The Sentry #2

Title: “The Sentry Act 2: The Unicorn”

Writer: Paul Jenkins

Penciller: Jae Lee

Inker: Jae Lee

Colors: Jose Villarrubia

Editor: Joe Quesada

Sentry stands on the very top of a large crane at the rebuilding Four Freedoms Plaza. He thinks to himself that he isn’t a hero. He thinks that he is thirty pounds overweight, that he prefers cartoons to CNN, and that he drinks too much. He decides that he doesn’t care and wonders who gets to decide what is wrong and right anymore. He thinks that this is so typical and wonders why he can’t just be another face in the crowd. He remembers that it is because he is afraid of crowds, but then he is afraid of heights as well. He wonders why he is so high up. Sentry feels a strange echo coming down. He feels an impossible to explain feeling that feels like his past. He knows that something monumental happened up there on top of the city.

The city was shrouded in jet black, and that it was only then that Sentry realized that the Void has returned. A sickle handed form appears before a young man dressed like Sentry. A sickening wet crunch is heard as one of the creature’s tendrils stabs the boy through his body. Sentry shouts, “Billy, NO!” An explosion comes and the sound merges with the echo of a million screaming people. Manhattan is left a huge black hole.

Reed has stretched up to Sentry and says that they will start with the obvious question of who he is. Sentry says hello to Reed and asks if he has noticed how many of the buildings had been rebuilt. Reed says that he is intrigued. He says that no one should be able to penetrate the security in the immediate area. He asks if the man will tell him how he managed to get by the stasis field without being incapacitated. Sentry says that it doesn’t matter. He says that if he tells Reed that he will just think that he is crazy. He says that Reed is supposed to believe that he is, but that he doesn’t know why. Reed says that he is crazy and Sentry says, “See what I mean?” Richards says that he has a lot of explaining to do and asks how he got up there. Sentry says that he got up there the same way he always does and that he has been there many times before. He says that Reed just doesn’t remember and that no one remembers him, but that he can’t explain why. Reed asks if he is supposed to. Sentry says that he is, but that he can’t make him understand. He says that everyone has been condition to forget he ever existed. He says that it is some kind of conspiracy. Sentry tells Reed that he wants him to try and remember one thing for him. He says that he wants him to remember a wedding. Reed asks why. Sentry says that something monumental is going to happen, and that when it does that he is going to need his help. Reed says that if he has managed to find a way to hack into his security codes that he applauds his courage and innovation, but not his common sense. He asks if he knows what the penalty for trespassing is. Sentry says, “Unicorn”. Reed says that he can’t remember that, then says that he doesn’t remember that, then says that he isn’t allowed to remember that. Reed’s eyes open wide. He looks back, but Sentry is gone.

Thing and Torch sit on the couch watching television. William Shatner is doing a “World’s Greatest Abduction Mysteries” show. He is showing a Turkish woman who claims that a violent storm cloud came in the night and transported her village away. She says that it was a “devil who came from the sky”. He shows a location and asks how a hundred men can simply vanish into thin air. He says that next they will examine the connection to a strange black mass that has been sighted over London. Thing changes the channel and says, “What a load of dingo’s kidneys.” Torch says that it looks like Captain Kirk’s new five year mission is to turn America’s brains into jelly. Sue walks into the room just as Reed is returning. She asks him if it was just a false alarm. Reed says that he doesn’t know. He says that this may seem odd, but asks if they have ever been to a wedding. Sue says that they have been to a million weddings. Reed says that he means, “…did we go to a wedding where there was a unicorn?” Reed and Sue look over and see a statue of a unicorn sitting on a video tape.

Sentry rides the subway. He thinks back to the day of his wedding. He went to Lindy before the wedding and says that he knows that he isn’t supposed to be there, but that if they are going to be married that he has to tell her something. Rob tells Lindy that he is the Sentry. Lindy says that she knows, and that she has always known. Rob and Lindy seem to kiss forever.

Reed asks where the unicorn came from. Sue says that she doesn’t know and asks how long it has been there. As they approach it, Sue says that she can’t explain why, but that she gets the strangest feeling of déjà vu. Reed picks the unicorn up and says that he has the feeling too. He says that it is most curious, but that he has the feeling this all happened before.

Reed stands at Robby and Lindy Reynolds’ reception making the best man toast. Captain America and Thing are standing there. A drunken Tony Stark is hitting on one of the waitresses for the reception. Reed talks to Ben and asks him to be sure to keep and eye on Tony Stark and make sure that he gets home okay. Thing says that he will see what he can do, but that Reed owes him ten bucks. Rob asks Reed if he has ever seen such a motley crew, and to check out his mother with Thor. Rob says that it is kind of humbling to think that the who’s who of the hero set would show up. Reed says that they respect him after all the Sentry has done and asks how they couldn’t. Rob says that after all Reed has done that he has gotten him something. Rob hands Reed a unicorn statue. Reed just looks at it. Rob says that it isn’t that ugly and asks if he is going to cry. Reed says that he wouldn’t bet on it, but that the unicorn is very beautiful. Reed says that he and Rob have been so close for so long, but that he always assumed that he would never understand what made him tick… no pun intended. Reed says that Rob is kind of like the unicorn… an invisible guardian made visible only to the pure and deserving. Rob says that it is something like that. He says that he couldn’t give his best man just any gift. Reed says that Sue will love it, and that for the first time in his life he is speechless. Rob walks away with Lindy and thanks god for small miracles. He says that the unicorn is just in case they ever get too busty and lose touch… something to remember him by.

Sentry sits on the train. He says that Reed Richards was his best man… his best friend. He thinks how Lindy and Sue used to get their hair done together. He wonders what it means that they’ve forgotten him. He wonders how he will make them remember.

Reed and Sue look at the tape under the unicorn. It reads “wedding video”. Sue says that the hairs on the back of her neck are standing up. She says that she feels that someone just told her a secret and that she has forgotten it. She says that this is creepy, but that she doesn’t know why. Reed says that he doesn’t either. Reed says that there is only one way to find out.

Rob thinks to himself that he really is the Sentry... with the power of a million exploding suns. The Void, his greatest enemy, is coming back to Earth… floating in the night winds stealing human souls. Rob feels like he wants to scream out to the other people on his train that he really is a hero, but that they wouldn’t believe him. He recognizes that the people are already nervous around him. They don’t realize that they are giving him a wide berth. Maybe it is because he looks like hell, but maybe it is because since he started to remember that he is no longer casting a shadow.

Sue asks Thing and Ben if they mind if she and Reed put on a video for a moment. Thing says that he about to turn it off anyway. Torch says that he is watching this and asks if they can use the VCR downstairs. Reed says that it can’t wait. He pops the tape in. For a moment they can’t make out anything. Suddenly Reed Richards’ own face appears on the television. He says, “Hello, Reed. If all goes well, you’ll never find yourself watching this video tape. But if you’ve somehow found the tape, and you are watching this message… then we’re all as good as dead.”

Sentry walks down the street. Suddenly he begins to glow with power.

Forgotten… but not Gone rating: 9 out of 10

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