The Sentry, originally a hoax rumor like Pokemon’s Mew about a Golden Age hero in the Marvel Universe. Paul Jenkins was so good at faking the idea for the “Marvel Knights” imprint this video goes over how.
Overtime the character becomes a case of how such a paradigm exists. But more importantly how such a character influences the world around him.
Portrayal of Sentry
The Sentry is an obvious play on characters such as Superman or Shazam; paragons of virtue and humanity’s potential. His first mini-series shows how the character serves as an example to the people around him. Even the Hulk who prefers to be alone shows more emotion than anger around him, including fear. But for some reason he vanishes from everyone’s thoughts after a certain period.
But how does someone who gives more than he takes just disappear from most people’s thoughts? Even a scandal leaves something behind. It is a complex psychological dilemma that forces the true believers to reexamine everything. It can even lead to Robert Reynolds getting a role in the MCU with the Hulk.
Nowhere but Everywhere
Jenkins works with several artists for his series, portraying the eras of comic books. The Silver Age has its humorous and charming look; like text and speech bubbles describing things as they happen simultaneously. Who doesn’t love Superman/Batman style sidekicks in the form of a teenager and a dog? In another is a spoof on the Dark Knight Returns when comics start to deal with harsh realities. The serum that gives Robert his powers has an air of addiction for coping with stress. But it also presents a character who grows to struggle with the times.
Fortunately Bob is not an adrenaline junky or driven by machismo; rather it’s because he feels stuck. His life is not going anywhere and his glory days seem to be a neurotic delusion. Even his call to adventure from his arch-foe the Void seems to be the effect of mental illness. Yet once his powers start to manifest and evidence about his alter-ego turn up, something sinister stirs. The foreshadowing of Jae Lee’s designs with the Sentry’s tower and his robotic assistant is some top notch stuff.
Flaws of a Marty Sue
Whenever Sentry appears in the flashbacks of other heroes, he is this perfect character. He has a lifetime of experience that helps enrich the lives of others. Spider-Man and Angel of the X-Men see him as something to strive for. Reed Richards meanwhile has a best friend in him after sharing a daring adventure. Not to mention he’s one of the people who convinces Iron Man to give up alcohol. That last bit unfortunately is what makes Sentry a two-dimensional character. Everything goes his way without expending any real effort. Retcons have a messy reputation in comics; having someone jump in from nowhere and suddenly things will get better is not very exciting either. I believe people used to call this a Mary Sue.
But then the concept quite literally turns on its head. The reason everything seems to go Bob’s way is because his mind wills it. He is essentially a comic book fan living out his fantasies; not unlike how Shazam (Captain Marvel) embodies wish fulfillment. Not even Dr. Strange’s psychedelic magic cannot compare to the overwhelming power Bob has. Unfortunately, for everything that works out for him, Bob finds out that part of him struggles for equilibrium.
You Are Your Own Worst Enemy
As it turns out, the Void is the opposite reaction to Bob’s alter-ego. Most superheroes require villains who serve as foils. But unlike Batman and the Joker, Void is Bob’s reason to exist as a superhero; without him, Bob’s just a neurotic man. The Void however represents a fan’s desires to remain in their fantasies, no matter how toxic it gets. For Bob, it’s impossible to have a perfect life without someone else’s life going into ruin. So in the most heroic choice, Bob has to go back to being a memory.
Viral Meme
Unfortunately as this quote states: “What is the most resilient parasite?…An idea.”. Marvel relying on the business side of comics brings Sentry back for a couple of runs. However, like an actor’s serializing brand; some of the people behind the runs like Brian Michael Bendis rely more on the self-destructive aspects of Bob. They make his struggles less of an identity crisis and more of a mental deterioration. Most of the time the creators are dragging their feet.
Overspecialized Adaptations
In the many times he appears, Bob is little more than a plot element. He’s the only one who quells the Hulk’s rage. Why? Because of his own mental problems. Getting rid of the Void also makes Bob less compelling. Replacing his inner struggles by making Bob into a threat in the Dark Avengers. Why? For the same reason he gets along with Hulk; Norman Osborn uses sympathy to manipulate him. All the while, the Void boils over him.
Removing Tumors
After a while, the character of Sentry becomes a mass of self-pity that wants to go back into obscurity. But characters and writers take their turns at displaying the character through interactions. Through them, Bob finally stops being this magic plot element to clean up messes. He gets proper development in another solo series by Jeff Lemire.
The Sentry Revived
In Jeff Lemire’s story, Sentry goes back to his roots as an idea of a fantasy. But this time Bob has the means to contain Sentry and Void; by using the equivalent of fantasizing your best self to keep the worst self under control. It’s a rather sad premise of living a mundane life; not just a 9-5 job, even the fantasy sessions feel like work. But it’s not Bob who goes down the path of deterioration, but his former sidekick Billy Turner.
To Become What You Love Most
Billy, formerly Scout, has the chance to reconnect with his mentor who comes to him as a genuine friend. But with Billy’s own mundane life and being stuck in his glory days, he vies for the escape of Sentry. Living in another person’s shadow is always a handful; especially when all Billy gets out of his time is a missing arm. To that end, Billy goes to lengths where he teams up with an old adversary. Both of these characters go from being plot devices to full characters.
Billy doesn’t realize the implications of trying to live in the past. His and Cranio’s mundane lives don’t give them meaning enough to cope with the present and future. The only thing they try to do is relive their past glory. It doesn’t help that Bob tells Billy of his exploits in his Sentry World. For Bob it’s a way to reconnect with a friend and a sign of trust. But for Billy, it’s an insult that Bob shares adventures with his old self.
Vs. Accepting Yourself
Ultimately, Bob after doing everything to contain both Sentry and Void decides to live with them entirely. As a result of Bob finally accepting every part of himself, he becomes more powerful and dangerous. While there is some good in Bob when he forgives Billy for his betrayal, there’s darkness in him too. Subsequent stories featuring him now have Sentry trying to live with the darkness while trying not to hurt people. But eventually, Marvel just doesn’t know what to do with Bob and puts him on a bus.
The Future of the Sentry
After everything, Bob has the means to begin a new life but will have to forge it himself. But whether that’s good or bad is up in the air. All things in consideration, a genuine friendship with the Hulk would be nice. In fact that’s even a decent premise for how Sentry could appear in the MCU.
The Hulk could be a hero to the Robert Reynolds of that world. Reynolds is likely dealing with mental problems and the Hulk inspires him. Using some help from others including the process that turns Banner into Hulk, Reynolds could become Sentry. The Hulk in the MCU could certainly use a friend; it can even be a deep exploration on the character. Which is what makes Sentry/Void such a vital antagonist; as a mental foil to the Not-So-Jolly Green Giant.
Thanks for coming and as always remember to look between the panels.