It’s difficult to do origin stories in comic book projects for various reasons.
First, using the exact backstory may not work with the platform due to things like it being too unrealistic, long, or silly. Second, the creative team has to take the rest of the universe into account. No matter how accurate or good the tale is, you can’t use it if it hurts other characters, movies, or TV shows. Lastly, is this something that works for the company?
Despite Disney having R-rated movies like the Deadpool franchise and Logan, that doesn’t mean anything is fair game. That’s where The Sentry’s beginning comes in.
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR THUNDERBOLTS* AHEAD! THIS ARTICLE MAY ALSO BE TRIGGERING DUE TO DRUG USE AND SELF HARM.
The origin stories of The Sentry
In Thunderbolts*, Robert “Bob” Reynolds gained god-like powers while looking for drugs to get high. Instead, he came across a scientist who offered him something better. Bob could become the hero he always wanted to be. Unfortunately, it didn't appear to. Everyone in the trial died, and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine tried to destroy the evidence. However, as you can see in the movie, the serum worked. And Bob (as his darker ego, the Void) killed people before Yelena could destroy the lab during her mission at the beginning of Thunderbolts*.
In Marvel Comics, Bob was an addict as well. The difference is that there wasn’t a drug trial. Bob snuck into a lab, drank the serum, and the lab exploded. When the head scientist returns to his destroyed facility, he sees the changed and more physically enhanced Bob asking if the scientist could make more of the formula.
"Who is The Sentry? Who is The Void? It's what happens when someone who doesn't deserve the power gets the power.""Lindy Reynolds Dark Avengers No. 13
Bob went on to become one of the world’s greatest heroes, The Sentry. He was beloved by his peers and hated by his enemies. Among his enemies was The Void (who was later discovered to be part of The Sentry). The problem was that Bob was still an addict. As his wife, Lindy, puts it in Dark Avengers No. 13, “Instead of drugs…it became about power. He was addicted to The Sentry.”
Then, thanks to Reed Richards and Doctor Strange, the world forgot who The Sentry was. Eventually, thanks to Emma Frost and Reed Richards, Bob regains his memory, and the Golden Guardian of Good returns. Whether or not that’s a good thing is up for debate.
There isn’t really a “better” in this situation. Both of Bob’s beginnings were intriguing and sad. In Marvel Comics, you could feel bad for Lindy for being stuck in a relationship she was too scared to leave. Or, in both origins, there’s sympathy for Bob being an addict.
In Thunderbolts*, a lot of you see how badly the trauma of seeing him and his mom verbally and physically beaten by an abusive father and husband would mess Bob up. This leads to a life of drug use, addiction, and feeling like life isn’t worth living. It became one of the deepest origin stories Marvel Studios ever told.
I want to end this article with something unrelated to comic books. Just know that you’re life is worth living and that there are resources available if you need help. You can dial 988 and text or call someone when you’re in crisis. Be good to yourself.
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