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Dark Avengers #13: Review

Mar 2010
Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Deodato Jr.

Story Name:

(no title given)

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Dark Avengers #13 Review by (September 18, 2018)
This issue and next are cover-bannered as part of Siege. But this issue obviously isn't, and next issue only mentions the planned assault on Asgard.

Sentry's origin:-

Flashbacks in Paul Jenkins' Sentry (2000) #1 established the original origin where teen Robby Reynolds drank the Professor's secret formula and became Sentry. It did show the Professor continuing to give him further injections of the serum and worrying about him becoming addicted. (But he's survived without repeat doses since he reappeared in Brian Bendis' New Avengers.)

In New Avengers #9-10 Emma Frost explored Bob Reynold's memories and wondered why his origin scene looked so comic-book simple.

Then Paul Jenkins wrote a 2nd Sentry mini-series (2005) and revealed that the stated origin was a fiction Reynolds span to hide the truth from himself. In #6 we learned that Robby was an addict and took the serum to get high. Then in #8 we got the full story:-

After WWII the USA and Canada set up a joint secret science base called the Facility which included ex-Nazi scientists and had links to Canada's Weapon X program. One of their main aims was to recreate the Super-Soldier serum that created Captain America, and make it stronger. Later parts of the research were farmed out to outside scientists, including the Professor at Robby's High-School. Robby *was* a junkie who stole the serum, but he was taken with the Professor to the Facility for study - mainly trying to find ways to kill him. (It is stated that they destroyed the serum and the the later injections were dummies, and that the original serum would have worked on *anybody* contrary to what Norman Osborn says.)

The origin in this issue (by Bendis again) picks up on the addiction part but ignores the Facility aspect, and adds the Biblical connection which I believe is forgotten about after these 2 issue.





 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Dark Avengers #13 Synopsis by Rob Johnson
The introductory page reminds us that Sentry died in battle (against Morgana Le Fay in #2) and was killed by his wife Lindy Reynolds (#9). Both times he returned to life (#4 and #10 respectively). This issue has flashbacks which throw some light on the matter.

But 1st we have a scene set in Biblical times (c 1600 BC) where Moses exhorts the Israelites in Egypt to mark their doors with lamb's blood so they will be spared from the coming divine plague which kills the firstborn sons of everyone else. Filaments of blackness appear in the sky.

The next flashback (2 months ago) picks up from the end of the flashback in #3 in Sentry's Watchtower atop Avengers Tower where Norman Osborn befriended Bob Reynolds/Sentry by saying they were alike. Sentry has an evil alter-ego Void which Bob tries to suppress. Norman used to have an evil side Green Goblin but he received treatment which has cured him - and he can teach Reynolds to banish the Void.

The current flashback continues from there. Osborn says there's more. His scientists have recreated the serum that turned Bob into Sentry and he gives him a sample. Norman says it only works for Bob - no-one else can become the Sentry. Sentry drinks it and there's a violent reaction. His speech bubbles go dark because he is now the Void in Sentry's body.

All the while Lindy Reynolds has been lying on the bed in her current unresponsive condition. But now she reacts in silent horror. And the Watchtower AI CLOC has been monitoring the events too.

(Osborn calls him his secret weapon. Judging by later speech bubbles Sentry is usually Bob Reynolds, but presumably Norman can call on the Void by giving Sentry another dose of whatever *this* serum is.)

The next flashback is to the same place 3 days ago (#9) where Lindy shot Sentry with an alien gun left behind by Noh-Varr/Captain Marvel. CLOC is recording the event and now Lindy says she wants the World to know the truth about the Sentry's origin. The version the public has been fed where clean-cut teen Robbie Reynolds foolishly drank the secret formula of his pal the Professor is a lie.

In reality junkie Reynolds and a pal broke into the lab looking for drugs. He *did* drink the serum without sharing with his friend. Security guards caught them but Robbie's transformation to Sentry destroyed the lab, killing the guards and his friend. But Sentry survived and persuaded the Professor to make more of the serum because he was addicted to the power.

Lindy allowed herself to be caught up in the fantasy of being the girlfriend then wife of 'Superman' and didn't question his origin or what his power really was. But when he confessed his true origin to her she realised she was married to a mentally-disturbed monster. Other heroes like Captain America had the moral strength to handle their powers but Bob Reynolds was a weak-willed addict.

She also has a theory (with no basis) that Sentry's power has Biblical roots related to Moses and Jesus.

Suddenly Sentry come back to life and it's Void in control. He destroys Lindy's gun as she tries to kill herself and starts messing with her mind. He scoffs at her Biblical theory and accuses her of betraying Bob by giving up on their marriage. Bob's love for her is the only thing preventing Void from killing her. But when she begs for death it gives him the 'excuse' to break the deal it seems he made with his other half. The voice now vacillates between Bob and Void. Reynolds desperately trying to save Lindy and Void trying to persuade him to see it's for the best.

In the end Bob takes control of Sentry's body and flies into space, past the Moon and Venus and Mercury heading for the Sun. He's willing to die in the flames to destroy the Void. Void calls it the coward's way out, but Lindy was right - he's not really a hero. Void reminds him of all the other times Bob's tried to get rid of him and says this one's not going to work either because Bob isn't really committed to dying. Even as Sentry's flesh melts from his bones Void takes over and repairs the damage. Then he leaves the Sun and flies back to Earth.

On the way back he suggests Bob should just give in and let Void take over completely. And he says Lindy was right about something else as well - Sentry's power is something bigger that Void has used in the distant past. We see the dark tendrils from the initial scene menacing New York as Void says "It's God's way".



Mike Deodato Jr.
Mike Deodato Jr.
Rainier Beredo
Mike Deodato Jr. (Cover Penciler)
Mike Deodato Jr. (Cover Inker)
Rainier Beredo (Cover Colorist)
Letterer: Cory Petit.
Editor: Tom Brevoort. Editor-in-chief: Joe Quesada.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Iron Patriot
Iron Patriot

(Norman Osborn)

Plus: Lindy Reynolds.

> Dark Avengers: Book info and issue index

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