Is the Sentry too powerful? (Merged)

[TheRedFear]

This guy's too mind bogglingly powerful to ever permit even the illusion of suspense or challenge for the new Avengers when he's around.

So how long you figure it'll be before they retcon/nerf the bejeezus outa him to reduce him on down to more manageable levels?

[Guts/Batman]

You know we have other forums for these kinds of threads...

[mattbib]

This guy's too mind bogglingly powerful to ever permit even the illusion of suspense or challenge for the new Avengers when he's around.

And yet the JLA continues to be challenged even with Superman as a member.

[Guts/Batman]

And yet the JLA continues to be challenged even with Superman as a member.

Exactly.

Sentry doesn't need to be toned down.

[TheRedFear]

I was under the impression from debates on the battleboard that most folks feel the Sentry could pimp Superman out like a redheaded stepchild.

[Guts/Batman]

I was under the impression from debates on the battleboard that most folks feel the Sentry could pimp Superman out like a redheaded stepchild.

And he can.

Sentry is near PC Superman in terms of strength.

He curbstomps Kal-El like Darkseid should but the guy does have a decent rogues gallery (with the biggest one being himself).

But we're not talking about a Rumble here.

[Alan2099]

He's pretty much been written that way.

[TheRedFear]

Exactly.

Sentry doesn't need to be toned down.

Hey I'm glad to see more obscenely powerful ubermench's in Marvel, they need them what for to Wallop those JLA guys. lol

But when you can Solo all of Galactus's Heralds and you got enough juice left in you to stalemate big G himself is there anything in marvel he can't crush by blinking at it hard?

[Guts/Batman]

From a story standpoint, I bet he is Big G's equal in the comics. But for Rumbles it falls under Narrative Hyperbole.

There is something that he can't blink at and defeat: The Void.

[TheRedFear]

Ok, so unless the New Avengers do nothing but fight the Void over and over and over...where's the suspense gonna come from? People say Sentry is the Marvel answer to Superman but Marvel already had that answer with the likes of Thor and Surfer.

Like you said, Sentry is more like pre-crisis Superman. And IIRC, wasn't a desperate need to tone Supes way down one of the major motivating factors that kicked off Crisis? I just can't imagine that they seriously intend to keep Sentry at his current levels permanently.

They've dodged the problem so far by keeping him "off screen" for the msot part but they can't do that forever can they?

[Guts/Batman]

Ok, so unless the New Avengers do nothing but fight the Void over and over and over...where's the suspense gonna come from? People say Sentry is the Marvel answer to Superman but Marvel already had that answer with the likes of Thor and Surfer.

Like you said, Sentry is more like pre-crisis Superman. And IIRC, wasn't a desperate need to tone Supes way down one of the major motivating factors that kicked off Crisis? I just can't imagine that they seriously intend to keep Sentry at his current levels permanently.

They've dodged the problem so far by keeping him "off screen" for the msot part but they can't do that forever can they?

I didn't say he was like PC Superman.

I said he was near PC Superman in strength (from a Rumbles POV), but the character's nature is being explored and not the power level. That is the mistake that DC writers make when writing stories with megapowerful characters.

DC focuses on the power and that's where they fail to create dynamic characters.

You're choosing to facus on the power aspect of the character.

Jenkins isn't focusing on that. He enjoys the character aspect of the character that is The Sentry, which I think is how the character should be written.

The Sentry will always be his own enemy. That's the draw of the character. The writers are focusing on his psyche, which is the best way to play it, IMO.

His personal life is the story (as is the case with Wally West). Is he spending too much time as the Sentry? What if the Void gets out? Does his wife love The Sentry or his "regular" self?

It seems to me that he was self confidence problems when he is his regular self. Jenkin's is actually getting this character right, IMO.

[TheRedFear]

I'm not saying the character isn't interesting. THat might all work splendidly in his own Solo series. But he aint in a Solo series. But he's on a team other other heroes, who are going to make a monthly habit of striding forth into the mean streets of MArvel New York to kick a lil supervillainous backside.

Megalomaniacs are going to rise up, and threaten the world and the Avengers are going to be called upon to stop them.

These thigns are necessary. They give us our daily dosage of needed Violence and Excitement to break up the drawn out drama of Sentry's deep introspections. Except they're not so violent and not so exciting when the only characters in MU who can conceivably even make Sentry break a sweat is Void and Galactus.

[Guts/Batman]

These thigns are necessary. They give us our daily dosage of needed Violence and Excitement to break up the drawn out drama of Sentry's deep introspections. Except they're not so violent and not so exciting when the only characters in MU who can conceivably even make Sentry break a sweat is Void and Galactus.

This is where "suspension of disbelief" needs to be taken into consideration. The "suspension of disbelief" standard is much higher than it is for a character like...say Batman than it is Sentry.

I think you're forgetting the fact that the Avengers also have Doom, Kang, Thanos, Big G and other numerous uber villains to fight. Each villain brings his/her own unique to the table.

These are uber-villains that make cosmics tremble.

What I think you're failing to see is that Sentry does so many things in his day it is believable that he only shows up so much in the New Avengers. He is so...busy with saving every bad situation.

There's only so much can do.

I also think you're missing the fact that most groups almost always have lots of PIS in their stories. Groups almost always have the biggest threats imaginable. You're looking too much into it.

[The Shadow]

I'm not saying the character isn't interesting. THat might all work splendidly in his own Solo series. But he aint in a Solo series. But he's on a team other other heroes, who are going to make a monthly habit of striding forth into the mean streets of MArvel New York to kick a lil supervillainous backside.

Megalomaniacs are going to rise up, and threaten the world and the Avengers are going to be called upon to stop them.

Ah, but you are forgetting something critical to the New Avengers that differentiates them from the old Avengers and that is Bendis will use a less rigid team than before. Members will come and go and be used when they are needed the most.

And as for Sentry he will go where CLOC thinks is most vital. If the rest of the Avengers can handle Ultron and there is an earthquke on the otherside of the world Sentry would go to the quake.

[The Shadow]

Sentry is more like pre-crisis Superman. And IIRC, wasn't a desperate need to tone Supes way down one of the major motivating factors that kicked off Crisis?

Yeah but Superman was created in 1938 and he wasn't de-powered until 1986. That's a rather healthy 48 year run as the top power dog at DC. Sentry's only been around since 2001 (I believe)... give him some time!