I'm sure this is most likely the best place for this thread considering we don't have a character specific board for him and it's meant to discuss the character, his abilities, potential and story alike. Whether you want to see the character vanish, retold and retooled or just hate him for no reason apparently it's all welcomed here, just attempt to explain your reasoning.
Personally I think the Sentry is a great character, who has the potential to become an iconic hero, I just feel he should be retooled and retold with a more tragic origin with a different writer at the helm who wants to see the character progress along with his story, motivations, surrounding and abilities. However, Bendis' current run with Sentry is smearing his image and making the character out to be a mockery of Marvel. Sentry today is and has been the watchdog and puppet of immoral heroes and psychopaths, Tony Stark and Norman Osborn. In Jenkin's mini, Robert (I hate "Bob", sounds like a hillbilly) was presented as "the first and greatest" amongst all heroes according to Reed Richards. He served as the inspiration to Spiderman and Angel, was friend to the Hulk, Richards, Captain America and Stark. Currently he acts as their lackey, never questioning the orders given to him or having the mind of a child. Now I know Robert suffers from skitsophrenia and dissociative identity disorder but thats no reason to present him as an idiot with intelligence comparable to the Hulk and being an agrophobic recluse.
Thats just laziness on behalf of the writers. I understand that Sentry saving the world in the event of every catastrophe would eventually wear thin but he could encounter adversaries that pose a threat or make him into a wayfarer- a being not bound to Earth and only returns in times of complete urgency. This could potentially kill two birds with one stone. Not only could Sentry haters be satisfied with rarely seeing the Sentry but when he is shown he could achieve great feats for those of us who enjoy his character or he could have the encounter with Galactus that has been of much speculation and debate.
Robert should be re-written. I think his origin should be slightly changed. He’d still acquire his abilities from the Serum enhanced from the Super Soldier Serum. But how about instead of him happening to unrealistically finding it in a school and drinking it to having Robert presented as a drug addict (I believe I read this), a result of feeling unwanted/hated by his father and his father as a an abusive chemist/physicist who was involved in the re-creation of the SSS. Thereby creating a link to the Robert and the SSS than to just happening upon it. Robert being the addict that he is, “shoots up” with a make shift syringe (add to the realism). He passes out as a reaction. It should be explained that Robert’s father was under extreme pressure by S.H.I.E.L.D to replicate the success of the serum and his deadline was vastly approaching and with the serum now consumed he would kill Robert to get it (Robert’s blood would be lined with it). Savagely beaten, Robert’s mother hears the commotion, stumbles downstairs trying to save her son and is in turn beaten herself. Robert’s father clinches his wife’s throat; Robert regains consciousness and feels helpless, wishing that the Superman he read about in comics would come save them. He screams for his father to stop and to no avail when suddenly an intense heat erupts from eyes and he reduces his father to his a mere skeleton. He and his mother are horrified and he tries to comfort her but she screams and flees from him. Unknown to him, a S.H.I.E.L.D satellite has been monitoring the entire event. Months later Robert is seen in a rehab center, for the large dosage of drugs in his blood. Here he meets Linda and is instantly attracted to her. Linda however is a sleeper, a SHIELD operative sent to gain Robert’s trust, supplant herself into his life and record the effects of the serum on Robert.
I think that would be a good way to change the basic flow of love that is clichéd in comics. Linda would report to Tony Stark and eventually have an affair with him. Robert’s mother would also be admitted into a psychiatric ward for the traumatic effect that witnessing the death of her husband at her son’s hand has had on her. She would eventually commit suicide because of the ordeal. Sometime here, in a staged event by Linda and Tony, (Tony pays villains to attack Linda and he himself pretends to be overwhelmed) Robert is forced to use his powers as Linda cries out to him. He then talks with Ironman who lures him into becoming a hero to monitor him and his powers. Because of Robert’s fractured mind and split personality, when he drank the serum the Void and Sentry, the two sides to his psyche physically manifested. The Sentry represents who Robert wants to become while the Void is who he was and subconsciously somehow he removed the Void from himself leaving it to act on its own. Revealed later it would shown that the Void is actually Robert’s nightmarish memories of his father manifested which cause his mental disorders in the first place, explaining why he is so afraid of the Void.
Later like Robert would learn of Linda’s infidelity courtesy of the Void reading her mind and before Robert, he fires a tendril through her skull, killing her (and she won’t be revived as it’d take away from the development). It’s like an “Uncle Ben” device used to aid Sentry evolve past that fear he had for the Void and fight to his potential. But before the Void finally surfaces, Sentry has apocalyptic premonitions of the world with the Void being the cause. But the legion of heroes don’t believe him and they think he’s finally lost it and they place him under mind control (placing his mind in a world where there is no Void or problems, though Robert realizes this is fake and breaks free). This sets up a massive battle between Sentry, Shield’s Cape killers, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts and the X-Men as they try to apprehend him while he pleads for them to heed his words. Robert decimates their forces in a fight in the artic(wankfest but hey the man needs feats) and shows Robert using telekinesis, telepathy, hard light construct, FTL speeds and solar vision (so he doesn’t appear to be a basic brick). He displays great durability; enduring multiple bombs 5x as powerful as the Tsar Bomba. He eventually departs the planet. He’s painted as a criminal by the media as news crews film the titanic war. With his departure, the Void arrives and further beats the heroes and indiscriminately hunts heroes and villains alike the world over. The Void and Sentry telepathically converse with Void attempting to lure back Robert and Robert decides to let the Earth rot until Void reveals that he’s using Linda as his personal pet and toy. Sentry returns to Earth and Linda is killed before him…yada yada yada and the Sentry battles Void using Mjolnir and Captain’s Shield (as tribute to the fallen heroes, seeing they were two of few that believed him). After a battle that raged for weeks, Robert seemingly kills the Void and reunites himself with his other counterpart. He uses his untapped abilities and resurrects the fallen people of the world and then leaves Earth for a period.
I don’t know if everyone approves of this idea I guess it’s somewhat of a fanfic lol, in a way but I think that a great avenue to take the character. The ending seems a little anti-climatic, I think Sentry re-joining with the Void and resurrecting the population of Earth before he dies would be better and seem less forced in comparison. I think that after he dies, heroes would try to emulate this image of a hero that even after being turned upon and was trying to be controlled or killed and that the sacrifice of ultimately dying in their defense would erase all the contempt that’s been held for Sentry and be a great send-off for the character. And maybe they’d later resurrect Robert with both the Void and Sentry’s powers. Maybe something like this could be added to Ultimates Universe as Sentry is already functioning in the 616 and the name in the ultimate-verse is held by a satellite or they could restart him erasing his previous outings.
So anyone have any other opinions of the Sentry they want to share? Obviously I think he deserves the proper respect as you can see from all I wrote. If hate him or love him you’re welcome to say it. If you want to add any ideas or think some are stupid hey go ahead, if yu think Sentry should be taken in another direction please elaborate. Post as much as you want
I was going to suggest that you have the Void be addicted to violence or murder as an escalation from the drugs but this is just ... perfect. This would be so awesome and be infinitely preferable to the chump right now easily psyched out every damn issue.
I know Its lame but the origin behind Sentry's powers really doesn't make any sense to me. How the hell would a simple chemical formula give him the powers of basically an entire Galaxy ? Unless the formula works on some meta-physical level, sort of like the Anti Life Equation. If this is the case, how the **** did a bunch of 20th century scientists have access to it ? If the formula is some kind of analytical manifestation of meta physical power then give it a more enigmatic explanation. Whether the formula originates from the Celestial's, Galactus, Mephisto, Asgard Bethlehem or what ever, then illustrate this.If shield have access to transcendual mathematical equations, then they are hardly going to be flying around in aircraft carriers, and using projectile weaponry. Also I hate the whole skipping forward seconds in time crap. From a logical stand point it just isn't valid. If he skips forward in time, how is it that we see him in the present ?
I like the Super Soldier premise that's been introduced, very Miracle Man esq; but it needs to be built upon. However the quasi scientific explanation of his powers needs to be fleshed out. I like the Blue Marvels current explanation of his powers, i.e. he's an living Anti Matter reactor, why not make the Sentry a living Sun. I.e. His powers come from converting matter into pure energy. The photosynthetic aspect of his powers only act as a catalyst or something. That or make him a bit like Captain Atom, whose physically connected to the Zero point field.
IMO he needs to be toned down a lot in power level sense. No more of this; "Power of a million Suns" crap. No one in comics should be that powerful, especially when they're most dangerous opponent is likely to be no more than Planetary level.
Character development is easy IMO you just need to have the structural essence of the character made clear. That's what's holding the likes of Bendis back at the moment. No one has a clue how the hell his powers work. Only when this is made clear can you begin using them properly in combat scenario's.
Haha thanks, I just felt like Sentry should be this charcater that Jenkin's originally set him up to be. Essentially he's a loser right now in current Marvel continuity. I wish Marvel would take my idea (I swear I wouldn't sue lol, but I'd take money if they offered) and just run with it. It's just the way he's presented is repetitive and tiresome...he's a joke around here with only a couple of fans.
Exactly, I'm sure if Robert was written to his potential and not a child with superman powers basically, I think people would like him instead of hating him so very easily. Hopefully Marvel has plans for the character that surpass my own. Someone mentioned Sentry essentially being a living sun, I think thats a cool idea but I think he'd be easy to exploit against other heroes if thats how he was powered. I tend to look at the 1million expolding suns as a measurement of Robert's energy opponet and not what his powers resemble but thats just me.
Robert also needs a haircut, it's length should be reduced and his costume is fine excluding the cape, I don't like it. I think it should be removed and if it stays it should be the same color as his boots and the wrists of his costume, not a different color entirely
Last edited by Longinus on Feb 26th, 2009 at 09:02 PM
Hmm I've been thinking, I think that Cloc should actually instead of being stationed in the watch tower, it should be a computer chip Ironman has implanted onto Robert's brain under the guise that it helps Robert coordinate his efforts and assess threat levels. Although it suggests to Robert what threats he should handle and those he leaves to the authorities, Robert can still have free choice in what he chooses to handle. However, although Cloc does all this, it's not it's true purpose. It's primarily made to track Robert's movements and keep him occupied and to also gauge his powers.
Scout should also make a CAMEO in a FLASHBACK where Robert recounts his days as a fledgling hero and he had Scout by his side. Scout would be dead in the present though, having been killed by the Void. This would take place after Robert meets Linda then Tony and becomes a hero but also before Voids ultimate return.
It'll be explained that Sentry, following Scouts death falls into a state depression and his fluctuating psychic powers affect all psychics. He believes that he's still fighting the Void, while the Void is apparently invisible to the other heroes. They deem Robert insane. In a plan orchestrated by Linda/Tony/Reed/Xavier/Strange, Robert is captured. This is when for years, Sentry is keep under a illusionary spell by Dr. Strange and Professor Xavier attempts to re-write/erase his memories. He then wakes up and that colossal war iI wrote of in earlier post takes place
The Void should be presented as a very pale, thin male, with short, spiked black hair. His eyes are crimson red. This is just Robert's image of the Void as he most resembles Robert's deepest fear, his abusive father. His body is bare with no clothing, he's just cover in burns and scars (from Roberts solar vision), shadows cover his genitals and more private areas. However others see the Void as their greatest fears so he never looks the same to any two people. The relationship Void shares with the Sentry is a peculiar one. Although Void does want to kill Sentry is protective of him against others sharing the same goal or wishing to do Robert harm, for this reason Void compassionately hates Linda, knowing that she is using Robert and having an affair with Tony Stark. He want's to expose the truth to his naive counterpart, believeing it is only he who has the right to kill Robert.
Void himself possess abilities mirroring the Sentry along with additional ones. He possess super strength, speed, endurance and durability. With his tendrils Void can not only pierce primary adamantinum and the unique composition of Captain's shield but can use them to evoke the deepest fears of his enemies, making them a reality and forcing them to relive it over and over. He is a superb shapeshifter, able to immitate others appearance, their abilities, beasts, mythical creatures and inanimate objects. Also he can reform his body into bladed weapons, showing extreme molecular control.
Unlike Robert, the Void is very adept with his psionic abilities. Void can read minds, erase memories, implant false ones, manipulate the living and the dead like puppets. In this depiciton he can control, fire, wind and lightning. He's been shown to teleport as well
Sentry is powered by solar energy and is essentially a walking solar reactor/generator/converter/battery. His body instantly draws solar energy from the sun primarily and can convert it into thermal pulses, retinal beams or blasts from his mouth and hands. Excess energy is stored for later usage. However should no solar source be available, he can forcibly siphon energy from other entities/objects for his own usage or simply convert other energies into usable solar energy. Sentry's long, blonde hair is meant to represent his mother's appearance, similar to how Void resembles his father.
Something to add about my Void idea: the Void has made it his mission to kill al of Robert's loved ones. Intially Robert thought Billy, the Scout was Void's only victim but it is revealed at some point in the narrative that Void drove Robert's unstable mother to commit suicide (playing on the guilt that she held for Robert's problems in life, i.e they were from her inability and weakness to stop her husband from beating Robert and herself). Robert learns this after Void kills Lindy because Void felt Robert still was fighting with restraint.
For his ending scene Robert's body should be carried off by Thor to Asgard and given a hero's burial and placed amongst the other fallen warriors who have been admitted into Valhalla. The entire hero population would attend as would millions of people and in an odd turn of fate no crimes would be committed that day, as villians would honor the fallen hero who had died for them.
KMC Community Forums
Feb 25th, 2009 11:30 PM
