Marvel’s Own ‘Reign of Supermen’ Event is Tearing The Sentry Apart

The once-missing Sentry is returning to Marvel Comics with an even bigger mystery surrounding his presence. After being M.I.A. for quite some time, Sentry is returning with an event that has been compared to DC’s ’90s classic Reign of the Supermen. In the way that new characters donned Superman-inspired personas in the wake of his death, Sentry’s powers are scattering across the planet to seemingly random people.

While the exact story details remain under wraps, Marvel offers new context within the solicitation for The Sentry #1 by Jason Loo and Luigi Zagaria, which will feature a main cover by Ben Harvey and a variant cover by Salvador Larocca. The variant cover in particular could be a big hint as to what the series will be about.

It feels appropriate that Larocca’s variant showcases Sentry shattered in several places, as one could say that the character himself is mentally shattered. The Sentry #1 will officially go on sale on December 6th, and its synopsis follows:

The Sentry is dead, but ordinary people all over the world are suddenly manifesting his powers and experiencing snippets of Bob Reynolds’ memories. Will one of them survive long enough to emerge as the new Sentry? Or will their newfound power destroy them? When Misty Knight and Jessica Jones cross paths in search of answers, they open an investigation that will change everything you think you know about the Sentry!

Related: Sentry Cosplay Nails the Unstoppable Power of Marvel’s Superman

Will Sentry Return, or Will a New Sentry Rise?

The Sentry’s recent history has established that his alter ego, Robert Reynolds, suffers from dissociative identity disorder. The Sentry is his heroic persona while the Void is a far more murderous side of him fueled by his own powers. The Sentry was last seen during Marvel’s “King in Black” event, where he was killed by Knull, and his soul was sent to Valhalla to finally rest. His body was later repurposed as “Revenant Prime” to host a hundred million ghosts in a crisis ultimately averted by Clea and Stephen Strange, but Reynolds himself was laid to rest.

Assuming that the above variant cover represents Sentry’s fractured mind, this all but confirms Reynolds’ return to life. Bob is no stranger to coming back from the dead (like many characters in comics), but this time, his return could be setting up something different. Seeing so many shattered versions of Sentry on this cover suggests that he may be returning with even more personalities. Whether the Void is one of them remains to be seen, but he could be adopting new personas thanks to the citizens adopting his powers. As civilians inadvertently gain his powers, Sentry may be inadvertently gaining their characteristics in some sort of even trade.

Alternatively, the shattered Sentry logos in-frame could represent the civilians who are either adopting Sentry’s powers or taking on the role of Sentry in his absence. Since it seems like Reynolds is in pain as he’s struck by all this lightning, perhaps having his powers given to other people is quickly draining him as he returns. If it’s not draining him, there’s also a chance it could be charging him. Truly, anything could be possible, but one theory is more likely than the others: the sudden appearance of these new versions of the Sentry may be paving the way for his return to the living.

The Sentry #1 will be available December 6th from Marvel Comics.