Okay, so maybe he didn’t technically, literally run away and cry every time. Still, when one tries to recall Great Moments in Sentry History, one rarely thinks of the time he taught Rogue how to love or the time he helped Reed Richards move. No, usually it’s something along these lines:
5. World War Hulk is a Lot For Bob To Process Right Now
Low on the list because the running away and crying are metaphorical, but it should probably be higher because the excerpt above represents something that goes on for three consecutive issues. The Hulk is knocking down Manhattan a building at a time and making people fight to the death for sport, and then we cut back to Bob in sweatpants eating Cap’n Crunch with his hands out of the box, sweatily eyeing the doorknob before sitting back down in front of the TV. If coverage of the attack hadn’t preempted One Life to Live, the Hulk would be king of America.
4. Emma Frost Says “Our Hour is Up”
When the X-Men unveil their island Utopia, Norman Osborn unleashes the Sentry to put a stop to their shenanigans, forgetting that the head X-Lady is the one who got the Void to go down for a nap in the first place. Hilarity ensues. The scan above, I feel, does not do the patented Sentry Lone Tear In Space justice.
3. Nate Grey Confronts Bob About His Codependency
When caught between an old friend and a manipulative Svengali, there is a moment when the Sentry comes dangerously close to ruining everything by being interesting. Luckily, he can leap over huge potential in a single bound. Though not plainly visible, I promise you he is tearing up in the last panel.
2. Bob Cannot Handle Empowerment Emotionally
I don’t strictly know what is happening on that page, except in the sense that I know the Human Torch from the forties is making the Sentry cry lava by hugging him. Never mind what’s happening to the Sentry; I want to know everything about that super power.
1. Skrulls Can Be So Hurtful
During Secret Invasion, the Skrulls have a delightful conversation wherein they act as surrogates for Marvel’s writers. “What do we do with a character that powerful?” one of them asks. “Oh, just say something to him about the effing Void,” one of them answers. And so we are treated to Mighty Avengers #14, the gold standard of crying Sentry scenes: the most powerful being on Earth quits the field of battle because a stranger/Mean Girl tells him, “This is all your fault, you know.” The resulting freakout goes on for page after hilarious page. We love you just the way you are, Bob. Which is to say, not in the books anymore.
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<3
*sigh* hehe you just had to bring up the Sentry again, didn’t you?
I’m worried that if Marvel realizes people are still talking about the Sentry, they’ll get the bright idea to bring him back.
Eep.
The Sentry was a whiny little b#%@h…
Many laughs. They say there are no bad characters, just The Sentry.
Well done.
Haha, I’ve never really read any Sentry stories….I always thought people just had a bug up their ass about him for some reason. But he really is a big baby.
I am just so surprised that they continued to use him over and over again. It was almost like the best writers at Marvel where trying to prove how good they are that they could make any character interesting, even one as boring as The Sentry, but they all failed.
I can imagine in the bullpens at Marvel HQ
Pak: Well I tried to make him work in World War Hulk. Sorry, just couldn’t.
Bendis: Let me take a crack at that.
(years later, post Secret Invasion)
Bendis: I…got..nothing. Sorry.
Jenkins: Let me try again. Come one one more time.
He was the equivalent of a Rubix cube.
That Nate Grey panel was my favorite…not only because it features The Greatest Marvel Character thoroughly owning The Sentry, but the way he does it is hysterical. He knows right away that he doesn’t need to lift a finger to fight him. All Nate has to do is say something emotional and shlockey to get him down for the count.
Holy crap. There was more emotional Kryptonite that hit the Sentry than any amount of the real stuff in Superman’s silver age exploits. Well done, Jim!
wow since ive never read anything that involves the Sentry and i always hear the guys here at Ifanboy poke fun at him crying i had no idea that it happened often enough to make a top 5 list haha.
I actually found something useful about the Sentry.
Given that Marvel magically retconned him into every single character and moment in the Marvel Universe I decided that, since fair is fair, to take that as permission to retcon out of Marvel everything I don’t like.
Example – One of my favorite characters makes a senseless deal with Mephisto. I wriggle of my nose and I have used Sentry Magic to give a healthy amicable divorce to a hero and his wife.
Try it. It makes the whole comic experience much less aggrivating.
Hey, did ya hear about the new Sentry mini series?…
SENTRY : The Power of a Million Shedding Tears
Coming This Valentines Day
Brought to You by Kleenex
The film equivalent of the Sentry would be to crudely CGI him into pre-existing Marvel movies.
“Look out, Iron Man!”
*bad voice-over* “Thanks, Bob!”
That’s what Venom is in Spidey 3. One of Bob’s emo Void tears. Explains the sudden, inexplicable mood shift.
The Sentry is unavailable as he is currently part of the #occupythemilkyway movement protesting the fact that the largest 12% of planets currently posses over 70% of the universe’s mass.
The Sentry could work.
He did bang Rogue so he can’t be all bad.
I actually kinda liked the idea of this hugely powerful being that’s pretty much ineffectual due to his crippling mental health problems. I just really hated the way he was implemented into the Marvel Universe. It really feels like that the editorial thought “Wouldn’t it be awesome if we had a character that’s been around since the 60s and revealed he was stark raving bonkers? But instead of introducing him and having him around for like 10 years in order to actually add some emotional weight, let’s just pretend he’s been here all along”
Ya i liked that massive physical power and massive mental weakness combo myself… Like combing the hulk’s power with an even crazier paranoid moonknight’s mind.
Ya they should have had him crop up every now and then over the decade.. but i think it was Jenkin’s that created him (if i remember correctly).. and i think hes not often in the marvel loop anymore… and he probably knew that he would move on eventually. So it may have been a lets use my idea now.. or never.. kind of situation.
I feel like the Sentry was wasted, I LOVED the original Sentry mini… but everything that has been done with him since has been sh*t. They kept retelling the same damn story, which was done much better the first time. They either should have had his massive breakdown that happened in SEIGE happen a hell of a lot earlier or actually gone with his as cured for a bit (hell half his stories ended with him supposedly getting over the Void and now he will be a great hero… until his very next apperance back at square one).
The Age of the Sentry mini was fantastic however..
would this be the wrong thread to suggest there might have actually been a handful of cool Sentry moments.
Now, there’s a Top 5 list I’d like to see.
Not make, mind you. Just see.
maybe a “Top 5 times the Sentry ripped someone in half and/or through them into the sun?”
I liked that one where he got killed. That’s #1.
for starters, I was thinking haggard, bearded Sentry sitting in a jail cell in New Avengers 1. I’m completely serious here.
I can’t wait until Marvel’s teaser images for some cryptic event 10 years from now that turns out to be the return of the Sentry.
“IT’S CRYING.”
HA!
The first thing this list reminded me of was how terrible World War Hulk was.
But boy, what a cry baby.
keep complaining about the Sentry, even after they killed him, and you call him a cry baby???
EVERYONE STOP LAUGHING
did the Sentry scar you that bad?? do you want a doll to show where he touched you?? <– trying and failing to be funny, eh, whatever
I thought it was pretty funny, because it’s not a real person.
shewww, thought I might be banned there for a bit
wish this list woulda come out like 2 years ago . . .
@LostArtist: I kind of liked the character of the Sentry but Marvel really fucked up how they handled him
It’s going to be a dark day when Marvel brings him back.
….Oh come on, you know they’re going to!
the void, that’s how they should bring him back. . . if they do
$10 bucks says they’ll polybag it.
You forgot that time the Sentry beat that horse to death
He was one of my FAVORITE characters in Marvel. Seriously.
Prepare… get rocks… ok, you can throw at me now…
I like in the original mini… where’s he’s scared of the kingpin because he’s so fat… it happened…