Before Thunderbolts hit theaters, I honestly thought Marvel would tone down Sentry’s powers. Most of us expected a watered-down version of the comic book powerhouse. Boy, were we wrong!
What we got instead was a Sentry with abilities that somehow manage to surpass even his comic counterpart in some ways. Remember when Val claimed he was created to be more powerful than the combined Avengers team? That wasn’t just typical MCU hyperbole—this version of Sentry actually packs that level of punch.
Here’s what makes Sentry so fascinating: when he’s good, he truly embodies hope and optimism, but when his dark side emerges? Pure, walking havoc.
The Kryptonian-Level Battles We Deserved
Remember watching Man of Steel and being blown away by those Kryptonian battles? The ultra-high speeds, the devastating punches that made you feel the impact through the screen? Marvel fans like me have been asking, “Why can’t we get fights like that?”
Well, Thunderbolts finally delivered. Sentry fights exactly like that—blistering speeds, seemingly invincible, and creating shockwaves that could level mountains just by falling from the sky. The visuals were everything we’ve been craving.
But here’s the kicker—the MCU actually nerfed Sentry by about ten thousand times compared to his comic version! In the movie, they mention he has “the power of a thousand exploding suns,” while comic Sentry wields “one million exploding suns.”
Cosmic Power in Perspective
Does this power downgrade actually matter? Honestly, not at all.
Let’s get nerdy for a second: When our sun eventually collapses, it’ll release approximately 10^44 joules of energy—equivalent to what the sun produces in its entire ten-billion-year existence. Now multiply that by a thousand, and that’s MCU Sentry’s power level. We’re talking cosmic-tier stuff here, folks.
To put that in MCU terms: Sentry is trillions and trillions of times more powerful than Captain Marvel. While Carol Danvers in binary form can channel star-level energy, comparing her power to Sentry’s is like putting a candle next to the sun.
When Sentry Loses Control: The Siege
So is Sentry really stronger than the entire Avengers team combined, even with powerhouses like Hulk and Thor? To answer this question, we need to look at what happens when Sentry completely loses it.
The “Siege” storyline fundamentally altered the Marvel Universe. After Secret Invasion (sound familiar, MCU fans?), Norman Osborn assembled his team and laid siege to Asgard. Classic Osborn wanted to look like humanity’s savior, and Loki, being Loki, manipulated him into believing conquering Asgard would cement his authority.
In the original comic storyline, Osborn brings out his secret weapon—Sentry—who single-handedly demolishes the entire Asgardian army, including Thor. After killing Ares and fighting the Avengers, Sentry eventually becomes exhausted, allowing the heroes to take him down.
But what if Sentry never tired out? That’s where things get truly terrifying.
The What-If Scenario That Broke the Universe
There’s an alternate version of this story that shows Sentry’s true potential. It begins with Osborn convincing Ares that Asgard threatens humanity. Ares warns Osborn that if he’s lying, he’ll kill him. When Ares discovers the deception and attacks Osborn, Sentry intervenes and effortlessly tears Ares in half—not during the Asgard battle as in the original story, but earlier, giving Sentry plenty of time to recover before the siege.
During this alternate siege, Sentry methodically eliminates hero after hero:
- Luke Cage? Dead.
- Thor? Arm severed, then killed.
- Captain America? Decapitated with his own shield.
The heroes’ morale completely shatters. Even when Iron Man arrives with reinforcements, Sentry eliminates them all without breaking a sweat.
As Emma Frost mourns Scott’s death, Doctor Doom extracts her, revealing he has a plan. Doom, Emma, Namor, and Loki return to Asgard to confront Osborn. There, Doom and Emma discover Bullseye has killed Sentry’s wife. When Emma telepathically reveals this to Sentry, his rage unleashes the Void—his dark alter ego.
The enraged Void crushes Emma’s head, kills Bullseye, and then systematically eliminates Loki, Namor, and even Doctor Doom (who refuses to beg for mercy, declaring “Doom bows to no one”).
When Norman receives reports of Sentry’s rampage, the Void confronts him, explaining that Bob (Sentry’s human identity) has relinquished all control. After killing Norman, the Void embarks on a global massacre, eventually consuming all nations and heroes. Earth itself is destroyed.
Beyond Even the Watcher’s Power
This whole apocalyptic story was narrated by Uatu the Watcher, giving us a glimpse into what happened in that universe. What’s interesting is that “What If” stories are typically narrated by Uatu, but “Sentry Kills the Marvel Universe” wasn’t—because Uatu knew after destroying Earth, the Void would ascend to cosmic level, obliterating the moon, then Uatu himself, and continuing to annihilate everything in its path, including Celestials and Galactus.
Just let that sink in. Even the Watcher didn’t dare interfere. If Sentry could threaten cosmic entities like that, what chance would the Avengers have?
MCU Sentry: The Power Set That Breaks the Rules
But is the MCU’s Sentry as powerful as his comic counterpart? Not exactly—he’s potentially even more dangerous because he has the comic Sentry’s powers PLUS some terrifying extras.
Thunderbolts showed Sentry with the standard power set from the Golden Sentry Serum: super strength, speed, invulnerability, flight—the usual superhero package. But then they added telepathic abilities and telekinesis, which takes things to another level.
The most shocking addition? The Void’s reality-warping abilities. That’s what makes him truly game-breaking.
Characters at Sentry’s power tier usually just rely on brute strength to win fights. But Sentry’s telepathy is especially disturbing. In the movie, he nearly drives Walker to suicide by exploiting his guilt. Imagine facing an opponent who can simply command you to kill yourself—he doesn’t even need to throw a punch!
In the Watchtower fight scene, Sentry repeatedly used telekinesis—something he doesn’t have in the comics. Comic Sentry excels at molecular manipulation, but the MCU gave him telekinesis instead, which is arguably more versatile.
And then there’s the Void’s ability to create pocket realities, which is an absolutely broken power. It’s similar to Darkseid’s Omega Sanction in DC Comics, where he traps opponents in alternate lives filled with endless suffering. This isn’t just defeating an enemy—it’s condemning them to existential torture.
What This Means for the MCU’s Future
After all this analysis, one thing is crystal clear: we’ve just witnessed the debut of the most powerful character in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sentry is stronger than Hulk, stronger than Thor, stronger than anyone we’ve seen so far.
With Sentry now in play, the stakes for upcoming films like “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars” have reached an entirely new level. How will the MCU handle a character with this much destructive potential? Will we see the full extent of the Void’s powers? And who could possibly stand against him if he fully unleashes?
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Did you enjoy the MCU’s take on Sentry? Do you think he’ll be a game-changer in the upcoming films? Drop your theories in the comments below!
