The
Sentry/Spider-Man
The
Sentry/Spider-Man
Title: “The Sentry & Spider-Man”
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Penciller: Rick Leonardi
Inker: Terry Austin
Colors: Jeremy Cox
Editor: Mike Marts
The heroes stand on
Liberty Island waiting for the Void to arrive. Spider-Man is perched on the
Statue of Liberty’s head. Yesterday, Peter Parker was a man with a broken heart
and a dwindling bank account. His wife was gone and he was struggling to pay the
rent. But then he began to remember. He remembered the Void and how he will mean
certain death unless the Sentry finds a way to stop him. Spider-Man looks at
Sentry and soaks in his air on invincibility for maybe the last time as he
prepares for oblivion.
Peter
remembers preparing to take “an honest to goodness snapshot of the Sentry”. He
wonders how he could have ever forgotten the first time he met the Sentry.
Spider-Man was swinging along the city near the beginning of his career. Just as he was about to land on a building with a gargoyle sitting on its edge, Doctor Octopus comes crashing out of the building. Spider-Man stops his fall with a web and Ock stops his with a tentacle. He sees Spider-Man and says that he should have known that he wouldn’t have the courage to face him alone. Spider-Man says that he hates to break it to Ock, but that he is alone. Doc Ock says that he will go to the grave that way and attacks Spider-Man with his arms. Spider-Man asks if next time they could just catch a movie. He grabs Spider-Man and tosses him aside saying that his humor is a result of his fear. Ock says that he should kill him now, but says that he has bigger fish to fry. Ock runs off. As Spider-Man is climbing up, the Sentry stands above him and says that he let Ock get away. Sentry tells Spider-Man that if he spent as much effort fighting as he does chattering that he would be more effective. He says that he just spent an hour tracking Ock down and that he let him get away. Spider-Man says that Doc Ock is his villain, and that he doesn’t tell Sentry how to fight his villains. Sentry tells Spider-Man that there are no territories when it comes to the bad guys. He says that they are all trying to do the same job, and that maybe Spider-Man should think about that. Spider-Man asks Sentry how he came to be the “swami-of-the-spandex-set”. Sentry says that Spider-Man isn’t the most trusted fellow, and that if he didn’t have to track Octopus down that he would probably run him in right now. Spider-Man asks him why he doesn’t give it a try. Sentry says that it is because he is too much of a pain in the rear end. He says, “And besides, I think you have potential… Peter.” Spider-Man watched speechless for the first time as Sentry flew away.
Peter smirks at the impetuousness of youth getting put in its place by the voice of experience. Spider-Man thinks to himself that he hasn’t really changed all that much, but that he had lipped off to the Sentry… a guy that once fought Galactus to a standstill… and he knew Spider-Man was Peter Parker from the very first time he met him. Spider-Man thinks how he was just a kid, but Sentry took out the Menace Master just by staring at him. He used to idolize Sentry.
Peter Parker was walking the campus, as Liz Allen and the others were reading a newspaper about the Sentry. Liz says that Sentry is such a hottie, and then says that she guesses that he would be. Betty Brant says that she heard that he shines like he is made of gold, and that is why you can’t take a picture of him. Flash says that he bets Sentry is a cross-dresser like Parker. Peter tells Flash to get bent, but it was starting to bug him how Sentry knew that he was Spider-Man. He couldn’t ask Aunt May about him since she adored him as if he were Frank Sinatra or JFK, She said he was “a proper gentleman, not like that awful Spider-Man.” Peter tried to go about his daily life, but every once in a while he would remember that Sentry knew his secret identity, Every time the doorbell rang he would be nervous that it was the police. He couldn’t get it out of his mind until one day his problem came to him. Spider-Man came in through his window to find Sentry there. He says hello. Peter asks if he is nuts and asks what if someone saw him. Sentry says that they didn’t. He tells Peter that he tried glasses and a fake beard for a while to hide his secret identity, but that it didn’t work out. Spider-Man says that he doesn’t want to ruin his moment, but Sentry interrupts him. He tells him that his name is Rob Reynolds, he’s married, has two animals, lives in Queens, and is a writer. He says that now they are even, and that he needs Spider-Man’s help. He says that he has been following the Void’s activities and that there has been a recent upsurge in criminal activity in the city. He says that he believes that he is working with Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, and that Spider-Man knows the Kingpin better than most. Peter just asks Sentry how he found out his name. Sentry says, “God, you don’t understand, do you? You’re the future, son. You’re everything.”
Spider-Man swings along Sentry’s side. He asks if that is all he is going to leave him hanging. Sentry says that Spider-Man is pretty good at hanging. Spidey takes note of Sentry’s cool and confidant demeanor. Spidey thinks about how he is a little scared of the Kingpin, but Sentry wasn’t worried at all. As they crash through a window, the Void has just become one with Wilson Fisk. Void’s tendril is passing through Fisk’s body leaving him in some kind of trance. Sentry hits Void. As they tangle up, Sentry tells Spider-Man to see what he can do with Fisk. He says that he will keep Void busy, but to stay away from the tendrils. Spider-Man shouts for Sentry as Void wraps him up. Void tells Spider-Man, “Stay back, insect. This is not your affair.” Sentry says that Fisk is inside his mind. Spider-Man tells Sentry that he is coming, but one of Void’s tendrils passes through his body.
Peter’s life passes before his eyes from beginning to end. A little abandoned boy, a thief firing, your fault Uncle Ben is dying, the Green Goblin always there cackling like a cancer on his soul, Gwen Stacy looking happy and then very sad, others lost in a jumble of pain, a red headed girl he loses, and in the end there is only him… old and alone.
Spider-Man is reeling. Sentry hits Void. He tells Spider-Man to get away from the tendril and that he can’t help Fisk now. Spider-Man staggers and mutters, “Uhh… it’s okay… I got him…” Spider-Man pulls Fisk off Void’s tendril and onto him. Void says that isn’t possible. Spider-Man says that anything is possible as he passes out. When Peter wakes up, Sentry is looking down at him and says, “not bad for a beginner”, but the all the remarks in the world wasn’t going to replace the bite the Void has just taken out of your soul.
Spider-Man thinks about how the Void would keep coming back stronger and stronger until it became clear that there was no getting rid of him. And this time he is back to finish the job.
Sentry and Spider-Man stand on top of a building. Sentry tells Peter that he knows he felt it when he touched the Void. Felt Void paint a big, black swathe of fear over his heart. Sentry says that he thinks Peter is one of the few who understands now what he has to endure. He says that he has felt that dreadful feeling a thousand times and that he never gets used to it. Sentry says that he has never found out what the Void wants from them except to consume them. He says that he can feel the Void’s presence in him always. He says that the longer this goes the more he feels that he and the Void are becoming intertwined. He is the only one immune to his powers and that is why he has to assume such a responsibility. Spider-Man asks if he means defeating the Void. Sentry says that he means saving the entire world. Sentry says that at least they won’t be hearing from Fisk for a while. Spidey says that he wouldn’t count on it. He says that Kingpin is as persistent as the Void when he puts his mind to it. Spider-Man says that he was thinking about how he knew his name and how he told him that he was special. He asks if Sentry is ever going to tell him why. Sentry says that he will find out. He says that he has a long way to go, but that one of these days he is going to look in the mirror and see who he really is, and then he will have caught up to him. Sentry says that he has been wondering if it is right for him to hide behind a secret identity. He says that he wants Peter to take a photograph of him. He says that the people of the world need to know that they are safe and that he is real. Peter says that he doesn’t know if he can do this. He says that the light is wrong and that he isn’t ready. Sentry says that he isn’t either. He says that things will change drastically for him in the next few days, and that the media will go crazy for this. He says that so will his wife. He says that it will probably mean their moving to the Watchtower, and that he’ll probably wind up sleeping on the couch. Spider-Man says that he has that right. He tells Sentry to say cheese. Peter thinks to himself that this is an honest to goodness snapshot of the Sentry. He thinks about how no one has ever taken a picture of him this close and that Jonah will pay him a fortune for it.
Once the photo is taken, Peter’s life seems to come out of the Twilight Zone. Jonah hugged him and called him son. He was trying to get the merchandising rights, but Peter was smart enough to keep those for himself. The front page of the Clarion was Peter’s picture, but then suddenly the image was everywhere and they were sending Peter royalties in return. What was most amazing was how the image came out perfectly despite the bad lighting. It was as if Sentry somehow did it wanting to make himself known. The rest is a blur. He remembered winning the Pulitzer and the picture being called the most influential image of the decade. Peter recalls trying to get back to being Spider-Man, but then there was a really bad day where a black cloud covered the sky. He remembers the Hulk screaming and the Sentry missing… and then after that he can’t remember anything at all.
Spider-Man thinks about how he will never know what happened the day the Void came back, but that at least he will have the photograph now and the fame and fortune it represents. He thinks that he will be able to write his own ticket if he survives, but that first they have to deal with the end of the world. Peter keeps telling himself that he isn’t afraid, but it is his fear doing the talking. He thinks about how he is the future, but that he would give it all up if he could forget the past.
Forgotten… but not Gone rating: 8.5 out of 10
Wow. Talk about rocking the world of the Marvel Universe. Every character seems to be affected by the presence of the Sentry… Reed being more personal right down to every character just seeming to be filled with a sense of awe for Sentry, but his impact on Spider-Man really changes the entire character. Peter was always the loveable loser, but with a Pulitzer Prize and millions in royalties he becomes an entirely different character. I have a tough time forgiving Leonardi for wrecking the Rampaging Hulk series, but he does a nice job with this issue. 4 out of 5 for the art.
RETURN TO FORGOTTEN... BUT NOT GONE