The Red and Black

Lore & Background

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 (Nov. 1965). Sentinels are programmed to locate mutants and capture or kill them. Though several types of Sentinels have been introduced, the typical Sentinel is three stories tall, is capable of flight, projecting energy blasts, and detecting mutants. Sentinels are designed to hunt mutants. While many are capable of tactical thought, only a handful are self-aware. They are technologically advanced, and have exhibited a wide variety of abilities. They are armed (primarily with energy weapons and restraining devices), capable of flight, and can detect mutants at long range. They possess vast physical strength, and their bodies are highly resistant to damage. Some are able to alter their physical forms or re-assemble and reactivate themselves after they have been destroyed. Some Sentinels can learn from their experiences, developing their defenses during an engagement. Several groups of Sentinels have been created or led by a single massive Sentinel called Master Mold. Some Sentinels are also equipped with an inconspicuous logic loop in case they should go rogue to convince them that they are mutants.

Reader's Guide

Types of Sentinels include Mark I and Master Mold, Mark II, Mark III, Mark IV, Mark V, Mark VI, Mark VII, Nimrod, Prime Sentinels, Wild Sentinels, Mark VIII / Sentinel Squad O*N*E, Bio-Sentinels, Stark Sentinels MK I, Mother Mold, X-Sentinels, Stark Sentinel MK II, Fireteam, and Bloodhounds. Related mutant-hunting creations include Tri-Sentinel, Soviet Sentinels, Super-Sentinels, Colcord's Sentinels, Hardaway, Juston Seyfert's Sentinel, Sentinaughts, Nano-Sentinel, Adamantium Cyborgs, Core/Central Command, and Box Sentinels.

Did You Know?

• The Sentinels were ranked in IGN as the 38th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time in 2009.
• The Sentinels played a large role in several X-Men animated series and have been featured in several X-Men video games.
• The Sentinels are featured prominently in the 2014 film X-Men: Days of Future Past, and made brief appearances in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand and the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse.