anything with Sentry in New Avengers. His arc was confusing and a bit boring and the best part of it was McNiven's art. I dont even know why the character is even in the book bc he does nothing, much like Ronin. 2 pointless team members

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

There is no doubt that the Sentry does look cool looking,but its too similar to Superman.The "S" is perhaps the most plain give away.Im looking to buy the Sentry TPB since many say it was a great read,and it was recommended to me.Who is the writer?

 

[JewishHobbit]

Paul Jenkins wrote it, as well as the second mini.

 

[Arach Knight]

The Sentry, as himself (Reynolds) has a lot of character. He has an interesting dynamic with his psychiatrist as well as with his wife. However, The Sentry as a super hero, is quite bland, because of his very cold approach to heroics. In this way, he is very much a different character, compared to Superman. For Kal-El, even if he knew he could not save everybody, he would still try, and would lament over his inability in the end. For the Sentry, it's quite the opposite. His mentality is basically "cut your losses." So if he knows he can't save two people at once, he'll let his little immitation skeets, figure out the greater priority, and he'll tend to it, with little remorse, if any at all. It's interesting, because it doesn't make him evil, or uncaring. It doesn't even make him an anti-hero...but it does provide an interesting characterization.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Yeah im very skeptical about the validity of that Spiderman quote, as there are events even in the mini that contradict it. Barely surviving a nuke, in the X-men crossover, hardly suggestst he's on a Galactus level.

He actually survived that nuke quite well. He wasn't beat up or bleeding, he was merely scuffed up with a blackened face and a ripped up suit. But you can go with him surviving that space station explosion, or you can go how he just basically destroyed the Inhumans and such. Or you could go with the idea he doesn't feel the need for 100% of his power, as his costume and look seem to be relative to how much of his energy he actually uses.

But be skeptical as you wish, because if there were no skeptics, the world would hardly, if ever, progress.

Plus, the guy to a train thrown at him by the Hulk, can survive near sun experiences, and survives in the vaccuum of space quite well. The guy can purge the atmosphere and dive to unbelievable depths. People who can really get away with that should have little problem surviving nuclear weapons past the "how they look" stage.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

could be. He hasnt done anything with Sentry in New Avengers. His arc was confusing and a bit boring and the best part of it was McNiven's art. I dont even know why the character is even in the book bc he does nothing, much like Ronin. 2 pointless team members

Actually, the Sentry turned out pretty damn good in the most recent New Avengers story.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

The Sentry, as himself (Reynolds) has a lot of character. He has an interesting dynamic with his psychiatrist as well as with his wife. However, The Sentry as a super hero, is quite bland, because of his very cold approach to heroics. In this way, he is very much a different character, compared to Superman. For Kal-El, even if he knew he could not save everybody, he would still try, and would lament over his inability in the end. For the Sentry, it's quite the opposite. His mentality is basically "cut your losses." So if he knows he can't save two people at once, he'll let his little immitation skeets, figure out the greater priority, and he'll tend to it, with little remorse, if any at all. It's interesting, because it doesn't make him evil, or uncaring. It doesn't even make him an anti-hero...but it does provide an interesting characterization.

That's kind of more or less because of the whole, "Who is the Sentry, who is the Void, or more importantly, who is Robert Reynolds?" dynamic of the Sentry character. The question isn't really who is the Sentry, more like, WHY is the Sentry there at all? The Sentry's actual characterization comes FROM that idea. What does Robert think is the ideal superhero, what does he think is the ideal supervillan? Why does he pick one over the other? Why does he have either one at all, and why are they so unbalanced as powerhouses? So the Sentry follows the fractured and fairly unconfident idea of the Robert Reynolds psyche. One is a flawless man bathed in light, while one is greed submerged in darkness. One appeals to all humans, and the other seduces their dark insides. Basically almost personifications of Robert's primal states.

Though I really am enjoying how he goes to just letting the greater number of lives he can save at a time rule how he saves people, since that's basically what he's set out to do, or really, it's what ANY hero's set out to do. They go out to save as many lives as possible, it just happens that Rob built a computer to do the same thing. You could ALMOST say that they were influenced by the idea of the Judeo-Christian God. One is a mass benevolent being of great power who sets out to continuously make his subjects safe (originally), however, created his greatest villan who craves people's souls. And Jenkin's even made a slight at it when his psychiatrist asked if he WAS God, and to heal his daughter, as it was within the Sentry's power.

So, you may think the Sentry has no personality, but that's because the Sentry is only a small part of him.

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

That`s the other thing.When people speak of the Sentry,there is usually something else mentioned also."The Void" what is it?What effect does it have on the Sentry?

 

[Arach Knight]

Even though the writing, tends to create an aura of mystery for The Sentry, it can usually be explained quite simply. Robert Reynolds is a regular man, who was given near divine power. His mind couln't cope with that. Look at any basic nemesis of Superman, that is actually on par with Kal-El. They are usually conquers that are literally insane. Mongul is a crazed alien, and Darkseid himself is one of many gods in another area of the universe. Comparatively, to think of an ordinary human, who is given that level of power...it's easy to see what happened. I think that Robert Reynolds is a good man at heart. The Sentry represents that aspiration. However, it is known that absolute power, corrupts absolutely. Perhaps all the more reason, why in comic mythos, Superman is often lambasted, because he is so powerful, and does so mch good despite it. After all, he is "the boyscout." On the other hand, Robert Reynolds didn't slowly develop powers, like Kal-El did. He isn't a god, nor is he a crazed alien. He is a normal man, given the power of a deity. That stands the chance to corrupt even the most faithfully devout person. The Void, represents that aspect. It isn't really a representation of Robert himself, but rather of the human aspect of corruption, in the face of more power. Maybe i'm over stating the situation...but that is my interpretation of the "who" question, about The Sentry.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

That`s the other thing.When people speak of the Sentry,there is usually something else mentioned also."The Void" what is it?What effect does it have on the Sentry?

The Void is the "second half" of Robert Reynolds, like Sentry would be the "first half," though it was kind of said the Sentry came AFTER the Void. You can kind of say it's like Robert initially wants bad things, but good intentions come after or something as to that effect. The Void is more or less everything Bob wants to be, or wants to do. It's his hunger, his ID, his everliving greed. It literally lives to torment Sentry, like guilt haunts a human.

Basically, the coming of the Sentry almost always triggers the coming of the Void, as the Void seems to come around when the Sentry is empowered. (Originally, the Void was just present whenever Bob took the serum, and now it's whenever the Sentry just uses too much power, which hasn't been defined yet. Probably when he flies into suns and stuff, that sort of power level, or when he crushes cosmic axes.) Though, I'm willing to bet the Void just comes around whenver he pleases.

Other than that, the Void is a type of shapeshifter who travels primarily alongside shadows, consumes souls of living creatures, is basically indestructible by most physical means, but has the strength to crush most other things with relative ease, as cased by the Hulk on more than one occassion. Or when the Void simply killed and blasted the powerbase of the Marvel Universe when the Sentry asked them to help him defeat the one person that was so undeniably powerful, that the Sentry, Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic and Doctor Strange had to make the world forget about the Sentry, so Rob would never become the Sentry again, and thus, negate the Void's return. This was probably after the Void consumed the Tempoloran world.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Even though the writing, tends to create an aura of mystery for The Sentry, it can usually be explained quite simply. Robert Reynolds is a regular man, who was given near divine power. His mind couln't cope with that. Look at any basic nemesis of Superman, that is actually on par with Kal-El. They are usually conquers that are literally insane. Mongul is a crazed alien, and Darkseid himself is one of many gods in another area of the universe. Comparatively, to think of an ordinary human, who is given that level of power...it's easy to see what happened. I think that Robert Reynolds is a good man at heart. The Sentry represents that aspiration. However, it is known that absolute power, corrupts absolutely. Perhaps all the more reason, why in comic mythos, Superman is often lambasted, because he is so powerful, and does so mch good despite it. After all, he is "the boyscout." On the other hand, Robert Reynolds didn't slowly develop powers, like Kal-El did. He isn't a god, nor is he a crazed alien. He is a normal man, given the power of a deity. That stands the chance to corrupt even the most faithfully devout person. The Void, represents that aspect. It isn't really a representation of Robert himself, but rather of the human aspect of corruption, in the face of more power. Maybe i'm over stating the situation...but that is my interpretation of the "who" question, about The Sentry.

Actually, the Void seems to represent Bob's desires, instabilities, and insecurities, more than just his corruption. After all, when Bob suspected his wife was cheating on him, the Void simply dropped a plane on her trainer's neighborhood.

 

[yahman]

He actually survived that nuke quite well. He wasn't beat up or bleeding, he was merely scuffed up with a blackened face and a ripped up suit. But you can go with him surviving that space station explosion, or you can go how he just basically destroyed the Inhumans and such. Or you could go with the idea he doesn't feel the need for 100% of his power, as his costume and look seem to be relative to how much of his energy he actually uses.

But be skeptical as you wish, because if there were no skeptics, the world would hardly, if ever, progress.

Plus, the guy to a train thrown at him by the Hulk, can survive near sun experiences, and survives in the vaccuum of space quite well. The guy can purge the atmosphere and dive to unbelievable depths. People who can really get away with that should have little problem surviving nuclear weapons past the "how they look" stage.

I think you are being a bit misleading, he even makes a joke reference to how bad he looks !

A space shuttle can do all the above, but would not survive a nuke or a duel with Galactus. When u consider that Glacatus is packing energy comparable to a Type 3 Civilisation (something you'll appreciate, being ascientist and probably in knowledge of Michu Kack), you'll realise just how insignificant a nuke level energy would be to him.

 

[Havok83]

Actually, the Sentry turned out pretty damn good in the most recent New Avengers story.

that was a solo story. He doesnt seem to vibe well on the team or really fit there

 

[Union Jack]

i think he'd fit better on the avnegers rostor if more power were their...he could pretty much do all the rest of the avengers jobs in a fraction of the time...so the teams unbalanced,hence the feeling of not fitting...

now the new mighty avengers thing may be different with ares,iron man and wonder man on the team(still a crappy team but ill read it).

i look more forward to seeing the new underground avengers..that'll be great with cap,spidey and wolverine in it!!

 

[Sabretooth]

I haven't been keeping up with Sentry,but he's always been one of my favorite newer characters. The problem though is that if they want to use Sentry the way Jenkins wrote him,how can he possibly be running around if the Void keeps coming back with him? Not to mention that the Void had the Hulk shaking in his boots.

But,I did read that arc about him in NA and I hated how Bendis wrote him as a whiny,psychotic *****. Now,as I said I haven't been reading the books so maybe he's changed Sentry's direction. But,just my opinion....

 

[Whirlysplat]

that was a solo story. He doesnt seem to vibe well on the team or really fit there

That's because in many ways he is to "adult" a character for 616.

- Whirly

 

[Dope Nose]

the Sentry has always reminded me too much of DC's Triumph.

 

[supermarvelman]

I hope that after Sentry and Thor eventually fight, that they become very close friends, Does anybody think that Sentry could pick up Mjolnir?

 

[bkhedr]

Not a chance

 

[supermarvelman]

I'm not talking being worthy, I'm saying to show how powerful and strong Sentry is, by picking up Mjolnir using sheer power, but not being able to weild it propely, since he would be worthy.

 

[bkhedr]

Strength doesnt have anything to do with it

The only way you pick it up without being worthy is if you are able to override Odin's enchantment on it.

Odinpower trumps Sentry serum

 

[Genesis 1.0]

As to the 'he doesn't have a personality' comment, that seems to be the idea. As Reynolds, he has all too much personalties and issues but when he's Sentry most recently, he's logical. Almost Vision-esque, allowing the computer to make the decison of who to save. I might add, that this is yet another distinction from Superman and an actual step towards developing his character today, instead of just being the 'magic bullet' to the Avengers.

Personally, I agree with Doombringer and Golun in the fact that he's an awessome character that has alot of potential.