As Nekron's TRUE Black Lantern Corps stands revealed, BF looks at the death and resurrection that put Diana in his sights...

Unearthing Wonder Woman

Issue #117 - The Saga of The Sentry

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Looking Through the Long Boxes;

“The Man Who Was the World!”
DC Comics Presents #24
August 1980
DC Comics
Written by Len Wein
Art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez

You know, I love these older covers. Sure, the scene doesn’t actually happen in the book, but it makes for a great hook. As for the story itself, I’ve often had a soft spot for Deadman team-ups like this, as the other hero doesn’t even know Boston is around helping him. It’s not the Superman/Deadman pairing that makes this issue pure gold however, it’s the “menace” they face. An earthquake ravages Metropolis, drawing both of our heroes into the story. After containing the damage, a man comes running up, begs for help and collapses from a heart attack. Readers soon learn that the man, Alex Atley, is responsible for the Earthquake. As he recovers, Atley explains that after learning that he had a weak heart he created a device capable of saving his life – the cardialink. One piece of the device was implanted into Atley’s chest, while the other was put in the Earth’s core. In Atley’s own words he “assumed the natural planetary rhythm would help regulate [his] erratic heartbeat, extending his life indefinitely, but instead it seems to have given the world a monstrous heart attack.” Remarkably enough, takes this news well (“I see”), and doesn’t even chastise Atley for being such a complete tool.

Look For It In Stores Now;

“Seven Days”
Ultra #1
Image Comics
Written by Jonathan and Joshua Luna
Art by Jonathan Luna
$2.95US/$3.90 CAN

This project by the Luna Brothers takes readers to Spring City, home of Pearl Penalosa – Ultra. Part superheroine, part law enforcer, part celebrity, part entrepreneur, we meet Pearl on a rare night off with her girlfriends. On the way home, the girls have a chance encounter with a fortuneteller, who has a prophecy for each of them; within seven days, one will receive what she has given, one will suffer a loss and one will find true love. I rather enjoyed the debut issue, even though the superheroine aspect was downplayed (that might have been an expectation the advertising campaign put on me, however). The art has a haunting tone to it, capture that unearthly quiet of a winter night. The Luna Brothers put together a compelling issue, given that is primarily a “talking heads” story – the pace doesn’t lag, despite the lack of external conflict. Overall, the feel of the book reminded me of “Sex and the City” and left me curious to see where the tale leads.

Looking Down the Road;

The Batman/Judge Dredd Files
DC Comics
Written by John Wagner and Alan Grant
Art by Simon Bisley, Carl Critchlow, Dermot Power, Glenn Fabry, Jim Murray and Jason Brashill
In stores the week of September 1st, 2004.
$14.95 US

Sure, the 90s were overly polluted with crossovers we didn’t need (or even want), but there were some gems there. Personally, I was never a fan of Judge Dredd, but Bat-fever gripped me so I read “Judgment on Gotham.” Driven by Bisley’s powerful painting, the story is a chilling ride as Judge Death haunts Gotham City. The other highlight of the issue is the truly…interesting dynamic that the Dark Knight and Mega-City’s lawman share. Truly something that must be seen to believe. That special is collected here, along with the sequels, “The Ultimate Riddle” (versus the Riddler) and Die Laughing (Joker travels to Mega-City One).

The Saga of The Sentry

With the recent announcement of the New Avengers, many people have been left wondering about the inclusion of a little known character called “The Sentry.” The story behind this unique character begins with the name “Artie Rosen.”

Artie Rosen’s professional debut was in 1941 as the artist for "Exciting Comics." Best remembered for his work on "Crime Can’t Win" for Marvel/Atlas and "Love Experiences", Rosen’s career spanned nearly four decades (his final project was for Gold Key’s "Mod Wheels" in the 1970s). While the majority of his work was uncredited, Rosen remained a regular fixture at comic conventions in Brooklyn. In the fall of 1999 however, Rosen’s heath began to deteriorate. In Daredevil #9 (July 1999), an editorial note in the letter column asked all readers to join the staff at Marvel in wishing Artie a speedy recovery. As reported in Wizard #103 however, Rosen passed away January 13, 2000 at age 83. The very next month, Wizard published a seemingly unrelated report, mentioning that a pre-Fantastic Four super-hero created by Stan Lee had recently been unearthed by Marvel.

The story came to a head in June 2000, in Wizard #105. In a Wizard exclusive, the magazine reported that following Rosen’s death, his widow discovered a box labeled “Marvel Comics” that held a number of comics, papers and files. The box was sent to then Marvel Editor-in-Chief, Bob Harras, before finding its way to the desk of Marvel Knights editor, Joe Quesada. There the box remained until writer Paul Jenkins accidentally picked it up. Jenkins discovered an old comic in the box, Startling Stories #1, featuring the debut of a Superman-like hero called The Sentry. Moderately intrigued by the forgotten hero, Jenkins dug deeper in the box, discovering old sketches and character outlines. Dated 1961, the developmental sketches were signed by Stan Lee and Artie Rosen. Quickly realizing the significance of a Silver Age Marvel hero pre-dating the Fantastic Four, Jenkins and collaborator Jae Lee, petitioned both their Marvel Knights editors and Stan Lee for permission to resurrect The Sentry. Lee, who only had vague memories of creating the character, quickly agreed, and a new Sentry project was fast-tracked. Initially conceived as a 5-issue mini-series, four additional one-shots extrapolating The Sentry’s relationship with classic Marvel heroes was added, along with a bookend finale.

The Sentry #1 shipped with a September 2000 cover date. “The Suit” introduced readers to Bob Reynolds. The middle-aged, pot-bellied man with agoraphobia is awakened one night with the ominous feeling that The Void, a creature of terrible evil, had returned. Drawing from the real-world scenario surrounding the Sentry, Jenkins introduced the idea that Bob had once been a great hero, but for some reason, everyone (including Bob and his wife) had forgotten The Sentry. As the Void’s impending return began to re-awaken Bob’s memories, Jenkins and Lee interspersed the tale with brief flashbacks of the Sentry at various points in Marvel History (a Kirby inspired 1960s origin, a darker Dark Knight-esque 80s adventure, and a more recent Alex Ross style portrait). Finally overwhelmed by a sense of dread, Bob drank the super-serum that would transform him back into the Sentry. At that exact moment, The Void channeled itself through Bob’s dog, mocking the hero. Just as Bob lashed out at his dog, his wife Lindy entered the room. Rather than seeing the same images the reader had, Liddy instead saw her husband delirious, holding a bottle of booze and kicking the family pet. At her breaking point, Liddy left her husband. In the final pages, readers saw the small, broken man take a jacket from his hall closet and clip a blanket to it with clothespins – all the while believing he was donning a costume. As the issue ended, Jenkins left readers believing that Bob was a delusional drunk – until the final panel that saw him lift into air, flying.

The second issue continued to toy with both perceptions and time. Lee and Jenkins presented several more “flash-backs” including a Rob Liefeld-style adventure in which Sentry’s sidekick, Scout, was maimed by the Void, and a John Byrne inspired wedding between Sentry and Liddy. In the present, readers joined Mr. Fantastic in discovering Bob standing atop the peak of the Baxter Building. Bob explained to Reed that there had been a conspiracy to make the world forget him. Before disappearing, Bob asked Reed to remember a wedding and a unicorn. As reports of killer storms and mysterious black masses in Europe began to come in, Reed Suddenly noticed a bust of a unicorn in the Fantastic Four’s living room. The unicorn, which none of the four could ever recollect putting in the room, rested atop a video tape. Placing the tape in the VCR, the Four were greeted by a younger version of Reed who had a dire warning; “…if you’ve somehow found the tape and you are watching this message, then we’re all as good as dead.”

In Issue #3, Bob’s makeshift costume began transforming into a real super-suit. Seeking out the Hulk, Bob was relieved to find that the monster actually remembered him. Before leaving the Jade Giant, Bob left him with a small golden sphere (it would help soothe his rage and protect him from The Void) and a warning that he would soon need him to help in the fight against the Void. Later that evening, Bob encountered Spider-Man. Addressing the hero as “Peter”, Bob showed the webslinger a photograph of the Sentry. While Spider-Man only saw a blank slip of paper, he was intrigued enough to follow up a clue left by Bob – to seek out the reason why some copies of Clarion, Time and Life magazine were misnumbered. Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four watched the mysterious video, in which the younger Reed warned that they should believe the man named Robert Reynolds. Before young Reed could finish his warning however, the tape and VCR suddenly exploded in flame. Reed then began researching Robert Reynolds, learning that the man in question had died years earlier. As the mysterious storm attacks continued overseas, Reed finally discovered a small folder of clippings about the adventures of the Sentry. Dr. Strange then suddenly appeared warning Reed that the questions he was asking were placing the very universe in danger.

In issue #4, Dr. Strange allowed Reed a brief glance into the past – one that showed Reed making Strange promise that he would make certain that he would never allow anyone to remember The Sentry. As Bob continued his visits to the heroes of the Marvel Universe, the sentient darkness overseas continued to grow in both intensity and violence. Meanwhile, Peter Parker discovered that while there were issues #742 and 744 of Clarion magazine, there was no #743. Suddenly, the missing issue appeared, sporting the very photograph that Bob had shown Spider-Man. At the same time, Bob recalled being confronted by the Marvel heroes, as they demanded that he be held responsible for his actions. In the end, they all agreed that The Sentry must die. With this recollection, Bob’s makeshift costume completed it’s metamorphosis into his Sentry uniform and he was able to once again to see his Watchtower standing over Manhattan.

Sentry entered the Watchtower in issue #5, confronting its sentient computer, Cloc. Cloc reported that a transmitter had been placed into its systems, which were beaming a subliminal signal across the world, causing everyone to forget The Sentry. Cloc also reported to Sentry that it was unable to help him remove the device, by order of Reed Richards. As the killer storm drew closer to New York, Sentry removed the device from Cloc’s systems and people began to remember The Sentry as the world’s greatest hero. With his memory restored as well, Sentry realized that after his apparent “death”, Reed Richards framed him as a traitor. Sentry returned to his house, where he was confronted by Liddy. Before the two could make amends, the dog (now known as Watchdog) shouted a warning. The Void appeared, snatching Liddy. Sentry demanded to know why the Void had returned. As he released Sentry’s wife, the Void replied, “You know the answer. Look inside.” With that, Sentry put out a worldwide call for help. Led by the Sentry, Earth’s heroes gathered at the Statue of Liberty for a final showdown with The Void.

All of the Sentry one-shots next appeared, using the wait for the Void’s arrival as a framing device. In Sentry/Fantastic Four, Reed remembered an adventure that the FF and Sentry shared when a Cosmic Cube seized control of the Watchtower. In Sentry/Spider-Man, Pete remembered a time he and “The Golden Guardian of Good” teamed up against the Kingpin and the Void. During the course of the adventure, the two heroes revealed their identities to each other. At the end of the issue, Sentry asked Spider-Man to photograph him without a mask on, exposing his duel identity of Bob Reynolds, but giving the world proof that The Sentry was real and would be there to protect them. Ultimately, the photo won Peter a Pulitzer Prize. In Sentry/Hulk, it was revealed that Sentry and Hulk had been partners following issue #6 of The Incredible Hulk (there was no Incredible Hulk #7-101 – the series was called “Tales to Astonish” during these issues). After a brief “Marvel Misunderstanding”, the two heroes discovered that Sentry’s glowing aura had a claming effect on the Savage Hulk. The two fought side-by-side for years, and the mellowed Hulk was loved by the world. After The Sentry’s final duel with The Void however, the Golden Guardian disappeared, and the Hulk returned to his mindless rampages. Finally, Sentry/X-Men saw Archangel recall a time that Sentry and the original X-Men teamed up.

The final entry in the Sentry series came with “The Sentry vs. The Void.” The issue opens as The Void attacks Sentry’s squad (comprised the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus and Sentry's former sidekick, Scout). At that moment, Dr. Strange helps Reed recall one final memory – The Void’s last attack. A fight between Void and Sentry had ravaged Manhattan and the Fantastic Four were the first to arrive at the aftermath. There they discovered that The Void was all of The Sentry’s darker urges given life. All Earth’s heroes confronted The Sentry and he eventually agreed that he was a danger to all life. He agreed to an elaborate plan that would not only stage his death, but brand him a traitor and eventually wipe all memories of him. In the present, Reed confronted The Sentry, hoping his former friend could regain enough control over the Void to seal him away. The Void had become too powerful however, becoming a creature of its own volition. In a desperate final gambit, Sentry reactivated the transmitter with an extra power boost. As the device activated, he fed a final order into Cloc, ordering him to seal himself off from all contact with the outside world. With that, The Sentry faded from the world’s memory once again. The damage wrought by Sentry and Void was attributed to a temporal anomaly. The series closed with Libby and Bob traveling into New York to confront Bob’s fear of public places. There they encountered a young man that looked remarkably like Scout. The saga of The Sentry ended as Bob smiled a knowing smile.

Except that wasn’t the end. Many news and online sources had already guessed parts of it, but the truth was revealed in Wizard #116 – the entire history of The Sentry character had been an elaborate marketing plan. Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee had in fact, created the Sentry (Jenkins and friend, Rick Veitch, had actually originally been envisioned as a Hourman project for DC). After reading their pitch for the series, Quesada conceived the basis of the publicity stunt. Originally, Jenkins wasn’t keen on the entire hoax, but was won over once Stan Lee enthusiastically agreed to help (“I have a very poor memory anyway,” Lee was quoted as saying). The final element in the ploy came in creating a fictional co-creator for The Sentry. Artie Rosen (the name was an amalgamation of two Tales to Astonish letterers, Artie Simek and Sam Rosen). John Romita Sr. was comissioned to draw Rosen's "lost" character sketches. Quesada began laying the seeds for the deception with the Daredevil editor note, before enlisting the help of Wizard Magazine in running first, the Rosen obituary (the photo of Rosen was actually the great uncle of a Wizard staffer), and later the follow-up pieces.


With that, the bizarre story of The Sentry ended. While many people were genuinely upset at Marvel’s deception, I look back at it as a truly original marketing promotion. Without a doubt, it would have upset me if the promotion had been for a sub-par title, but Jenkins and Lee delivered an intriguing and original saga, which was actually enhanced by the illusion the hoax added to it. Given the seemingly open ending Jenkins left the series on, I’m quite intrigued to see how Brian Bendis will develop The Sentry in the pages of The New Avengers.

Pulling the wool from his eyes,

Fletcher Adams