The Sentry #3

Title: “The Sentry Act 3: The Photograph”

Writer: Paul Jenkins

Penciller: Jae Lee

Inker: Jae Lee

Colors: Jose Villarrubia

Editor: Joe Quesada

Everything is changing. Rob Reynolds is becoming the Sentry again. His eyes burn with power. Sentry turns and sees the Hulk sitting along on a log. Hulk hears someone behind him and says, “Who is come here? Go away, little man. Hulk wants to be left alone.” Sentry says, “It’s me, Bruce…” Hulk turns around and grimaces. He raises his arms in the air, but then says, “Ha-Haaaaa! Golden Man!”

Video taped Reed tells the assembled Fantastic Four that he knows they are feeling disoriented as if something wasn’t quite right, but that what he is about to tell them is the most important thing they have ever heard. Reed says that a man named Robert Reynolds has probably shown up claiming to be the Sentry. He says that they probably don’t believe him, but that they should. Sue asks if this is true. Reed says that a man was waiting for him at the old Four Freedoms Plaza site. He says that he acted like he knew him, but that he had never seen the man before as far as he knew. Video Reed says that most likely that the Void is returning and that is why he has remembered. Video Reed says that the consequences of this are greater than they can imagine. He tells them to listen carefully and do exactly as they are told. Suddenly the tape goes distorted and the VCR is set on fire. Sue shields everyone as the player explodes. Torch looks at the others and tells them not to look at him.

Sentry asks Bruce what has happened to him. He says that he shouldn’t have stayed this way, and that he should have evolved by now. Hulk says, “No… Hulk is not Bruce. Hulk is Hulk. Hulk is…” Hulk looks down and says, “Hulk is Bruce?” Sentry says that he is. Hulk says, “Yes… Hulk is Bruce… Bruce Banner. Hulk did not remember before. Not think so good, Golden Man. Sorry.” Sentry puts his hand on Hulk’s shoulder and says that is okay. He tells Hulk that he thinks good and that he remembered him. Sentry says that Hulk is the only one who does remember him. Sentry wonders if the Hulk remembers him because of the change he undergoes. He wonders if Bruce Banner remembers him. Hulk says that he is happy and that Golden Man is his “best amigo”. Sentry scoops up some dirt. He says that something has happened while he was away and that everyone was made to forget who he is… or that he even existed. He says that he is almost sure now that there is a conspiracy to keep all knowledge of him a secret… some kind of world wide hypnosis. Sentry is squeezing the dirt. He says that there is something else too, but that he can’t put his finger on it. He says that he has the sense that he is doing something wrong. Sentry hands Hulk the now glowing with power orb he created and says that the Hulk must keep it. He says that it is important that Hulk continues to remember. Hulk says that Golden Man was gone a long time and asks why he came back. Sentry says that the Void is returning. He says that he doesn’t know how he knows, but that he is certain. Hulk says, “Shadow Man is coming back…?” Sentry says that he knows Hulk is scared and that he is too. He says that they can’t do anything until Void decides to show himself. Sentry asks Hulk if he can count on him. Hulk says, “Always for Golden Man. Hulk will be bravest there is.” Sentry says that is good. He says that when the time comes that he is going to need Hulk and all the others. Sentry says that he can’t lie, and that he once promised that he would always tell him the truth. He says that this time its going to be worse than ever before. Sentry walks away.

The Captain is trying to convince the Minister of the Interior of the gravity of the situation, but the Minister is dismissing it as the locals being a superstitious lot. He says that he is only going there so that come election time the people will think of him as a powerful man. The Captain says that it isn’t as simple as that. He hands the Minister a gas mask and says that they have quarantined the area. The Minister asks if that isn’t a little drastic, but as he walks over a hill he sees the dead bodies of people and even a dead elephant lying there.

Reed admits that the further he goes the more distant he feels. He says that it is like being drawn into a whirlpool as the facts rush by him unable to grasp them. Voice and video analysis confirms Reynolds’ identity, but his social security number belongs to a man who died years ago. Reed says that whatever the truth is that someone has gone to a lot of trouble to keep it hidden. Reed wonders if he is in the Witness Relocation Program, but realizes that the situation doesn’t follow the programs operations. Reed stretches over to some doors. He opens them up and realizes that for the first time since he was a child that he is having an irrational fear of the dark.

Sentry sits high above, next to a gargoyle, on top of a building. He thinks to himself that this is where it all began… where it all came to an end. Spider-Man lands on the gargoyle. Sentry says, “Do you ever get the feeling you’re forgetting something, Peter?” Spidey asks if he is supposed to know him. Sentry says that he should and that he won him a Pulitzer Prize. Sentry starts quoting a skit from Saturday Night Live. He tries to explain it to Spider-Man, but realizes that he isn’t making any sense. Spider-Man agrees. He says that he doesn’t know anyone named Peter, but that if he sees him that he will let him know that he is looking for him. Spider-Man asks if there is anything else. Sentry says that he wants him to look at something. Spidey tells him to be careful on the ledge, but then sees that Sentry is flying. Sentry says that this is a picture that Peter took a few years ago. He holds it up, tells him to look at it, and try to remember.

Peter with his Spider-Man mask pulled off holds his camera. He says that he can’t believe that he is getting an honest to goodness snapshot of the Sentry. He says that no one has ever gotten one so close and that Jonah will have to pay him a fortune.

Spider-Man looks at the photo, but all he sees is a blank piece of paper. Sentry tells him to look at it. Spider-Man asks who he is. Sentry tells him he is Rob Reynolds. He says that the last time they saw each other that Peter was still working for the Daily Bugle, and that he took that photo of him. He says that as Spider-Man he helped him defeat the Void when he went into league with Wilson Fisk. Sentry says that Fisk had control of his mind, but that Spider-Man stopped him before he could go berserk. Sentry says that Peter has to remember.

Spider-Man swings by as Void is attacking Sentry. Void tells Spider-Man to stay back and that this is not his affair.

Spider-Man tells Sentry that he is a fruitcake. Spider-Man says that the flying is a neat trick, but that he’s seen it before. He tells him to tell Mysterio that if he wants to say something to him to come himself. Sentry tells Peter to wait. He says that he is ignoring him because that’s what he is supposed to do. He says that he has to listen. Spider-Man asks for one good reason. Sentry asks if he ever notices how copies of the Clarion, Time, or Life are misnumbered and if he ever wondered why. He tells Peter to check out the misnumbered copies… to find out why magazines don’t run in sequence. He says that they he will have his reason.

Reed opens a file. It has notes from the Sentry to him and endless newspaper clippings about Sentry and Void. A voice behind Reed says, “Yes, he does exist.” Reed turns and sees Dr. Strange. He says that Strange being there magnifies the importance of these events tenfold. He asks Strange if he has found something. Strange tells Reed that he once told him that if he ever asked him that question that Strange should try to convince him not to listen to the answer. Strange says that they both knew that this would be an impossible undertaking. Reed says that he feels he knows this man and asks who he is. Strange says that Reed doesn’t want to know, but that soon he will. He says that soon the whole world is going to awaken, and that they will wish they had not. Strange says that even he can’t stop it. Strange says that Reed is a man full of curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. He says that he can’t help but be intrigued by what he sees. He has small pieces of the puzzle and wants the remaining pieces so that he can make it a whole. He asks Reed if he is willing to accept the cost. Strange says that Reed has to decide if he should proceed or try to forget what he has found. Reed says that he doesn’t understand what he is choosing. Strange says, “How our universe will end.”

Forgotten… but not Gone rating: 9 out of 10

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