In Marvel comics, Sentry is an immensely powerful superhero, often compared to the likes of Superman. His power is said to be limitless, and he possesses the “power of a million exploding suns.” However, his greatest weakness is his unstable mental state, which is frequently exploited by his enemies.
Several characters have defeated or been able to subdue Sentry, either by exploiting his mental instability or using their own immense power.
The Sentry’s role in Avengers: Secret Wars
Key Defeats of Sentry
- The Void (Sentry’s Dark Side):
- Event: The “Siege” event (2010) is one of the most notable instances where Sentry is defeated, but not by another hero. Instead, he is overcome by his own dark side, The Void, a manifestation of his deepest fears and rage. The Void is essentially the opposite of Sentry and represents his destructive potential. In this event, The Void is unleashed when Sentry loses control, and it leads to massive destruction, especially during the assault on Asgard.
- Details: Sentry’s struggle with his dark side is an ongoing theme in the comics. In “Siege,” when he joins the Avengers to stop Norman Osborn (who is leading the Dark Avengers), his powers spiral out of control, and the Void’s presence becomes a massive threat. Ultimately, he sacrifices himself to stop the Void’s destruction. This event serves as a major turning point in the character’s arc, with his ultimate fate being tied to his mental instability and the internal battle between himself and the Void.
- Thor:
- Event: During the “Avengers: The Sentry” storyline, Thor faces off against Sentry after Sentry’s mental breakdown. Though Sentry is often seen as invulnerable, Thor’s strength and experience with combat, including his ability to handle powerful beings like the Hulk, put him on a level where he can overpower Sentry when he’s not fully in control.
- Details: The fight between Thor and Sentry occurs after Sentry’s mind starts to unravel. Thor is forced to use his full might to stop Sentry, and the battle showcases just how dangerous the character can be when his powers are unchecked.
- The Hulk (Bruce Banner):
- Event: The “World War Hulk” storyline also shows a moment where Hulk and Sentry engage in battle. During this storyline, Hulk, fueled by anger and vengeance, takes on a nearly unstoppable Sentry. The Hulk’s strength and rage eventually help him overpower Sentry during their battle.
- Details: In their fight, Hulk’s ability to grow stronger the angrier he gets plays a key role in defeating Sentry. While Sentry’s power might seem limitless, Hulk’s uncontrollable rage and healing factor make him a formidable opponent. However, the fight ends in a destructive clash, and Hulk does not fully “defeat” Sentry. Instead, both characters are too powerful to completely subdue one another, and the event ends with an uneasy truce.
- Iron Man (Tony Stark):
- Event: In the “New Avengers” storyline, Iron Man uses strategy and his intellect to deal with Sentry. While Iron Man is not as physically strong as Sentry, his ability to strategize and build powerful weapons has allowed him to overcome threats like Sentry. In one instance, he uses his technological expertise to try and stabilize Sentry’s mental state and prevent the destruction caused by the Void.
- Details: In this instance, Iron Man’s ingenuity and use of tech are pivotal. He isn’t directly defeating Sentry in combat, but he’s playing a crucial role in managing the threat that Sentry represents when he is on the brink of losing control.
Norman Osborn (Dark Avengers):
- Event: During “Dark Reign”, Norman Osborn assembles the Dark Avengers, and Sentry is forced to align with him as a part of Osborn’s team. While Sentry is powerful, his mind is unstable, and Osborn manipulates him to serve his own interests. However, as the events unfold, Sentry’s mental state deteriorates, making him vulnerable to Osborn’s manipulations and even to his own darker impulses.
- Details: During the “Dark Avengers” run, Norman Osborn uses a psychological approach to control Sentry, recognizing his vulnerabilities. Osborn plays on Sentry’s fear and guilt, leading to Sentry’s breakdown. Although Osborn never physically defeats Sentry in combat, he psychologically manipulates him, using his instability as a weapon. This leads to Sentry’s eventual breakdown, making him susceptible to becoming the Void once again.
- The Illuminati (Sentry’s Restriction):
- Event: In the “Civil War” storyline, the Illuminati (a secret group of powerful superheroes like Tony Stark, Doctor Strange, and others) decide to keep Sentry in check, as his uncontrollable powers pose a significant threat. While Sentry is not defeated in direct combat, the Illuminati’s plan to isolate him and neutralize his ability to be a weapon against Earth’s enemies reveals how even the most powerful heroes fear his power.
- Details: The Illuminati constructs a plan to contain Sentry’s power. They realize that if he loses control, he could pose a greater threat than any enemy they face. Using Doctor Strange’s magic and advanced technology, the Illuminati tries to keep Sentry isolated, demonstrating their fear that even an ally as powerful as Sentry could become a danger if not properly controlled. This marks a pivotal moment in Sentry’s relationship with Earth’s heroes, as he becomes more of a liability than an asset.
- The Avengers vs. Sentry (“Avengers: Disassembled”):
- Event: In “Avengers: Disassembled” (2004), the Avengers face off against numerous threats, but one key moment is when Sentry becomes one of the greatest challenges to the team. The Avengers are forced to confront Sentry after he starts spiraling out of control and appears as though he is ready to unleash the Void once more.
- Details: The Avengers, led by Captain America and Iron Man, attempt to stop Sentry from losing control. During this event, Sentry is not outright defeated in combat, but the team focuses on trying to contain his powers and prevent him from succumbing to the Void. They realize that the fight isn’t physical but emotional, as they attempt to help him deal with his mental instability. It’s one of the first instances in Marvel history where the team has to grapple with the idea that a superhero like Sentry can be just as dangerous as any villain.
- The Superhero Civil War (Civil War II):
- Event: In “Civil War II”, a conflict emerges between two factions of heroes, one led by Iron Man and the other by Captain Marvel. During the event, Sentry is forced into a conflict where his power is a potential danger. When he is ordered to participate in a battle by Captain Marvel, his instability once again puts everyone at risk. Though he doesn’t lose directly in combat, his failure to control his own powers and his shifting mental state leads to him being taken down by his own allies.
- Details: In “Civil War II,” Sentry’s struggle is less about facing a singular enemy and more about the inherent danger of his abilities. He’s forced to confront his own limitations in a civil war, where his powers might turn against those he’s sworn to protect. His internal conflicts and emotional turmoil are more evident here than ever before, and it becomes clear that Sentry is his own worst enemy.
- Sentry’s Last Stand Against The Void (Marvel’s “The Sentry” miniseries):
- Event: In “The Sentry” (2000), Sentry’s true origin is revealed, and the series delves deeply into his troubled mental state. This storyline explores his journey to try and overcome his darkness and become a true hero. However, in the climax of the series, Sentry’s struggle against the Void reaches a point where he has to make an ultimate choice: face the Void once and for all or risk destroying everything around him.
- Details: The Void is the dark, destructive side of Sentry, and it’s the constant internal battle between these two forces that defines much of his character. In this story, Sentry essentially defeats the Void by using his own power to suppress it, but in doing so, he sacrifices his very existence to stop the threat he posed to the world. This sacrifice serves as a tragic conclusion to his arc, with Sentry disappearing into obscurity and leaving behind a legacy as both a hero and a cautionary tale.
10. The Sentry vs. The Avengers (Avengers: The Sentry)
- Event: During the “Avengers: The Sentry” storyline in the comics, Sentry’s uncontrollable powers bring him into direct conflict with the Avengers. Though Sentry is a member of the team at times, his instability makes him an unpredictable and dangerous ally. In this storyline, the Avengers must confront Sentry when he begins to spiral out of control.
- Details: The Avengers, led by Captain America, face an incredibly tough decision when Sentry starts exhibiting increasingly erratic behavior. His mental state deteriorates, and his inability to control his immense power causes concern. This storyline focuses on how the Avengers have to deal with the threat of Sentry potentially becoming a danger to everyone, including his own teammates. While they don’t “defeat” Sentry in the traditional sense, they are forced to confront him as he becomes a liability. The team ultimately works to help him regain control, but his struggles highlight the challenge of containing a hero who is more powerful than anyone else, yet so emotionally fragile.
This event serves as another crucial moment in Sentry’s arc, emphasizing the constant tension between his heroic aspirations and the destructive potential of his darker side. His relationship with the Avengers is a reflection of how his teammates must handle him carefully, knowing that one wrong move could unleash catastrophic consequences.
