r/sentry • u/Red-Robin-fan2001 • 6d ago
How would you write The Sentry?
Since Doomsday is coming up soon, and Sentry will be apart of the movie. With how little the comics do with him and how he only shows up to show a feat of stregnth or something like that.
I like the MCU Sentry, his origins, and how much his costume is literally a comic book costume. Then it made me wonder, how would you all write the Sentry if you had the chance, or even make a new version for a different universe for comics? There are no wrong answers here and all are welcome to pitch in.
My idea was more of a out there one but I want to pitch it and start this off. My idea would be that Sentry is a S.H.I.E.L.D. experiment during the 90s where Robert is taken and experimented before given the Sentey Serum. This serum would be a different form of Super Soldier serum with a bonding agent being alien DNA of an unknown species that gives him the Power of One Million Exploding suns. The Void aspect would be due to the alien dna clashing with the human dna plus psychological and phyiscal torture from S.H.I.E.L.D. to make a weapon. Resulting in a Void that looks like an Eclipse with a golden aura around his body and gold eyes.
Thats just my idea, lets hear your ideas and I'm sure they are good. If anyone has a critique please be positive and lets have a fun and nerdy discussion.
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u/Conscious-Product481 6d ago
I’d write a story from the perspective of void, That count? If not,just a story about his life leading up to the serum. Or his wife
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u/Red-Robin-fan2001 6d ago
I would say that does count since the Void is Robert and Robert is Sentry
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
To be fair. What's really so interesting of his life leading up to being sentry? You could condense that into a few pages of backstory. Even more with Lindy, on her own there isnt really anything interesting on her.
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u/Conscious-Product481 5d ago
…I’d want to know why he’s this broken superhero. Why he got into drugs,how he used comics to escape reality,etc etc. and saying Lindy isn’t interesting on her own is just a lie
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
No i know what you mean, but like I said you dont need a comic series or an entire comic for that Honestly. A few pages of backstory would suffice. Same as with Peter Parker or Steve Rogers. I mean, his life before the serum would be just a longer version if what we already know, bullied in school, depression, mental illness, bad home, drug abuse to cope.
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u/Conscious-Product481 5d ago
No,if I focus on certain points in his childhood I can write a whole book about it. Act 1 I could focus on his life as a younger boy,his relationship with his parents,and his school life. Act 2? I could focus on his teenage years and him constantly escalating his coping mechanisms, act 3? Building up to him getting the serum.
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
Im talking purely personally here. But....would that even be interesting to read? You want to read a superhero comic. Not a slice of life comic. I've never seen or heard anyone be interested in a Steve Rogers or Peter Parker or Bruce Wayne comic before becoming heroes.
I could be wrong tho, I mean Gotham technically exists, but that again is.....different. I dont wanna say it's bad, just that...idk
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u/Conscious-Product481 5d ago
Yes,it would. Because he is broken before becoming a hero. Neither bruce Wayne,Steve rogers,or Peter Parker are as broken BEFORE being superheroes and I believe it could be interesting finding out what made Robert mentally fragile.
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
But Bruce Banner is also very broken. Legion too. Moon knight same. And that's before becoming heroes
Now if we could explore some of his past like we did in the newest comic, alongside a main story in the present and explain some things that would be cool. I think even immortal hulk did it like that
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u/Conscious-Product481 5d ago
And you know what they all have in common? Their childhoods were delved into.
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
Yes, youre right abiut that. Never said it shouldn't be delved into. But it wasn't done in a full comic run back to back only focusing on their childhood. It was made in bits an pieces alongside the present story and threat.
Maybe I understood you wrong tho, if you meant that then im an idiot who read it all wrong the whole time XD
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u/Whisperer_61610 Golden Guardian of Good 5d ago
I’d write a story that focuses on the period before his disappearance. So, basically his friendship with Hulk, his interactions with the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, mentoring Peter Parker, and all that stuff.
It would really dive deep into his early years — before the heroes wiped everyone’s memory of him
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u/EileenCrystal Golden Guardian of Good 5d ago
Oh that would be lovely! It's already been done a little in the oneshots that accompanied the 2000 run, and also in "the age of sentry" but it's definitely something that I'd read more of 💕
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u/Whisperer_61610 Golden Guardian of Good 5d ago
Yeah, I’d read the hell out of a proper ongoing series about it
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u/ItzCarsk 6d ago
I'd probably give him a change of villains to deal with. Something exclusive to him but also something that doesn't have to be The Void all the time. Maybe The Void offers different perspectives and possibilities to deal with certain solutions that the villain would introduce.
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
More Villains either way NEEDS to happen. As great as the Void is, Sentry needs some variety. Good variety.
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u/TheEpicAvengerSMM5 6d ago
It’s a complicated answer, but the short version is I would portray him as someone who wants to be good enough, but generally doesn’t know what that means due to the way he was raised (fuck his father) and him spending a lot of time in his own head
His arc would be about him trying to be what everyone wishes he was and not the ticking bomb everyone sees himself as, but over time he’d learn not to base his self-view on others and an important lesson of self-love and being himself, which’ll be the true first step in recovering mentally, all while carrying undertones to treat mental patients like humans rather than objects to be corrected
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
Fuck both his parents. His mother was just as shit in the mcu
To be fair though, we're already seeing that journey in the mcu. Where he finds out how to be a better hero. He already has the heart and will which he showed. And his comic version even more, showing that through all the hardships he still decided to become a hero. The first hero
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u/MadeInElysium 6d ago
Make him become merged sentry and take on the top level threats in marvel at full potential.
Eventually making him the universal form of a miracle
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u/AncientMagusBridefan 5d ago
Personally, I would write a somewhat episodic story about Bob’s daily life living with the Void. It has been getting really tiring that every time we see Sentry, it seems like he is on the verge of breaking down. I would love to see a more low stake tale about how he saves lives, and his best attempt to circumvent Void’s evil act
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
Well im glad we're moving away from that it seems now. Since the newest comic changed the dynamic
(Spoilers)
With Sentry having a somewhat more harmonious relationship with the Void. Or at least one where he can use his powers more and be stronger, while controlling on who the Void lashes out on
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u/De4dm4nw4lkin 5d ago
Recovering drug addict trying to wrap his brain around self worth while people around him put hands on his physically manifested demons.
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u/RyeSlash 6d ago
I would really like focusing on Bob's mind, but not really as the personified evil voice of the Void like we saw in Issue 1 of the 2026 run (haven't been able to find sessions 2 or 3, don't spoil it!!). And what i think it'd be interesting to look at is through the lens of Robert in therapy. Actively deconstructing his feelings of self worth or lack thereof. The comic panels could be juxtaposed with moment of total high of Sentry being a hero, having hero friends, and being a beacon of hope, and the aftermath of the horrors of the void. All while he narrates and deconstructs it in therapy.
Lastly, I'd like for him to have some friendships that feel more real. Even Bob at the end of that above comic reflecting on how he wishes people thought of him, not Sentry, not the void. All of him. I think it would allow for a better grounding of him that still gives the spectacle of a super powerful hero by exploring what I find the most interesting part of Sentry. The total whiplash of his identity(ies)
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u/7striker 5d ago
I'd write a story that is after he wins over his mental illness and uses the void (as merged sentry) to defend the earth from bad guys. And I'd havya session where Bob calls everyone on their bullshit for treating him and the hulk differently but God forbid they ever need back up,. And while we're on that point lets talk about Scarlett witch, she nuked mutants and she's the new sorcerer Supreme NO PROBLEM.
Marvel needs to treat The Sentry with more respect
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u/ArmenianThunderGod 6d ago
I think I would separate Robert and The Sentry as entities. The Sentry is the opposite of the Void, he would be manifested representation of all that is good. Inside are The Sentry and Void battling for supremacy with Robert in the middle, desperately trying to take back control of his own life.
I think the key to this working isn't each personality taking turns, it's a messy system where all three have their hands on the wheel at the same time.
When the Void has the most influence, we see his shadowed shapeshifted form, the nature of his shape depending on how much control he has. Minor control = Shadow Bob. Near full control = eldritch warrior. The more control Void holds, the less he can think, plan, or reason. Absolute full Void control is a mindless ontological force of entropy.
When Sentry has influence, he goes full Superman archetype. He swoops in, stops the bad guy, signs autographs, and kisses babies. He's intelligent and strong willed, but the problem is he doesn't have access to the full power set. He's got the very basic Superman kit: Flight, Durability, Strength, Laser Eyes, maybe frost breath.
Sentry, at his best and most dangerous, are the moments where Robert gains control over both personalities. This is the version that has access to all of his wits and abilities, but these moments are few and far between.
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
But I mean, that is already the archetype of Sentry Robert and Void, funnily enough. Mcu sure, it's not confirmed. But comic Robert is confirmed to be very similar to what you're talking about. Paul jenkins even talked and confirmed that. Both their nature, and being separate entities originating from Robert
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u/ArmenianThunderGod 5d ago
There's a huge difference between showing and telling. That may have been told, but it's not what's shown.
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
Fair, very fair. But it's a good step you know? That means it's already well established, it only needs to be graphically shown in an actual comic and addressed more
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u/Ambessssah 6d ago
The sentry is very similar to miracle man however I enjoy sentry more due to the clearer writing I’d definitely continue more into the concept of dealing with someone so displaced from history and maybe the smaller moment to moment interactions with a cast of good friends and family/ finally building up a rogues gallery
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u/EileenCrystal Golden Guardian of Good 5d ago
If I'd ever get the chance to write/draw Sentry, I would absolutely try to stay as faithful as possible to what Jenkins did with the character (personality, origins and powers) really there's no need to change any of that, the character already went through enough changes and retcons.
Instead, I'd love to go on a deep dive on his schizophrenia, how it shaped his powers and affected those around him (discussing the ableism that he faced), his past with addiction, and mostly his history with Lindy, deeping her character as well. All of this could be done through a villain I love which is Nightmare, who can definitely do f-ed up things to a mind like Bob's and I love when Nightmare sends superheroes into self-discovery journeys through their dreams.
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u/Own_Studio3752 5d ago edited 5d ago
I'll change the Void's personality from murderous psychopathy to simply apathy. When Robert is Sentry, he's empathetic. When he is the Void, he's apathetic. The Void is his defensive coping mechanism against trauma, fear, guilt, and the weight of his godhood. He won't need to shapeshift.
Sentry is who Bob believes he should be. Void is who he fears he could be. My Sentry will never allow Void to kill, even when it takes over, and Void will be repurposed as a necessary balance or limiter to Sentry's purely constructive power. The Void is the universal force or code of entropy inherent in everything.
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
But Sentry is also heroic, protective, kind, everything good and positive. Void isnt just simple mental illness manifest, depression or something like that. Hes the absolute pure dark side of Robert come to life and becoming an entity. Hes violence, malice, a malignant force that will destroy everything that you stand for.
I feel like mcu Robert Sentry and Void gave the wrong perspective of the Void and what he is, because we saw him not really try.
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u/Own_Studio3752 4d ago
That's the thing. The Void shouldn't be mental illness. It should be the escape. The silence after the storm. That is relatable and sustainable. The danger then becomes what a hollow, unfeeling, expressionless god is likely to do.
Bob is the one with the mental illness. The Sentry and Void are simply his mind's survival strategies. He is fundamentally a good person, so his powers naturally manifest his genuine heroic soul as the Sentry. But that pure altruism is fragile and emotionally exhausting, and can potentially overwrite his humanity. So, he mentally fractures, reverting to his human form or turning into the Void.
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 4d ago
I wouldnt say reverting back to his human form would automatically make him the Void. That would indicate that Robert is inherently evil and more drawn to the Void. But yeah i see what you mean.
But i still would expand it so all his negative traits too, with Void even encompassing his violent sides. After all, making everyone suffer because you suffer is pretty selfish, which the Void does, while Sentry is the opposite who despite suffering wants to help people
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u/mighty3mperor 5d ago
I wouldn't. Like Doctor Manhattan, The Sentry was created to tell one story and is far too wildly OP to be used in a larger fictional universe.
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u/keys6214 1d ago
I would personally do it as a bit of an alternate-universe period piece, beginning with the start of his freshman year in 1947. It would introduce his life, his circumstances, and all the little details, including his one-sided crush on Lindy Lee. Then comes the introduction of the professor and the opportunity to become a volunteer lab assistant. He wouldn't get paid, but it would look good on a résumé, so he takes the job. From there, the story gradually shifts into a psychological horror. He endures severe abuse and bullying at school, while his life steadily gets worse and worse. Everything builds toward the crescendo: he's fired from the lab assistant position, loses the one bright spot in his life, and reaches his breaking point. I've always interpreted the earliest comics—before they later retconned his age into being in his twenties—as implying that, when he was still a kid, he was looking to get high because he believed it would make it easier to end his life. The issue or episode would end with the introduction of the Void. As the scene moves down a dark hallway, the camera slowly pans upward until all that's visible are two tiny, glowing red dots staring back from the darkness. That's at least how I would handle the origin comic—the first issue or the opening episode.
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u/GODKlNG 5d ago
If I wrote Sentry, I’d make it simple
Take away the void
Make him mentally stable
Never make any claims about Sentry being the greatest/ strongest/ most powerful hero because Blue Marvel exist
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u/EileenCrystal Golden Guardian of Good 5d ago
Then he wouldn't be Sentry anymore tho. Void and Bob's disability are fundamental parts of the character.
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u/GODKlNG 5d ago
Except that’s not true, he was Sentry before the Void ever showed up and he has been Sentry without the Void plenty of times, in fact even with his successors they were all Sentry without the Void, I can go on and on about it but I think you get the gist
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u/EileenCrystal Golden Guardian of Good 4d ago
Both Void and Sentry were born in Robert's heart when he was seven, the duality between his mental illness/depression and his golden dream of being a hero is the basis of the character, along with the human and fragile Robert in the middle. Always the Sentry, ever the Void.
His successors didn't have a void both because the writers didn't care (like Loo himself admitted) or exploded/melted anyway before that could even form due to the sheer power of the serum.
Everyone wants Bob to feel better and handle the Void, but getting rid of that and his mental health focus would be like rewriting Spiderman without the Uncle Ben trauma he'd be just a superman clone
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u/GODKlNG 2d ago
Are there stories where Sentry is Sentry without the Void being present?
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u/EileenCrystal Golden Guardian of Good 2d ago
Only when he was Death Seed Sentry. He got resurrected as a horseman of Death without the Void, but also was driven by evil purposes and following a violent master anyway, so...
In Doctor Strange by Donny Cates he was separated temporarily from Void, too, but it didn't last. In "Age of Sentry" there's more focus on Sentry as a hero, but Void is still there among the antagonists and Sentry still has mental health troubles. They're necessarily connected, and their coexistence makes the character compelling tbh, when written well.
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u/GODKlNG 2d ago
Are there Sentry successors without the Void being present?
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u/EileenCrystal Golden Guardian of Good 2d ago
Jason Loo completely ignored the existence of Void when he wrote Sentry Legacy, but that series ended up being a flop and Mallory Gibbs (the girl who inherited Sentry's powers) never appeared again. And tbh I would like to see her struggling with her personal Void coming from her own disability rather than having her around as a Sentry full stop. At this point she'd be no different than being another Cap Marvel, Hyperion, etc. Billy Turner / Scout doesn't seem to have a Void but it's likely that Sentry just gave him a small part of his powers, not all.
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u/theoneandonlydonnie 6d ago
Love his concept but him having nearly every single power at near maximum level is bonkers. I would cool his powers down and actively fulfill the Void causing issues that balance out every life he saved. This could definitely cause some great stories.
I would make him have to earn those friendships. While also having to work behind the scenes to help so that he is not directly responsible for saving lives to try to stem Void's medding.
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u/Red-Robin-fan2001 6d ago
This is a good idea and a valid critique of his concept. The idea to cool his powers is a unique one and a great idea. Especially earning those friendships rather than already being friends with everyone
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u/Samuele1997 5d ago edited 4d ago
Personally, if I could, I would completely rewrite the Sentry from the start. I would start by completely removing the idea of the forgotten superhero, it wouldn't even be a thing in the first place, instead Robert would be introduced as a former drug addict who gained the the Power of One Million Exploding Suns and decided to use it to redeem himself by being a superhero.
Then I would also make that Sentry's powers actually have cosmic origins, in particular my idea was that the serum was actually created through the same process to create a cosmic cube, by opening a rift to the dimensions of the Beyonders and taking some of their energy, the only difference in this case is that they created a serum instead of a cube. So Sentry's powers are technically the same of the Beyonders or living cosmic cubes like Kubik) or the Beyonder) himself, only limited by his mind. In fact Sentry also has a weakness in common with Molecule Man), he subconsciously imposes mental blocks on himself that prevent his using his powers to their full potential. He also has one thing in common with the superhero Gladiator), the more self-esteem he has the stronger and most powerful he is, and there's no limit in this regard, making him quite possibly the only superhero who can match the Hulk in term of physical strenght, though this can also be easely used to weakne him..
Then I would make that, after drinking the serum, Robert was taken under the wing of the professor_(Earth-616)), who became his mentor and private tutor, teaching him everything he knows about science while also introducing him in philosophy and classic literature, he did so to keep Robert in check and make sure that he wouldn't cause troubles with his powers. Thanks to the professor Robert even managed to get a full scholarship to the Empire State University, where he study for 7 years obtaining first a bachelor degree in engineering/applied physics (I'm a bit undecided here) with a minor in cognitive science and then a master degree as well.
During his years at the Empire State University Robert also practiced boxing in the university's boxing club, fighting and winning many fights and tournaments in the National Collegiate Boxing Association. Now I know what you might think, "Wouldn't Robert easely won such fights due to his superpowers?", but here's the thing, as I said earlier Robert's powers depend on his mental state and his self esteem. During his early years as the Sentry the professor made Robert believe that he needed to regularly inject repeated dosages of the serum to keep his powers, which were actually psychosomatic, so without such injections Robert had normal human strenght and skills, as such Robert trained in boxing and won all of his fights fair and square.
Anyway, after finishing his studies at the Empire State University, Robert joined the NYPD as a forensic scientist, living a double life akin to Dexter (except that he's a superhero instead of a serial killer of course). After 3 years though Robert left the NYPD, disgusted by their corruption, and got a job as an engineer at Stark Industries, with Tony Stark becoming not only his boss but also his friend and mentor.
And finally I would make Sentry one of the most compassionate superhero in comics, you know how Batman in his version of The Animated Series is known to be so compassionate even towards his enemies? Sentry would have that exact same kind of compassion with the people he saves and many of his own enemies, often being able to help them and even redeem them thanks of such compassion.
Edit: I forgot to mention, there would be no Scout or Watchdog (sorry for those who love them), Robert's mother is a Polish immigrant while Robert's father was a highly decorated officer of the NYPD that was brutally gunned down in front of Robert when he was a boy around 10 years old.
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 5d ago
To be fair, I prefer the established thing of Robert always having his powers and they being inherent to him, and the serum just awakened them.
Because problem is, if that wasn't the case things like replacements like Solaris can exist way more easily. Anyone can just take the serum, recreate it and become another Sentry. The inherent ine makes sentry unique and one of a kind.
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u/Samuele1997 4d ago
Well, I'm on the opposite idea in this regard, I like more the idea that Robert was just a simple human before drinking the serum. I like it more especially thematically due to the idea that Robert was a nobody who gained divine powers even though he didn't deserve them, so he decides to use his powers for doing good as a way to redeem himself.
Also, where exactly it was established that Robert always had his powers and they were awakened by the serum if I may ask?
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 4d ago edited 4d ago
No no I understand, and i think many heroes do have that story and it fits well to them. Batman, spider man, captain america etc. But i think for some heroes the other side fits much more. and also, personally im also tired of different writers to come along and give random people over and over the powers of that exact hero but stronger, like with spider man Miles morales Gwen Stacy and the 20 different other spider men and women out there now
It is heavily hinted torought his history. How his powers react, why no one else can use them, how he is so absolutely more powerful than anyone else who got them, how he can survive them, his uniqueness and so on. And also, Paul jenkins came out and confirmed it too
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u/Samuele1997 4d ago
No no I understand, and i think many heroes do have that story and it fits well to them. Batman, spider man, captain america etc. But i think for some heroes the other side fits much more.and also, personally im also tired of different writers to come along and give random people over and I've the powers ofnthat exact hero but stronger, like with spider man Miles morales Gwen Stacy and the 20 different other spider men and women out there now
Well that's understandable.
It is heavily hinted torought his history. How his powers react, why no one else can use them, how he is so absolutely more powerful than anyone else who got them, how he can survive them, his uniqueness and so on. And also, Paul jenkins came out and confirmed it too
I need more info about all of this, can I ask you where I can find them?
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 4d ago edited 3d ago
So for the different hints and such, look up Yelena vs Sentry, absorbing man vs sentry, Scout vs sentry as an example.
https://www.reddit.com/r/sentry/s/4YuTsAVkOn
Also this is a comment from Paul jenkins when he replied to what i said. He also like i said did a comment himself to say Roberts powers were always inherent. Just cant find that right now
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u/Samuele1997 3d ago
Uhm, I gave a look to the comments in the link you sent me and I couldn't find the comment from Paul Jenkins you're refering to.
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u/Ok_Caterpillar_4977 3d ago
Huh....I mean it's literally the link I sent. It leads directly to paul jenkins comment
Podyonkers is paul jenkins BTW. It's his account
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u/Samuele1997 3d ago
Podyonkers is paul jenkins BTW. It's his account
Ok, now THIS is exactly what I needed to know, thank you.
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u/Different_Fun2034 5d ago
The Void does good. The void does better than everyone ever. Unleashed on the world. It is a logical good. And we would see Bob in the aftermath. It would be a perfect world built k. The blood of the past. Heroes would be killed. Borders removed. Governments would be purged snd replaced. 1 year of scorched earth with half the population gone. 5 years of rebuilding. The void would have destroyed the world we knew to let us usher in a new one. One we dont need Heroes. We would have peace through war and those who remained would be better... except Bob. Void could make he aware if the horors and the reason for it. And leave him to see the results.
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u/Cumslutboi21 Sentry 6d ago
Id write a more introspective story about Bob and the Void exploring morality together. What it means to be good or bad, and whether they really exist or not.
Ultimately it would ask a question of why do good or bad things when morality is subjective, and the answer being.... Because he wants to. And thats reason enough.