Thunderbolts' Main Villain Has Some Of The Wildest Powers In The MCU

This weekend, an all-new team of Marvel misfits is going to be teaming up (as much as some might be reluctant to the idea) to form the "Thunderbolts*" and the chances of them ripping the MCU a new one are pretty high. Comprised of assassins, thieves, and former sleeper agents, they're certainly a force to be reckoned with. Well, besides Bob, maybe.

One character that the lead-up to the film's release has only briefly alluded to is Bob/Robert Reynolds, also known as The Sentry (played by Lewis Pullman, who replaced Steven Yeun after he parted ways with the project). Designed to fill the gap left by The Avengers, who haven't assembled since the events of "Avengers: Endgame," The Sentry is the superforce that goes out of control, leaving the titular team to get together and try to stop him. But just what kind of force are they going up against, and how much of The Sentry's original power set from the comics is making its way into the MCU?

Well, much like his comic book iteration, there's really not much Bob can't do, and that's precisely why he's something to be afraid of here and going forward for his eventual reappearance in "Avengers: Doomsday" and whatever side he'll be on when we're reunited with him there. See, our boy Bob is a complex fellow with multiple sides to him, one of which we'd advise you absolutely don't come face to face with, unless you're happy with staring into The Void.

Debuting in his own comic in 2000, The Sentry was a superhero who had all the basic but equally brilliant abilities that all standard superheroes have. Blessed with super strength, speed, and the ability to fly, The Sentry felt like Marvel's answer to DC's Superman. He was simply unstoppable, and with his transition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, things haven't changed.

In the comics, The Sentry has been known to hold his own against some of the most powerful entities in the Marvel universe. Going toe-to-toe with the likes of Thor, Hulk, and Doctor Doom, there was even one brutal and memorable instance where Bob went up against Ares, the god of war, and ripped the deity in half. Over time, The Sentry even discovered new powers that he didn't initially possess, including molecularization, giving him the power to alter objects down to a molecular level, and psionics, which allow him to manipulate reality itself. 

The movie version of the character is described in the movie as being "more powerful than all of the Avengers combined," and has, so far, developed super strength, speed, the ability to fly, potentially some kind of extra-sensory perception where he can anticipate where Ghost is going to phase in and out of vision, and an apparent invulnerability. But if his comics counterpart points the way toward the live-action version gaining even more powers, he might find himself in a prime place on the battlefield for "Avengers: Doomsday." The only concern is whether he will be able to maintain control, given that, as powerful as Bob might be, another presence in him poses an even greater threat. Haunting Bob's subconscious and just itching to get out is Bob's darker alias, The Void, bent on causing chaos and disaster with a mere thought.

With characters like Norman Osborn, Bruce Banner, and Marc Spector, the Marvel universe is full of characters with split identities, and one of the most terrifying is Bob Reynolds' unhinged alter-ego, The Void. The counter personality to The Sentry, The Void taunts Bob when he takes over, luring him on a path of destruction that, if not restrained, can destroy the universe. Its history is equally as dark and mysterious as the threat it poses, given that in the comics, it's alluded to that The Void may have been present at around 1600 BCE and could very well be the Angel of Death before it latched onto Bob. Such a title is fitting, given that one of The Void's most despicable acts in the comics was killing over a million civilians in Manhattan.

As we've already seen in the trailer, the black shadow definitely makes an appearance in "Thunderbolts*," seemingly snapping people out of existence in a way that even Thanos might be impressed with. How will the fallout of Bob's opposing identities tee up whatever dangers are headed our heroes way when they return for "Avengers: Doomsday?" Let's hope Victor Von Doom doesn't find a way to get a hold of them for himself.

"Thunderbolts*" is in theaters now.