The Sentry #1

Title: “The Sentry Act 1: The Suit”

Writer: Paul Jenkins

Penciller: Jae Lee

Inker: Jae Lee

Colors: Jose Villarrubia

Editor: Joe Quesada

A man and a woman lie in bed together. The cat sits at the foot of the bed while the dog lies on the floor beside it. Lightning strikes with a loud band. The man sits up with a start and thinks immediately to himself, “He’s back.” The woman, Lindy, looks up and asks Bob if something is the matter or if someone is there. Bob thinks to himself that she doesn’t need to know and to tell her that it is nothing. Bob tells Lindy to go back to sleep and that he just needs to let the dog out. He thinks to himself that it was the storm and tells Lindy so.

As Bob and the dog walk down the stairs, Bob knows that it wasn’t his imagination. He says that it was real, and that it was a sound that he hadn’t heard in a very long time. He realizes that it has been years since he heard it as he walks into a room with bookshelves. He finds the book he is looking for and thinks that this is like waking up from a dream. He wonders what has happened to him and where he has been. Bob stands at the outside door looking out, holding the book to his chest. He wonders how he got into this house. He feels it as though looking at memories through someone else’s eyes. He thinks to himself that he knows that laughter and had vowed never to forget it. Bob knows that the Void has returned. After all this time he has found a way back to Earth. Bob imagines seeing the Void hiding in the storm. Bob opens the book. The pages are hollowed out to reveal a black bottle inside. He thinks to himself that if it is the Void that he will be stronger than ever before and that the danger will be beyond measure. He knows that he is the only hope for humanity.

Robby remembers finding the Professor’s secret formula for the first time. He looks over at his dog and says, “We must be vigilant, Watchdog, for we are… we’re humanity’s only hope…” He remembers the first time he drank the formula and the transformation as his body glowed with an unknown energy. Robby stands in the dark room and cracks open the bottle. The lightning strikes again. Robby Reynolds remembers punching out the bully Buzz and how Lindy stopped thinking that Buzz was such a dreamboat and started falling for him. Bob smiles. He thinks about when he sewed his first costume. He remembers thinking how amused Buzz would be to see that he was sewing, but that he knew real men sewed in the army. He thinks about how his suit is still standing there, and that if the Void has returned that he will have to choice but to wear it again… to become the Sentry. Rob puts the bottle up to his lips and things about how many years it has been since he drank any. The lightning cracks again. Rob smiles as he remembers the feeling of the warm wonderful rush of a million little exploding suns. He remembers his past glories making him smile. He thinks about the time the Blue Buffoon attacked Empire State University and how he had to go warn Spider-Man, who had no idea that the Sentry and Robby Reynolds were the same person. Rob remembers an picture… an iconic image of himself that even made him proud. He thinks how it is his duty to watch over the world. Rob seems to remember saying, “We must be vigilant, Watchdog. For we are humanity’s only hope.” But then he remembers that didn’t really happen, but that it was only something in a comic book or a television show. Lightning strikes as Rob thinks that the Void must be real. He wonders what is wrong with him and why it is so hard for him to think. Rob remembers the long ago time that the Void captured the Avengers (Iron Man, Giant-Man, Wasp, Captain America, and Thor) within his cosmic cocoons. Void was laying a trap for Sentry, but Sentry came up out of the ground behind him and surprised him. Sentry grabbed the Void and defeated him. The Void said, “Bah! I will return Sentry! I will return.” Rob thinks about how the Sentry always said he would return, and that even when he thought that he had beaten him forever that Void always kept his word and returned.

The dog puts his paws up on the door. Rob opens the door up to let the dog out to go to the bathroom. Something nags at Rob. It is right in front of him and yet he can’t see it. He wonders who he is. Rob recalls one day when the Professor was talking to him. He tells Rob that the serum creates a “phase-shifting effect in the molecules of your body”. He tells him that each of his atoms step an instant ahead of the current timeline. Professor says that it is important that they try to understand how the serum induces a photosynthetic reaction creating a hyper state of consciousness. Rob remembers hearing it from the Professor over and over. He thinks that even the Void knows that his powers come from the Sun. Sentry gets an injection from the Professor. He tells the Professor to cut to the chase. The Professor says that his powers are limitless. He says that there is nothing that he can’t do. He is omnipotent and immortal. Rob thinks that seems like a dream he once had. He thinks that there was more to it than that. He remembers telling the Professor that he had to get back to Reed Richards. Professor tells him to wait and that they have no idea of what will happen with prolonged usage of the serum. He says that it was never designed to be used this way. He says that according to his calculations that each time he uses the serum that the dose must be increased. He says that there is a danger of becoming dependant on the drug. Sentry flies off and tells the Professor that he has a galaxy to save. Rob thinks to himself that dependant or not that he never really had a choice. He says that the Void was always there and that he was the last line of defense. It was a game that he can never win and now the Void is returning again. He says that it isn’t his imagination. Rob sees the Void with his arms outstretch toward him saying, “Black and black and black again… I am the face of your soul.” He wonders if maybe he isn’t imagining the Void.

Lightning hits. Rob remembers that the Confluctor was broken, but that he can fix it. The Confluctor was the only working relic left on the temporalon home world after the Void attacked. Sentry made a promise, to their memory, that he would use the device to defeat the Void once and for all. Rob thinks to himself that the Void is gone now and that he will be biding his time on the dark side of the planet until night comes again. He says that he can repair the Confluctor before then and that it will disorient him for a while. Rob tries, but finds that it is too hard. He thinks that his once scientific mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be. He thinks that he needs something to focus and looks over at the bottle of the serum. Rob picks up the serum and thinks about how many years it’s been. Rob takes a drink. It washes over him. He focuses to keep it together. He recalls that sometimes the serum does this. He remembers someone he trusted telling him “counteract the poison”. He says that he must be vigilant. A voice says, “You call this vigilance, Sentry?” Rob turns and sees that dark power is oozing from his dog. The Void says, “You shouldn’t have opened the door to me, Robert. I told you I would return.” Sentry lets off a blast. He tells him to get away and that he isn’t real. The charred remains of the dog says, “Pathetic dirty little junkie… did you really think you could send me away forever? And what then… no more Sentry to soothe humanity’s fevered brow?” Rob says that there is no Sentry… no Void… he says that they don’t exist anymore. Void says, “Liar! I am all things… I am the Void! I am the face of your soul. Your wife is the Void! Your house is the Void! You are the Void!” Rob shouts that he isn’t real.

Lindy walks into the room and asks what the hell is going on. She sees Rob crouched on the floor and the dog unconscious on the ground. She asks him if he kicked the dog. Rob says that it wasn’t the dog. He says that it was the Void and that the Void is back. Lindy sees the bottle lying on the ground. She says that he is hiding it now and that he doesn’t even have the guts to ruin his life in front of her anymore. She asks how he could do this. She says that he promised that he would stop drinking, but that it was just another one of his lies. She says that she doesn’t know if she can take this anymore. She says that he promised to get some help and go to AA. She says that she is thinking of going to Judy’s for a few days and taking the animals with her. Rob thinks to himself that it is better this way and that she wouldn’t understand. He tells her “okay”. She asks if that is all he has to say. Rob says nothing as Lindy scoops up the dog and walks out. He says that it is better this way. He says that she doesn’t remember who he really is. He says that no one remembers except him. He says that he is a superhero and that his life was a fabulous roller coaster. He thinks how he and the others heroes were all that stood in the way of evil. He thinks to himself that he must have known that he would need his Sentry suit again. Rob opens the closet and reveals a jacket with a cape clothes-pinned on and hanging off the back. He slips it on and thinks about how good it feels. He sees the lightning flash and thinks, “The Sentry Signal! Your people haven’t forgotten you… they need you!” Sentry opens the doors and walks out. The Confluctor starts to tick. Sentry walks along. Finally he takes off in flight.

Forgotten… but not Gone rating: 10 out of 10

RETURN TO SENTRY ISSUES

RETURN TO FORGOTTEN... BUT NOT GONE

RETURN TO LEADER'S LAIR