Marvel’s Sentry has recently exploded in popularity thanks to his well-received live-action debut in the MCU’s Thunderbolts* film (as portrayed by actor Lewis Pullman), with his comic costume getting a fairly faithful adaptation on the silver screen that is sure to appease fans. Yet, when Sentry was first developed over twenty years ago, one of the creatives who worked on the character was given a single directive that influenced Sentry’s iconic design in a way that defined the hero in the decades since his inception.

Created in 2000 by Paul Jenkins, Rick Veitch, and Jae Lee for a five-issue Marvel Knights-branded series titled The Sentry, Robert “Bob” Reynolds was introduced as someone who was constantly struggling to keep his mentals in check, with his dark half known as The Void making that struggle even harder, especially when his mirror self was left unchecked.

In a recent post on Instagram, Sentry colorist and Marvel Comics alum José Villarrubia reveals that when deg this omnipotent character, artist Jae Lee asked him to create a unique color scheme with one simple directive: “Don’t make it look like Superman.”

The One Limitation Sentry’s Character Design Had Was to Not Look Like Superman

According to Marvel Comics Colorist José Villarrubia

Frequently collaborating with Jae Lee as a colorist, José explains how he was looking for a “distinctive approach” in his contribution to Sentry, one that wouldn’t elicit a connection to DC Comics’ Man of Steel. Settling on a “gold/yellow bodysuit paired with ultramarine or indigo blue for the cape and accessories,” José goes on to say that “Jae loved it,” with the look becoming the official color scheme for Sentry from that point forward. Additionally, Jae asked José to create an “old photograph” of Sentry to use in the series, resulting in the first live-action look for the character!

Constantly compared to Superman, mainly due to Sentry’s limitless strength and similarly overpowered abilities, Sentry’s instantly iconic costume is something that most definitely doesn’t bring Clark Kent’s alter ego to mind and is a testament to the entire idea behind purposely making Sentry’s look as different from Superman’s design as possible. Furthermore, if Superman is defined by his red and blue colors, Sentry’s golden hues have also defined him, with José noting how in issue two of The Sentry, the hero was already being referred to as "The Golden Guardian of Good,” a moniker that has stuck around ever since.

Sentry’s Costume Design Has Become an Iconic Part of the Character’s Identity as a Hero

Sentry Made His Live-Action Debut in the MCU’s Thunderbolts*

Colorist José Villarrubia sharing some fun details about Sentry’s creation is a treat for fans of the character to hear about, with José’s behind-the-scenes story putting an even finer point on why Robert Reynolds’ costume history is so important, especially considering the reason behind his design came about thanks to a simple note that strived to make sure the character’s visual look was completely unique compared to Superman’s. Sentry will continue to be an integral part of both the MCU’s sprawling live-action saga and Marvel’s comic book universe moving forward, with the character’s golden costume design needing no notes whatsoever.

Source: @villarrubia.jose