Thunderbolts* – The Sentry’s Powers Explained (How the MCU Changes Comics Lore)

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In “Thunderbolts“, we see many beloved Marvel Cinematic Universe characters reappear, but it’s also the debut of one of the Marvel Universe’s strongest characters – The Sentry. At first, he appears as an ordinary man named Bob, but don’t be fooled, for this seemingly ordinary character is actually a force to be reckoned with, capable of taking apart the entire team with his impressive abilities. We won’t even mention his powers as The Void here; let’s explore his comic book powers and how they were adapted for the screen instead.

Superhuman Strength and Speed

To kick things off, we’ll delve into Sentry’s fundamental traits – his incredible power and speed. Among the Marvel Universe’s superhumans, Sentry ranks among the strongest. In combat situations, he’s so fast that he frequently appears as a blur while sprinting across battlefields. This quickness often causes issues for teams like Thunderbolts, and even when he’s stationary, his strength is simply unbelievable. At one juncture, Sentry bent John Walker’s shield around his arm, and in a show of ultimate dominance, tore off Winter Soldier’s arm and casually tossed it onto the ground.

Invulnerability

Speaking as a fan, I must say that Sentry’s resilience is truly astounding. Time and again, he’s faced off against some of Marvel Universe’s mightiest heroes, and remarkably, he’s usually the one who comes out on top. A significant factor contributing to his success is simply how tough it is to inflict harm upon him.

In my opinion, the film showcases an extraordinary character, Sentry, who exhibits an uncanny ability to withstand punishment that would leave most characters reeling. He takes Winter Soldier’s punches like they’re nothing and shrugs off a full-contact Shield strike to the head without so much as a twitch. Yelena attempts to electrocute him, but even a powerful electrical shock to his neck fails to faze him, sending her crashing to the floor moments later. Remarkably, Sentry can even absorb bullets with ease, rendering any attempts to harm him from afar ineffective in the long run. If you’re planning to take Sentry head-on, you’ve got a challenge on your hands that few can match.

Flight

This skill is quite common for characters with as much power as Sentry possesses. While Sentry can travel at incredible speeds through the air, this is usually depicted in smaller settings within the movies. However, it’s The Void who uses flight more frequently in the films. Contrastingly, Sentry utilizes flight more extensively in the comics. In fact, he has ventured into space on several occasions, with one of his most notorious exploits being the tearing apart of Carnage while orbiting Earth.

Superhuman Senses and Telekinesis

One advantage Sentry possesses is his uncanny knack for foreseeing his adversary’s moves and responding swiftly, which is primarily due to his lethal two-part skillset. This agility stems from his heightened senses, including superior vision and hearing, showcased in various scenes throughout the movie.

At a certain moment, Ghost seems to vanish and reappear, attacking him, while you can observe Sentry strategically waiting for her next move. In an instant, he stretches out his arm and accurately snatches her from mid-air, nullifying her main advantage, despite enduring blows of punches and bullets himself.

This combines with his unpredictable telekinesis, as the strength of this ability varies significantly. In the comics, he didn’t fully utilize these powers until his encounter with the Celestial Death Seed, but in the movie, he possesses them from the start, amplifying his power. At a certain moment, not only does he perceive Red Guardian lurking behind him, but he obstructs him by manipulating furniture and hurling it at Red Guardian, propelling him across the room with a swift arm gesture. At this juncture, he already grasps Ghost in one hand, and subsequently, he uses his other hand to summon Walker towards him before throwing both of them across the room.

Matter/Molecular Manipulation

In essence, Sentry possesses an exceptional talent for manipulating molecules, a skill that’s evident in both his Sentry and Void personas. However, he uses this power differently depending on which form he adopts. As Sentry, he can disintegrate matter and reshape it according to his whim, although he hasn’t always demonstrated complete mastery over this ability throughout the years. This is subtly demonstrated in the movie during the fight sequence, where he transforms Walker’s gun into a molten state, forcing Walker to discard it. Some may attribute this to a heated gaze, but it operates on a unique principle.

In its role as The Void, this power steps into an entirely unique domain. The Void possesses the uncanny ability to mold matter, transforming it into shadows which it gradually consumes. This consumption extends to obscuring light and even dominating the sky. Moreover, the shadows created by The Void serve as a tormenting prison, where one is confined to relive their most painful memories repetitively. This is a chilling blend of powers, made all the more terrifying when combined with The Void’s inherent darkness and lethality.

Powers Left Out

Despite possessing numerous abilities in the comics, Sentry has shown others not featured in the movie. For instance, Sentry’s healing capabilities are evident in various ways, and there have been instances where he brought people back from the dead in critical situations, although this aspect of his powers appears to be one that he still lacks complete mastery over.

In the books, Sentry’s ability to become invisible isn’t always depicted, and neither are his empathy and teleportation powers, although he possesses them. On occasion, Sentry has also been known to enhance others’ abilities, as well as share his own with multiple individuals. These aspects were not included in the film, but they may be introduced at a later time. Essentially, Sentry is extraordinarily powerful and it remains uncertain what the future may hold for this character.

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2025-05-03 22:40