The Sentry: Start Here - The Essential Marvel Echoes Primer

Origin Spark: The Hero We All Forgot

For years, a story lingered in the back of the Marvel Universe's collective mind: a perfect hero, a Golden Guardian of Good who was a ally to heroes like the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. He was a symbol of pure, unadulterated heroism who made friends with everyone he met and was celebrated as the greatest hero of his time. This was the "perfect" origin of The Sentry, as revealed in the shocking miniseries The Sentry #1 (2000). It was a history that felt real, a comforting lie everyone wanted to believe was true.

The truth was far darker. The man behind the myth was Robert "Bob" Reynolds, a troubled individual and a drug addict who broke into a lab in a desperate search for a fix. Instead, he stumbled upon a new version of the Super-Soldier Serum, a concoction meant to recreate the legendary abilities of Captain America. The experiment was a success beyond imagination, but it also amplified every dark, negative thought within him, giving birth to a malevolent entity known as The Void.

For a time, both the Sentry and the Void coexisted, locked in a brutal battle for control. For every heroic act the Sentry performed, the Void would commit a horror of equal or greater magnitude, a perfect reflection of his positive deeds. The conflict reached a climax when Bob, with the help of his wife, Lindy Lee, and other heroes, made a horrific choice: to stop the Void's rampage, he had to make the world forget about him entirely. With a reality-bending psychic wave, he erased all memory of the Sentry from everyone on Earth, including himself. All that was left was a quiet, unassuming man named Robert Reynolds, and a world that couldn't quite remember its greatest hero as seen in The Sentry vs. the Void #1 (2001). His powers and his pain would inevitably return, destined to once again clash with the world he had fought so hard to protect.

Even now, Bob’s journey is one of internal war — a man trying to be a hero while fearing he’s the world’s greatest threat.

Allies and Adversaries: A Divided Mind’s Troubled Circle

The Sentry's life is a constant push-and-pull between friends and foes, with each person playing a key role in his battle against himself.

Key Allies

• Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic): Helped Bob erase the world’s memory of the Sentry to contain the Void.
• Doctor Strange: A spiritual anchor and strategist in Bob’s battle against his darker half.
• Norman Osborn: Surprisingly, Osborn manipulated Bob during Dark Avengers, showing how vulnerable Sentry could be.
• Lindy Reynolds: Bob’s wife, whose love and fear of the Void added emotional depth to his struggle.
• Scout (Billy Turner): Bob’s original sidekick, nearly killed by the Void — a symbol of innocence lost.

Key Villains

• The Void: Literally Bob’s dark side, capable of mass destruction and psychological torment.
• Knull: The god of symbiotes who briefly bonded with the Void during King in Black .
• The Cancerverse: A twisted reality where death is banished — the Void once led its forces.
• The Avengers: When Bob lost control to The Void, even Earth’s Mightiest Heroes had to treat him as a threat.

Resonance Arcs: The Unraveling of the Mind

The Golden Cage: New Avengers #7–10, & #24 (2004)

After years of being forgotten, the Sentry returned to the world's consciousness following a mass breakout at the supervillain prison, The Raft. This arc is a masterclass in psychological horror, as the heroes must deal with a man who is both a living god and a catatonic mess, haunted by the very name of his enemy, The Void. The story focuses on the Avengers’ attempt to help a bewildered Robert Reynolds as he slowly pieces together his traumatic past. It explores the core theme of the Sentry: is he a superhero or a walking disaster waiting to happen? His mental instability is a raw nerve that the team can barely handle, making him one of the most unpredictable and terrifyingly powerful members they have ever had. The conclusion of this arc sees Sentry embracing his place as a hero again, but with the terrifying knowledge that the Void is always a part of him.

Norman's Pet: Dark Avengers #1–16 (2009)

Following the Skrull invasion in Secret Invasion , the world is thrown into chaos, and Norman Osborn rises to power, creating his own team of government-sanctioned "Dark" Avengers. The Sentry, seeking validation and a place to belong, is manipulated into joining Osborn’s team. This is a pivotal arc that shows what happens when the Sentry is given free rein without a moral compass. Osborn uses him as a nuclear deterrent, a force of nature to intimidate anyone who opposes him. The Sentry's already fragile mind is pushed to its breaking point, culminating in a cataclysmic moment that forever changes his legacy. It’s an essential arc to understand the dangerous depths of his power and the vulnerability of his mind.

Fall of the Guardian: Siege #1–4 (2010)

This is the ultimate, tragic climax of the Sentry's story. With Norman Osborn's power finally challenged, the Sentry is fully consumed by the Void and unleashes his full power against the world. He single-handedly devastates Asgard and brutalizes the heroes, proving to be the most powerful villain the Marvel Universe has ever faced. This story arc provides the devastating answer to the question of whether the Sentry can ever truly be controlled. His final moments with Thor and his last wish to his friend are the heartbreaking conclusion to a hero’s journey that was doomed from the start.

Legacy and Echoes: The Shifting Mantle

After Bob Reynolds' death at the hands of Knull in the King in Black event, his immense power was scattered across the Earth, seeking new hosts. This led to the 2023 mini-series Sentry, where a group of new, reluctant heroes inherited his mantle.

• The New Sentries: The 2023 series introduced a group of new characters who gained a portion of Bob's powers. Instead of a team, they were a disparate group brought together by this shared, terrifying connection.
• Solarus (Mallory Gibbs): A new character who takes on the Sentry's powers. Refusing to adopt a name tainted by the Void, she rebrands herself as Solarus, determined to forge a new, positive legacy.
• Ryan Topper: An aggressive teenager who also gains a portion of the Sentry's power, but his ambition and volatility lead him to try and absorb the power of the other new Sentries, becoming a villain and the dark reflection of Bob's legacy.

The Primer: The Sentry Essential Reading List

• The Sentry (2000): This is the definitive starting point, collecting the original miniseries and one-shots that establish the core conflict, the history, and the shocking origin of the Sentry and the Void.
• New Avengers Vol. 2: The Sentry (2005): This collection features the story of the Sentry's return, his joining of the Avengers, and the team's first true confrontation with the Void.
• Dark Avengers Vol. 1 (2009): This arc shows the Sentry at his most dangerous and compromised, serving Norman Osborn's twisted agenda.
• Siege (2010): The event that brings the Sentry's saga to a gut-wrenching, explosive finale.

The Sentry's story is a cosmic tragedy, but it's also a powerful exploration of heroism, mental health, and the idea that our greatest enemies are often the ones we create ourselves. Jump in and get ready to witness a truly unique character, a hero who is both the world's greatest champion and its greatest threat.

GettinJiggly

Author & Editor

William has been reading Marvel comics since the early ’90s, starting with the X-Men and never looking back. Raised on X-Men: The Animated Series, he fell in love with the characters, the drama, and the wild twists that made every issue feel like a revelation.

Marvel has always been his go-to universe—whether it’s flipping through classic origin stories or catching every MCU movie and show the moment they drop. Through Marvel Echoes, William shares the stories that shaped his fandom, hoping to help others discover the heroes, villains, and cosmic oddities that make this multiverse so unforgettable.