Who Is Marvel's New Sentry? Their Super Powers & Very Different Name Explained
Contains spoilers for "Sentry" #4 (by Jason Loo, Luigi Zagaria, Arthur Hesli, and VC's Joe Caramagna)
Marvel Comics has a new character taking on a similar mantle to Sentry, but with a name and origin that differ from the mighty hero.
Bob Reynolds, the original Sentry, debuted in "Sentry" #1 and was created by Paul Jenkins, Jae Lee, and Rick Veitch. The Golden Guardian was considered one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe, with reality-changing abilities and the power of a million exploding suns. However, with his extraordinary gifts came a considerable curse. Sentry had a dark opposite called the Void, who, when unleashed, tried to consume the world. As a result, the Avengers have mind-wiped Reynolds multiple times, tamping down both his superpowers and his Void alter ego. But, as you would expect, Sentry has continued to emerge and play a part in different superteams.
Most recently, Sentry died at the hands of the King in Black, but even in death, his presence is being felt across the globe. In the just-concluded miniseries, Marvel made a major change to Sentry, splitting the dead hero's powers and infusing them into six random people. Unfortunately, one of the enhanced individuals, Ryan Topper, made it his mission to kill whoever else received one of the impressive abilities, stealing them so he could be the last and most powerful Sentry alive. Thankfully for the Marvel Universe, Mallory Gibbs, a disabled journalist with cerebral palsy, stands in Topper's way — and following his defeat, she has become a new Sentry-like hero named Solarus.
Meet Solarus, Marvel's new Sentry
In "Sentry" #4, Mallory Gibbs confronts Ryan Topper alongside Jessica Jones in an attempt to learn what happened to the other people who have received Sentry's powers. After learning Topper killed them all, a massive battle occurs across the skies, with the two exchanging powerful blows. Using her abilities, Mallory reaches inside Topper's mind and pulls out the souls of the Sentries he's killed. Together, they take Topper down and regain the power he stole from them. When the dust settles, Mallory obtains the powers of each of the dead heroes as they fade away, while Topper is taken to jail.
Mallory immediately turns herself in and is given a power-inhibitor collar. However, she's not arrested but instead taken to the Aberrant Crimes Division, where Misty Knight says she knows what it's like to have a disability as a superhero as she shows off her bionic arm and offers to train Mallory.
Realizing she needs to forge her own path, one different than Sentry's, she breaks off her inhibitors and, as her new and still undefined powers can be seen emerging once again, tells Knight to call her Solarus. The name fits the hero, considering the original Sentry's powers of a million exploding suns, and perfectly encapsulates who Mallory has become.
What does this mean for the original Sentry?
Mallory Gibbs gaining Sentry's powers and becoming Solarus doesn't necessarily spell the end for the original hero. That said, the comic ends with no indication that Bob Reynolds is still alive, meaning his status is up in the air for now. However, the rumor that Sentry will make his debut in the "Thunderbolts" film in the MCU has been confirmed, though Lewis Pullman has reportedly stepped into the role after Steven Yuen left the Marvel movie due to scheduling conflicts. So, Sentry will appear on the big screen in the immediate future, but it's unclear when he will pop up next in the comics.
Regardless of Sentry's comic book fate, seeing Mallory gain his powers and want to learn how to harness them to be a force of good as Solarus makes her a great choice to take on his abilities. Hopefully, she isn't plagued by the same Void entity that has long tortured Reynolds, because that would very quickly transform the positive change in her life into a nightmare.
"Sentry" #4, from Marvel Comics, is in comic book stores and available via online retailers now.