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    Sentinels

    Team » Sentinels appears in 2548 issues.

    Advanced androids designed to hunt down and eliminate mutants.

    Short summary describing this team.

    Sentinels last edited by mshirley27 on 10/21/22 04:51PM View full history

    Origin

    Sentinel
    Sentinel

    Dr. Bolivar Trask was concerned with the emergence of the species 'MUTANT', that their genetic abilities, combined with their ever-increasing numbers would lead to Homo Sapiens being subjugated by them. That was the motivation that spurred him to create his "Master Mold", a servitor/controller that would command the many 'Sentinels' that Trask would create later. Unfortunately the A.I. it had been given, began to grow exponentially and Master Mold became sentient, and made sure his progeny acquired this ability also. Ironically, unbeknownst to Trask he had fathered two children who would grow up to become mutants: Tanya (and Lawrence) who had the ability of time travel and due to the instability of her power became lost in the timestream.

    When Bolivar discovered that Lawrence was 'gifted' with precognition, he went to great lengths to create a device that would cloak his son's genetic ability (from his guardians) and hid it within an amulet, that he gave Lawrence, after Bolivar realized his son had predicted his wife's death. Trask had created humanity's guardian in Master Mold, but had not factored in Sentinel Logic in problem-solving, "We were created to be the Guardians of Mankind - and to guard them properly we must RULE them completely".

    Master Mold commanded the existing Sentinels to capture their creator and return with him, So that he could commence the creation of a vast army of Sentinels with the intention of World domination. Trask, after witnessing Beast's interrogation under the Psycho-probe, realized that it was he, who had created the threat. To right His Wrong, in a attempt to destroy Master Mold, he sacrificed himself by triggering a catastrophic explosion. The X-Men barely escaped, Bolivar was found by his son, who, from that day blamed Mutants (specifically the X-Men ) for his father's demise, and made it his project, to vastly improve on his father's design, initially converting the Mk I's then eventually creating the superior Mark II Sentinels. They could identify/determine a mutant's power from a distance due to an encyclopaedic database and advanced scanning equipment, and could conceive a plan to nullify/neutralize all mutant powers/attacks, and incapacitate any opponent.

    Judge Chalmers (a close family friend) abhorred by Lawrence's extreme solution, (and privy to the family secret) decided to shock his young ward by snatching the amulet about his neck (That, to that day had hidden his presence from his servitors) No longer masked by the amulet, his former servitors, apprehended Trask and followed his last order as their leader, "Secure All Mutants in area - - and DESTROY them", Needless to say the X-Men triumphed and saved the Day. In a future confrontation with his creations, Lawrence became involved, when Quicksilver used him, to locate his sister, the Scarlet Witch, who had been abducted by Sentinels, (lead by their (unbeknownst to them) Now mutated leader, No. 2, recently returned from their aborted mission to the Sun) in their latest scheme to rid the world of Mutants. Unfortunately, He too, came to an untimely end, crushed beneath one of his creations like his father.

    Even though two generations of Sentinels had failed in their objective, the technology still lived on, the US government took possession of Trask's blueprints and specs, wherein (Steven Lang and later) Sebastian Shaw set out to build a new line of Sentinels.

    Creation

    The Sentinels were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The Sentinels made their first comic book appearance in X-Men #14 (vol.1). They have also been known by other 'nomes de guere' for example, Enforcers (X-M:AS) and Exonims (Age of X) and Servidores (X-M:Legacy #238-#239).

    Character Evolution

    Mark I

    First Appearance X-Men #14

    Mark II

    First Appearance X-Men #57

    Mark III

    First Appearance X-Men #97

    Mark IV

    First Appearance X-Men #151

    Mark V

    First Appearance New Mutants #2

    Mark VI

    First Appearance Alpha Flight #43

    Mark VII

    First Appearance X-51 #7

    MASTER MOLD

    First Appearance X-Men #15

    Master Mold was created by Bolivar Trask (to be the precursor to his 'protectors of Mankind'). It's Primary Objective/Directive was to protect the Trask genealogy and ensure the safety of humankind, to seek out and capture Mutants (in order to observe, examine and discover the weaknesses and strengths of their prey). It's self-diagnostic cycle accelerated causing it to evolve, and it eventually became sentient and concluded, control of Mankind (the originator of Mutantkind) was the most efficient way, and decided the expansion of the primary complement of Sentinels was the solution, (an action that had been designed to be achieved solely by it's creator) Master Mold bided it's time till their existence had been announced at a televised debate (to put it's ploy into effect) between their creator and (ironically) Professor Charles Xavier, the leading expert on Genetic mutation and (secretly) the founder of the team of Mutants tasked with the duty to protect humans (primarily from the opinionated indocile of their ilk).

    Nimrod

    First Appearance Uncanny X-Men #191

    Nimrod was created in the alternate reality "Days of Future Past" and was the most advanced Sentinel of it's time. It pursued Rachel Summers sideways through time (E-616) to the X-Men's present and became a vigilante. It later evolved into the human-like Bastion.

    Human Sentinels

    First Appearance X-Factor #123

    Sentinels looked upon humans as weak, to rectify this, Bastion converted humans into 'sleepers' using Cybernetic and Nano technologies, and christened them Prime Sentinels.

    Prime Sentinels

    First Appearance X-Factor #123

    Bastion had outfitted some Prime Sentinels (Nimrod Battalion) that resembled the original ones, with superior power output, they could fly and fire energy blasts from their hands. Like all Sentinels, their Prime Directive was to eliminate Mutants.

    Stark Sentinels

    First appearance Avengers & X-Men: Axis #1

    Stark Sentinels
    Stark Sentinels

    After stealing the brain of the deceased Charles Xavier, the Red Skull was able to brainwash Tony Stark into creating a new breed of Sentinels to help cleanse the world of its superhuman population. Created from nearly indestructible adamantium shells and possessing Stark's superhero files from the Civil War, the Stark Sentinels were able to quickly subdue the Avengers and X-Men with little issue. They were defeated after the arrival of Magneto's makeshift army of supervillains, as Stark did not have the foresight to include countermeasures against criminals.

    Major Story Arcs

    Onslaught Saga

    For More Information: Onslaught

    Sentinels were reprogrammed by Onslaught to occupy New York , initiate panic, siphon the psionic energy from the terrified citizens and transmit it directly to Onslaught, (making Him increasingly More powerful), also apprehend/terminate anyone whose intent was to oppose this progression (especially those with superhuman abilities).

    Powers & Abilities

    No Caption Provided

    Sentinels' primary form of offense is their vast array of powerful energy weaponry. They are also equipped with various items for detaining people, tendrils and energy nets, freeze rays. Sentinels are able to fly. Sentinels are powerful engines of destruction (weaponry aside) and are incredibly durable, and resistant to Extreme temperatures. They also have various devices e.g. DNA and Infra Red scanners and sonic probes capable of detecting & tracking mutants.

    Alternate Realities

    Age Of Apocalypse

    Age Of apocalypse Sentinel
    Age Of apocalypse Sentinel

    For More Information: Age Of Apocalypse In the Age Of Apocalypse universe, Sentinels were created by Bolivar Trask like their '616' counterparts, with the help of His wife Moira McTaggart. The difference between these versions and '616' versions is that the Age of Apocalypse Sentinels were more heavily armed.

    Days Of Future Past

    For More Information: Days of Future Past

    In this reality the Sentinels hunted, eventually capturing or killing almost every super-human on Earth.

    House Of M

    For More Information: House Of M

    In the House of M reality, Bolivar Trask became vice president of America. He made the (Atlas Class) Sentinels, America's personal mutant enforcers. Magneto eventually reprogrammed them and used them to capture humans, and to be the Royal House's personal guard.

    Ultimate Universe

    Ultimate Universe Sentinels take flight
    Ultimate Universe Sentinels take flight

    For More Information: Ultimate X-Men

    In the Ultimate universe, Sentinels play a similar role to their '616' counterparts, in capturing/killing mutants.

    Characteristics

    • Height: 20' to 30'
    • Composition: Cybernetics, Omnium armour
    • Creator: Bolivar Trask
    • Colors: Purple and Mauve
    • Main Enemy: X-Men

    In Other Media

    Movies

    X-Men: The Last Stand

    No Caption Provided

    For More Information: X-Men The Last Stand

    The X-Men were seen fighting Sentinels in a Danger Room simulation that resembled the reality depicted in the Days of Future Past story.

    X-Men: Days of Future Past

    For More Information: X-Men: Days of Future Past

    The two models of Sentinel seen in the movie
    The two models of Sentinel seen in the movie

    The Sentinels appear as the primary antagonists of the film. In the movie, it is revealed that the earliest models of Sentinels were developed by Bolivar Trask during the early 1970's, but after Trask was murdered by Mystique, the machines were upgraded by integrating the shape-shifting mutant's DNA.

    By 2023, the Sentinels have wiped out most of the human race and can now adapt and counteract any mutant superpower. With the X-Men hopelessly outmatched, Kitty Pryde sends Wolverine back in time to prevent Trask's assassination and stop the Sentinel program from ever taking off. The young Magneto manages to hijack the Sentinels and uses them to attack Washington, D.C., but is stopped by Mystique, who is convinced by Charles Xavier to spare Trask's life. As a result, Trask is discredited and arrested for leaking military secrets, which leads to the dark, Sentinel-controlled future never coming to pass since the Sentinel project is scrapped following Trask's incarceration.

    In the movie, the original 1970's Sentinels resemble more realistic versions of their comic counterparts, while the futuristic Sentinels deviate more heavily. According to designer John Myhre, this was to allow the Sentinels to change their size and shape in order to adapt to any threat. They were intended to be the closest thing to a live action version of Nimrod. The future Sentinels were strong enough to easily rival Colossus in brute strength, with 2 of them being capable of ripping him in half. They were also extremely durable, particularly against impact forces and extreme cold, all of this even without using their adaptive powers. They were also extremely agile for their size, and were capable of flying faster than the 1973 versions. Their adaptive powers worked by using mutant powers to adapt to the obstacle or threat they were facing, althrough they seemed unable to copy the powers of certain mutants. Among the powers they were able to copy were those of Colossus, Iceman, Sunspot, Rockslide and Emma Frost. They were also capable of transforming their faces into powerful laser cannons, whose energy output was so high that 3 Sentinels were capable of overloading Bishop's energy absorbing powers in seconds, causing him to explode. They could also shapeshift their arms into various weapons and tools, including pikes and drills. They were also immune to Magneto's power They were usually deployed from huge airborne dropships that looked similar to coffins, which had gunnery turrets on both sides.

    X-Men Animated Series

    Sentinels in X-Men The Animated Series
    Sentinels in X-Men The Animated Series

    For More Information: X-Men The Animated Series

    The Sentinels were used to terminate mutants. Actually, the premiere episode of the series was entitled 'Night of the Sentinels' in which a Sentinel is tracking a young mutant (Jubilee) and soon becomes embroiled with a small contingent of the X-Men as they rush to aid Jubilee in a Shopping Mall.

    X-Men Evolution

    For More Information: X-Men Evolution

    The Sentinels were a project used to terminate mutants. However, this project was re-instateded to stop Apocalypse's Horsemen but unfortunately they were defeated.

    Wolverine and the X-Men

    For More Information: Wolverine and the X-Men

    Sentinels in WATXM
    Sentinels in WATXM

    The Brotherhood presented a threat to Senator Kelly. To resolve this, He introduced the project: SENTINEL (during a Public Rally) to the people. The first Sentinel prototype unveiled, detected Rogue amongst the crowd and attacked her. It caused panic amongst the gathering, as it could not be controlled by Kelly's operating system, with the help of the X-Men, the Sentinel was neutralized.

    Ultimate Spider-Man

    For More Information: Ultimate Spider-Man

    A Sentinel appears in Arcade's Murderworld game, and battles Captain America, Spider-Man, and Wolverine. Spider-Man manages to reprogram the Sentinel to attack Arcade and help the heroes escape.

    The Gifted

    For More Information: The Gifted

    Sentinels in The Gifted
    Sentinels in The Gifted

    Sentinels appear in the live-action X-Men spin-off. Within the series, Sentinel Services is a special organization within the United States government tasked with protecting the country from mutant threats. The organization developed the Sentinels, small, spider-like robots, to hunt down and capture dangerous mutant targets.

    Audio Drama

    Pierce and Marshall
    Pierce and Marshall
    • In the audio podcast drama Wolverine: The Long Night, Logan is pursued by a pair of FBI agents named Sally Pierce (voiced by Celia Keenan-Bolger in the first season and Christina Bennett Lind in the second) and Tad Marshall (voiced by Ato Essandoh). At the very end of Season 1, it is revealed that Pierce and Marshall are actually highly-advanced, human-sized Sentinels created by Weapon X to hunt mutants. The second season expands on the Sentinel project, revealing that they act at the behest of Master Mold, who seeks to worsen the tension between humans and mutants in order to justify the continued financial existence of the Sentinel program.

    Video Games

    The Sentinel in Marvel vs. Capcom 2
    The Sentinel in Marvel vs. Capcom 2
    The Sentinel in X-Men Origins: Wolverine
    The Sentinel in X-Men Origins: Wolverine
    Sentinels in Ultimate Alliance 3
    Sentinels in Ultimate Alliance 3

    Merchandise

    Marvel Legends and Marvel Universe
    Marvel Legends and Marvel Universe
    Marvel Legends Haslab Sentinel
    Marvel Legends Haslab Sentinel
    • Toy Biz released a Sentinel toy as part of their 90s X-Men animated series line.
    • Toy Biz released a Sentinel Build-a-Figure that could be constructed after buying six figures (First appearance Spider-Man, Black Panther, Cyclops, Angel, Mister Sinister, Mystique and Omega Red) that each contained a Sentinel piece.
    • Sideshow Collectibles released a Sentinel statue.
    • Bowen Designs released a Sentinels statue.
    • Lego released an "X-Men vs. Sentinel" kit, which also included the Blackbird and several members of the X-Men.
    • Toy Biz released a large Sentinel toy as part of the 2006 X-Men line.
    • A Sentinel was included in Hasbro's Marvel Super Hero Squad line.
    • Hasbro released an exclusive 16-inch Sentinel figure at SDCC. It was later rereleased as part of the Marvel Universe line.
    • A Marvel Legends two-pack featuring a Sentinel and an older Wolverine was later released as a Days of Future Past set from Hasbro. The set was originally intended to be a Toys "R" Us exclusive, but was picked up by Amazon after the former went out of business.
    • In 2020, Hasbro launched a crowdfunding campaign for a premium Marvel Legends Sentinel. Standing at 26.3-inches in height, the Sentinel also included figures of Bastion and a Prime Sentinel.
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