Sentinel (comics)

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Sentinels

The Sentinels are a group of mutant-hunting robots appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are typically depicted as antagonists to the X-Men.

The Sentinels played a large role in the 1990s X-Men animated series and have been featured in several X-Men video games. The Sentinels are featured prominently in the 2014 film X-Men: Days of Future Past while simulated versions made brief appearances in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand and the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse. In 2009, The Sentinels were ranked as IGN's 38th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.[2]

Publication history

Sentinels' debut The X-Men #14 (November 1965). Art by Jack Kirby.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 (Nov. 1965).[3]

Sentinels are programmed to locate mutants and capture or kill them. Though several types of Sentinels have been introduced, the typical Sentinel is three stories tall, is capable of flight, projects energy blasts, and can detect mutants.[4] Pursuing genocide as the means of dealing with a threat has made the Sentinels an analogy for racial hatred and other negative types of fanaticism in Marvel stories,[5] represent the horrific consequences of humanity's actions based on hate and ignorance, along with a caution of the risks of AI takeover.

Characteristics

Sentinels are designed to hunt mutants.[6] While many are capable of tactical thought, only a handful are self-aware.

Sentinels are technologically advanced, and have exhibited a wide variety of abilities. They are armed (primarily with energy weapons and restraining devices), capable of flight, and can detect mutants at long range. They possess vast physical strength, and their bodies are highly resistant to damage.[6] Some are able to alter their physical forms or re-assemble and reactivate themselves after they have been destroyed.

Some Sentinel variants have the ability to learn from their experiences, developing their defenses during an engagement. Several groups of Sentinels have been created or led by a single massive Sentinel called Master Mold. Some Sentinels are also equipped with an inconspicuous logic loop in case they should go rogue to convince them that they are mutants.

Because of their power, sophistication, and high mass production, Sentinels are sold on the black market.[7] Entities obtain them—often in poor condition—for their own purposes (not necessarily mutant-related).[6][8]

During the "

A.I. Army.[9]

Types of Sentinels

Evolution of the Sentinel. Art by Ardian Syaf.

There are different types of Sentinels that appear in the comics:

  • Mark I and Master Mold - Created by Bolivar Trask. First appeared in X-Men #14. Trask sacrificed himself to destroy the Master Mold.
  • Mark II - Created by
    Larry Trask
    . This model was capable of adapting to and counteracting superpowers almost instantly. First appeared in X-Men #57.
    • No.2, the robotic leader of Larry's Sentinels, later "mutated" with the capability of creating space warps.[10]
  • Composite - Created by merging the remaining portions of five Sentinels destroyed by the X-Men and came under control of Ashley Martin. It rebelled against her and was subsequently destroyed.
  • Mark III - Created by
    Edward Buckman and the Council of the Chosen
    . Based on incomplete notes of Trask and inferior to Mark II. First appeared in X-Men #98.
  • Mark IV - Created by
    Sebastian Shaw
    . First appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #151.
  • Mark V - Created by Shaw for U.S. government's Project Wideawake. First appeared in The New Mutants #2.
  • Mark VI - Created by Shaw Industries for Project Wideawake and used by Onslaught. Also incorporated parts of Project Nimrod.
  • Mark VII - Created by Shaw Industries. They were experimental and remote controlled.
  • Nimrod (later Bastion) - A prototype Super Sentinel that arrived from the "Days of Future Past" timeline and was later reactivated by Reverend William Stryker.
    • Project Nimrod - Created by an offshoot of Project Wideawake and was in the experimental stage, Project Nimrod was actually a self-awareness program that Nimrod implanted before its demise into the base's military computer cybernet, the program served as a sleeper virus that awaited the opportunity to access a Sentinel development program so it could use it to re-create Nimrod itself. Cancelled after X-Force interfered.
Sentinels in Marvels #2 (February 1994). Art by Alex Ross.

Related mutant-hunting creations

The X-Men battle Sentinels in X-Men: Schism #1 (July 2011). Art by Carlos Pacheco and Cam Smith.
  • Tri-Sentinel - A giant-sized, six-armed, three-faced combination of three Sentinels created by
    Life Foundation, only to be destroyed again by Spider-Man and Nova. Mendel Stromm later obtained another one from the bunker of the bankrupt Life Foundation and was later approached by a mysterious benefactor
    who prepared to give him a Master Mold that specializes in creating Tri-Sentinels.
  • Soviet Sentinels - Created by the Soviet Union and later purchased by Cuban government officials.[22][full citation needed]
  • Super-Sentinels - Using Nano-Sentinel technology, Weapon Plus created artificially evolved superhumans at The World. Three of the creations were chosen to form the mutant-hunting Super-Sentinels: Huntsman, Fantomex and Ultimaton, who were intended to be presented to the public as superheroes to make the extermination of mutantkind look "like a Saturday morning cartoon".
  • Colcord's Sentinels - Some of the Boxbots created by Madison Jeffries (aka Box) to serve the Weapon X Program, run by Malcolm Colcord. In one variation of the Days of Future Past timeline seen in the Weapon X: Days of Future Now limited series, one of the Boxbots evolves into a new Master Mold and a new breed of Sentinels.
  • Hardaway - A cyborg created at Camp Hayden, killed by the
    Mutant Liberation Front
    , who called himself a Bio-Sentinel.
  • X-51 (Machine Man) - Captured by Bastion and "infected" with Prime Sentinel nano-bots which reconfigured and reconstructed his systems thereby giving him similar capabilities to Nimrod,[23][24] such as adapting to almost any situation and programming that at times forced him to attack mutants.[25]
  • Juston Seyfert's Sentinel: First appearing in Sentinel #1, this is a rebuilt Sentinel (likely a Mark V or Mark VI), reprogrammed to obey Juston Seyfert. Initially, Seyfert controlled the Sentinel by riding on its shoulder; he now has built a cockpit into it. Seyfert and his Sentinel are former members of Avengers Academy and featured in Avengers Arena
    .
  • Sentinaughts - One of the types of sentient robots who live in the free robot city of The Core,[26][full citation needed] Sentinaughts are apparently based on the Sentinel design. They vary in size from roughly human to the large stature of traditional Sentinels.
  • Nano-Sentinel - Microscopic sentinel type of tech created by Cassandra Nova and implemented in various ways by other users.[27] Moving within the body and attaching themselves to the brains of humans and mutants alike, turning them into mutant-hating assault drones with no self control. Ready to take down any mutant who so much as looks at them.[28]
    • An unknown form of human made sentinels created by Simon Trask using a nanite based Sentinel Tech virus. The victims become anti-mutant activists who later, at Trask's command, are fully transformed into lifeless robotic Sentinels mindlessly following Trask's orders.[29]
  • Adamantium Cyborgs - Near-fully mechanical mutant hunter killers refitted by Weapon X with the titular metal as an endoskeleton using sentinel based nanotech. Coming in numerous alphabetical categorical batches, these bionic weapons can shed their skin revealing a murderous automaton with the abilities of various X-Men heroes & villains integrated into them.[30]
  • Core/Central Command - A biotech Master Mold variant behind the design parameters of the new Prime Sentinel's.[31]
  • Box Sentinels - Smaller and faster Sentinels based off the Box technology created by a joint venture between Department H and Orchis to track down and capture mutants in Canada.[32]

Other versions

The following are alternative versions of the Sentinels, which appear outside of regular Marvel canon.

Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse timeline, Bolivar Trask created the Sentinels with his wife Moira. These Sentinels are equipped with several body-mounted gun turrets, and their primary directive is to protect humans rather than to hunt mutants.[citation needed] They are capable of cooperating with mutants to further this mission.[33][full citation needed] Later, the Sentinels are adapted by Weapon Omega to serve a reverse purpose, and now aid in the hunting of the human race.[34][full citation needed]

Days of Future Past

In the Days of Future Past timeline, which takes place in an alternate future, the "Omega Sentinels" have advanced technologically and become the de facto rulers of the United States. The most powerful among them is Nimrod.[volume & issue needed]

Hembeck

In the joke comic Fred Hembeck Destroys the Marvel Universe, the X-Men are killed by silent, black, man-sized "Ninja Sentinels".

Here Comes Tomorrow

In the Here Comes Tomorrow future timeline, a Sentinel named Rover is Tom Skylark's companion and protector. After more than 150 years of being active, Rover has become self-aware and, possibly, capable of emotion.[volume & issue needed]

House of M

In the

Sebastian Shaw, now the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., to serve a reverse purpose, and now aid in the hunting of sapien rebels.[volume & issue needed
]

MC2

In the

Wild Thing encounters a Prime Sentinel that has accidentally been activated by a faulty microwave.[volume & issue needed
]

Ronin

In the alternate reality of X-Men: Ronin, the story is played out in Japan. A police unit called "Sentinel Force" designs, builds and pilots the robots. These are aesthetically similar to regular Sentinels, but each is subtly different from the others.[volume & issue needed]

Star Trek

In the comic crossover

]

Ultimate Marvel

The

Ultimatum Wave, Nimrod Sentinels was deployed to hunt, capture or kill mutants that refused to turn themselves in. William Stryker, Jr., using Sentinel tech, later displayed an ability to summon a fleet of Sentinels after being attacked by the Shroud.[35][full citation needed
]

What If?

In other media

Television

Film

The Sentinels as they appear in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014); the Mark I model in 1973 (left) and the Mark X model in 2023 (right)
  • The Sentinels were originally meant to appear in X-Men (2000). In an early draft written by Andrew Kevin Walker and turned in during June 1994, Henry Gyrich and Bolivar Trask use three 8 feet (2.4 m) tall Sentinels to attack the X-Men.[42] Following several rewrites and new scripts, the Sentinels were eventually dropped from the film.[43]
  • A Sentinel appears in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) as a Danger Room simulation. This version is massive, and different in coloration and structure from the Sentinels of the comics, having a vent like mouthpiece, trapezoid shaped eyes that appear as white from a distance but are orange from close up and turn red when the Sentinel shuts down.
  • Two variations of the Sentinels appear in
    Hank McCoy
    convince her not to kill Trask, causing the U.S. government to realize that not all mutants are a threat to humanity and abandon the Sentinel program.
  • The X-Men: Days of Future Past incarnation of the Mark I Sentinels make a cameo appearance in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) as Danger Room simulations.

Video games

Sentinel (right) fighting Wolverine in X-Men: Children of the Atom.

Merchandise

  • A Sentinel figure was released in Toy Biz's
    X-Men Classics
    line.
  • A Sentinel "Build-A-Figure", based on the "Here Comes Tomorrow" incarnation, was released in wave ten of the Marvel Legends line.
  • Two Sentinel figures was released in Hasbro's Marvel Universe line.
  • Two Sentinel figures and a statue were released in the Marvel Minimates line, with the first figure depicting it fighting Rachel Summers as either Phoenix or Marvel Girl and the second, which is based on its appearance in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, fighting Ryu.
  • A Sentinel figure was released in Lego's "X-Men vs. the Sentinel" set.
  • A twenty-six inch Sentinel figure was announced as part of Hasbro's HasLab crowdfunding releases.


Music

In 2020, Brooklyn rapper Magneto Dayo unveiled "The Sentinels," a project that gained viral traction on Instagram reels in 2024, amassing over 5 million plays.

Miscellaneous

A Sentinel parody called the "Sentinent" appears in MAD Magazine's parody of the X-Men, the "ECH!-Men".

References

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  2. ^ "The Top 100 Comic Book Villains". IGN. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  3. .
  4. .
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  6. ^ a b c X-Men (vol. 3) #19-22. Marvel Comics.
  7. ^ M.O.D.O.K.: Head Cases #2. Marvel Comics.
  8. ^ Avengers: The Children's Crusade #9 (May 2012). Marvel Comics.
  9. ^ Iron Man 2020 vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.
  10. ^ The Avengers #102-104. Marvel Comics.
  11. ^ House of X #3. Marvel Comics.
  12. ^ Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #9-10. Marvel Comics.
  13. ^ New Mutants: Dead Souls #6. Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ Uncanny X-Men vol. 5 #19. Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #31. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^ Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #32. Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #1. Marvel Comics.
  18. ^ Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #3. Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ Powers of X #2. Marvel Comics.
  20. ^ X-Men (2022) #22
  21. ^ Invincible Iron Man (Vol. 5) #5
  22. ^ Mystique #3-6. Marvel Comics.
  23. ^ Cable and Machine Man Annual 1998
  24. ^ Machine Man & Bastion Annual 1998 #3
  25. ^ X-51 #1-2 (1999). Marvel Comics.
  26. ^ Secret Avengers #26
  27. ^ New X-Men #123
  28. ^ X-Men: Red #5
  29. ^ The Uncanny X-Men #500. Marvel Comics.
  30. ^ Weapon X vol. 3 #1. Marvel Comics.
  31. ^ The Uncanny X-Men vol. 4 #15. Marvel Comics.
  32. ^ Alpha Flight vol. 5 #1. Marvel Comics.
  33. ^ Amazing X-Men #2. Marvel Comics.
  34. ^ Uncanny X-Force #11. Marvel Comics.
  35. ^ Ultimate Comics: X-Men #3-4
  36. ^ What If? vol. 2 #92
  37. ^ What If? vol. 2 #114. Marvel Comics.
  38. ^ What If? vol. 2 #94. Marvel Comics.
  39. ^ a b "Sentinel Voice - X-Men franchise | Behind The Voice Actors". behindthevoiceactors.com. December 19, 2019. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  40. ^ Schwartz, Terri (16 January 2017). "Legion: X-Men Producer on How Professor X Fits In and Future TV Plans". IGN. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  41. ^ Romano, Nick. "'X-Men '97' exclusive look reveals legacy costumes, Theo James casting". EW.com. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  42. ^ Walker, Andrew Kevin (June 7, 1994). "X-Men First Draft". Daily Scripts. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2007.
  43. ^ Kendall, Gene (March 10, 2017). "15 Rejected X-Men Movie Ideas That Almost Happened". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  44. ^ CS (1 February 2013). "Mark Millar Talks X-Men: Days of Future Past and Kick-Ass 3". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  45. ^ Failes, Ian (May 27, 2014). "Future threat – X-Men: Days of Future Past". Fxguide. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  46. ^ Sentinels: For a Secure Future. X-Men: Days of Future Past Blu-ray: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. 2014.
  47. ^ Sentinels: For a Secure Future (Featurette). X-Men: Days of Future Past Blu-ray: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. 2014.
  48. ^ Failes, Ian (May 27, 2014). "Future threat – X-Men: Days of Future Past". Fxguide. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  49. ^ Sentinels: For a Secure Future (Featurette). X-Men: Days of Future Past Blu-ray: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. 2014.
  50. ^ Joe Moore [@JoeMooreDesign] (July 19, 2013). "Sentinels in #LEGO #Marvel Super Heroes! @arthur_parsons just said so! ^_^" (Tweet). Retrieved 5 November 2017 – via Twitter.
  51. ^ no info given
  52. ^ "X-Men get some love in the new Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 trailer". Polygon. 2019-05-23.

External links