C&C Op-Ed - Why Marvel Needs to Make a Sentry Movie - Meet an Unlikely Hero

C&C Op-Ed - Why Marvel Needs to Make a Sentry Movie

Meet an Unlikely Hero

By Steven Carter

As the marvel movie universe has continued to go from strength to strength, we are starting to see new and interesting developments. Heroes are becoming more diverse as Marvel start to delve deeper into their rather colossal barrel of characters. With Phase 3 about to get underway next year, we will be treated to the first Black superhero lead as well as the first female superhero lead. After the dust has settled, what could we hope to see in phase 4? (Assuming there is a phase 4!) 

I would like to put forward the argument for the Sentry. His story during the events of the New Avengers right through to the Siege storyline was by far the most engaging. Robert “Bob” Reynolds appeared onto our comic book pages seemingly out of nowhere back in 2000. Bits of his “origin” were slowly being fed to the viewer in the classic Kirby style suggesting he was around during the golden age of comics and mysteriously, was forgotten by the whole super community up until his “re-discovery”.

The Sentry was described as possessing the power of a million exploding suns. You would have to turn to the likes of Hulk, Thor, even Galactus himself to match the power threshold that the Golden Avenger can wield. It is later revealed that the Sentry is able to manipulate matter on a molecular level similar to the skills of Molecule Man only Sentry is nowhere near as experienced. 

Ever since the creation of Spider-Man however, Marvel do love to create flawed characters. And they don't come much more flawed than the Sentry. Bob Reynolds has the mother of all split personalities. The Sentry’s arch enemy was known as the Void. Every good deed that the Sentry performed, the Void would do something equally as evil. We later find out that the Sentry and the Void are one and the same. The Serum that granted Robert his powers had damaged his psyche so much, he had formed an alter alter ego! This discovery brought the Sentry into a whole new light. This is a person who wields near limitless power who is teetering on the edge of insanity. How would the rest of the superhero community deal with someone like this?

Does this person even deserve to be a hero? Did he undergo a procedure like Captain America? Was he born with this power? Alas no. Before Robert’s transformation into the Sentry, he was a middle aged, overweight, and a drug addict. It was revealed in a late issue of the siege event that he had actually broken into someone known only as “the Professor’s” laboratory in the hope it contained meth. He found a flask containing an unknown substance. In his infinite wisdom, he drank it. The resulting reaction destroyed the building. The Professor discovered him the following day and was forced to make more for Reynolds. It’s this revelation that makes the Sentry a really engaging character. He received no training, it isn’t known whether he suffered any tragic loss in his family, he certainly didn’t get any lessons in humility, he was just a junkie looking for a high and stumbled upon a means to receiving god-like power. 

Whenever you read stories with the likes of Spider-man or Batman, they undergo such pain, torment and suffering all in the name of justice. It must take an incredible amount of mental strength to put the mask back on and fight through another day. Robert doesn’t seem to possess this ability as much. Iron Man was able to evade the sentry by simply overloading him with distress calls and disasters happening around the globe. It was too much for him to bare. Robert often comes across as naïve during his superhero antics. He was easily convinced to join up with Norman Osborne and his Dark Avengers and during team ups, he once apologised to Ms Marvel for damaging a building and getting thrown into a blimp. 

Whether Marvel show Sentry off in their Marvel Knights franchise or include him in the bigger MCU, he would be a great addition and is bound to be popular with the wider audiences who aren’t as familiar with the comics.