Agoraphobic. Schizophrenic. Anxious. Marvel fans would never use these words to describe the Avengers. But, they do describe one character who is more powerful than all of them.
The Sentry has the power of a million exploding suns. He can fly across the world in milliseconds. That’s also how long it takes for depression to catch up with him.
The golden god’s kryptonite is himself. That’s what makes him the best Marvel character according to his fans. And why he gives them the courage to live.
It’s easier for him to save the world than himself. No matter how many times the voices in his head call him pathetic, he fights, not just for the world, but for himself.
The Sentry is no longer his fan’s secret. The world will witness him on May 2 in Marvel’s next summer hit, “Thunderbolts*” with Emmy-nominee Lewis Pullman playing him. Sentry’s Eisner award-winning creator Paul Jenkins knew this day would come and what it means for audiences around the globe.
“What The Sentry can do for people dealing with mental health issues is what ‘Black Panther’ did for people of color,” Jenkins said.
Even before he was shown in “Thunderbolts*” trailers, he made an impact on X. User @sentrycomfort saw a community of fans growing and wanted to give it a home.
“I created my account back when Comic Con 2024 started when they announced the first ‘THUNDERBOLTS*’ teaser there,” @sentrycomfort said. “I got a glimpse of the teaser recording, and I heard [The Sentry’s] dialogue. I knew I had to create a sentry-based account.”
The account, robert reynolds* daily, named after The Sentry’s real name, has 769 followers. Fans tune into daily tweets like: “HSBHDHSHDHBSHDH”, “THAT’S MY SENTRY RIGHT THERE!” and “I CANNOT STAND VALENTINA! I HOPE BOB CLOCKS HER I REALLY DO!!!!” Normal things.
@sentrycomfort also manages The Sentry Community, a group of 240 users that talk about all things Sentry. Under the conversations theorizing about why Pullman’s feet were in promotional videos is a family united by love and pain.
Bob is loved for his strength as much as his weakness. Fans look back at comics where The Sentry, after saving the world, goes home, sits on the floor and stares into space with one question, “Am I good enough?”
“I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder at a young age around middle school or so and I never really spoke about it to anyone,” X user @Dionysus said. “Reading about Sentry and seeing a bit more of him in the trailers and how he even dresses really is inspiring.”
Reading comic panels feels like looking in a mirror to almost every fan. His backstory gives some deja vu.
Calling The Sentry Marvel’s Superman is a crime to diehard Sentry-heads. Was Clark Kent a drug addict before becoming Superman? No. Did he kick his Shih Tzu during a schizophrenic episode? No. Did he break into a government lab looking for super-meth? No. Enough said.
Robert Reynolds was never meant to be The Sentry. A teenage addict looking for a second of relief finds a golden liquid in a super soldier creation facility. Thinking it’s a drug, he drinks it and becomes a god.
“He was just a man — broken, aching, overlooked — who stumbled upon the weight of a million exploding suns,” X user @BeastDryllX said. “And in that moment, everything changed.”
While Superman was born for greatness, Bob thought he was born to suffer. Battling hallucinations and anxiety was never in Superman’s cards. Just Bob’s.
“Similar to Bob, I am easily manipulated and used, and often naïve about a lot of things, so oftentimes I get peer pressured to do drugs such as weed and alcohol, which now I’m addicted to,” @Dionysus said. “I most likely would have also taken the serum if I snuck into a lab foolishly. So, in that sense, I feel like his addiction and how easily manipulated he is resonates with me.”
There’s a different part of Bob that speaks to the darkest parts of our soul. Constantly, a voice belittles Earth’s greatest hero. “There’s no use fighting.” “You thought you were gonna be some great savior.” “Give up.” Meet the Void.
The Sentry becomes the Void at his lowest point, a physical embodiment of his insecurities that wreaks havoc.
In the “Thunderbolts*” Super Bowl trailer, the Void casts a shadow over New York City. He banishes citizens to a world filled with nightmares without lifting a finger. Bob watches helplessly wondering how he can be the world’s symbol of peace and destruction.
“His struggle with the Void resonated deeply with me ,” X user @Sentress said. “As someone with borderline personality disorder, I struggled always with having an irrationally negative idea of who I am, a sort of Void of my own.”
In Marvel comics, the Void has razor-sharp claws and long, black tendrils that touch the sky. People scream and run away from him. But, he always catches up. This supernatural element looks like another day with depression to most fans.
“The Void being a villain that only Robert Reynolds/The Sentry can see and is affected by until the Void completely takes over his body/mind is truly how addiction/depression feels like,” X user @sxmm323 said. “It’s comforting to see some of the most powerful heroes go through the same thing.”
Like depression, the Void is rarely defeated alone. Avengers and X-Men frequently gather to help Bob realize he’s in control of the Void and must help himself before the world.
“And that’s what makes it so relatable,” X user @GracedWithComics said. “These feelings aren’t isolated incidents. They occur over and over again.”
“Thunderbolts*” takes a similar approach. In the film, a team of D-list Marvel Cinematic Universe characters find Bob becoming the Sentry and facing demons from his past. When he ultimately turns into the Void, they face an Avengers-level threat. Except, the Avengers are gone.
Yet, they enter the Void to show Bob he’s never alone. That’s the emotional gut punch Jenkins advised “Thunderbolts*” director Jake Schreier to put in the film.
“We are all living as two people in two worlds,” Jenkins said. “So many people who deal with mental health issues are either masking it really well or really badly. Don’t make any assumptions about who is under the mask of that person.”
Beneath most Sentry fan’s masks is a person dying to see their struggles on the silver screen to know they’re not alone too. Seeing Bob’s drug addiction, abusive childhood and support system they say bring them closer to peace, and even loved ones.
“I could have taken other negative pathways to deal with the loss of my mum but I love Marvel and comics so much, especially Sentry because I feel like I can relate to him,” X user @MCUCULTURE said. “Sentry helped me deal with my mental health, helped me become stronger, and know that even though she’s gone, I will be okay.”
Such fans rejoiced when Sentry joined the “Thunderbolts*” ensemble. Others were hesitant about buying a ticket.
“I know his origin is different in this film but I want to see him be hopeful after all the trauma and struggle we see him go through,” X user @TheGeekyCast said. “I want to see even though he seems alone and struggling that the Thunderbolts will change his perspective and show that we always have someone to lean on in dark times.”
Lead singer for the band Horse the Band Nathan Winneke, who helped write their rock song “A MILLION EXPLODING SUNS,” which is inspired by The Sentry has bittersweet hopes.
“I hope we see a very grounded, realistic man suffering from painful duality,” Winneke said. “With a big ensemble cast they probably won’t be able to explore such nuance with him, but we don’t know until we know.”
There’s only one way to find out. Since 2024, The Sentry Community has been waiting for “Thunderbolts*.” For most of their life, they’ve been waiting for a hero with a mental illness that’s inspirational instead of villainous. May 2 is the moment of truth.
If it’s not up to par, they know they always have the comics.
“The original Sentry mini series has been noted as one of the best comics of all time,” X user @ZoneX said. “I’m a Sentry fan from Bosnia and Herzegovina. I’ve been a fan for nearly 10 years or so now. I read everything related to the character and proud to be one of the original Sentry fans.”