For 61 years, the X-Men have been hunted by the deadly Sentinels - towering robots constructed to slaughter mutants by the hundreds. Now, these unfeeling villains are getting a sleek new redesign, and franchise favorite Colossus is in their deadly crosshairs. The new Sentinels are the latest evolution in Sentinel tech, with X-Men's latest era also introducing a heroic team of humans fitted with Sentinel technology.

In recently released solicit information for the Uncanny X-Men #9 and #10, Marvel reveals that "Stealth Sentinels" - designated as "Bloodhounds" - will attack Rogue's new students, the Outliers. Rather than being giant humanoids, these Sentinels have a canine design, with "enhanced senses and chainsaw-like teeth." Marvel has made it clear that not even Colossus' steel skin can fend them off.

Uncanny X-Men has been hinting that the Bloodhounds are coming for months, with the bonus page for issue #1 (gated behind a QR code) including an image of the robotic hounds. More recently, Uncanny X-Men #5 showed a precognitive vision where Colossus lies dead at their feet in a pool of blood.

The name 'Bloodhounds' brings to mind X-Men's 'Hounds' - brainwashed mutants who serve humanity in a potential dark future where mutants are confined to concentration camps. Introduced in the iconic 'Days of Future Past', the Hounds have often been used as a symbol of what's waiting for mutantkind if they lose their battle for equality.

X-Men's new era is radically evolving Sentinels, including the robotic Bloodhounds and a new hero team using the codename.

X-Men's New Sentinels Are Killer Robot Dogs

The New Bloodhounds May Be Based on X-Men's Predator X

Sentinels are one of the most iconic aspects of X-Men lore, and a constant symbol of humanity's fear and hatred for mutants. Invented by Bolivar Trask, Sentinels have since become a worldwide industry, with many nations having their own versions of the mutant-killing machines. While Sentinels are usually gigantic, it's no surprise that the franchise's new era sees the X-Men's enemies trying out a new design. The 'From the Ashes' era follows the loss of the mutant nation of Krakoa and a vast misinformation campaign by the hate group Orchis, driving respect for mutants to its lowest point ever. Mutants are now as hated and as vulnerable as they've ever been.

Colossus seems to be living in isolation since the end of the Krakoan Era, during which he was mind-controlled by his brother and forced to kill his partner Kayla. So far, he hasn't made with any of the franchise's new mutant teams.

One possible explanation for the new canine Sentinel design is that they're based on the Predator X. Introduced in 2007, the Predator X species are genetic abominations designed to hunt and kill mutants. They boast metal skin, enhanced senses, the ability to track the mutant X-gene, and adaptive evolution derived from the mutants they eat. Predator X have an established history of killing mutants, but as living beings there's an inherent level of unpredictability to their behavior. Creating similar metallic-dog Sentinels could be the best (or rather worst) of both worlds.

For its new era, X-Men is taking two big swings with Sentinels' traditional design.

X-Men's Sentinel Evolution Has Gone Way Beyond Giant Robots

From Cosmic Spider Sentinels to a Heroic Human Team

The new Bloodhound Sentinels are the latest evolution of technology that's become ever more adaptable. During the prior Krakoan Era, mutantkind fought the ultimate Sentinel, Nimrod, as well as Sentinels grown from plant-life and advanced Stark Sentinels created using Iron Man's stolen technology. Their godlike AI nemesis Enigma also created 'Arachno-Sentinels' - killer spiders which could hunt mutants across higher planes of reality.

Meanwhile, Cassandra Nova introduced the franchise's scariest killing machines, including deadly Wild Sentinels constructed from found materials and Nano-Sentinels which attacked the X-Men from within their own bodies. It was Nova's gigantic Tri-Sentinel that carried out the massacre of Genosha, in which over 16 million mutants were killed. That history makes it all the more surprising that the X-Men franchise just introduced a team of seemingly heroic Sentinels.

X-Men's New Hero Sentinels Are a Big Swing for the Franchise

It Makes Sense That X-Men Is Balancing Heroic Sentinels with a Dark New Model

The recent Sentinels series from Alex Paknadel and Justin Mason follows a group of humans who were injured in various Marvel events, now fitted with Sentinel tech that gives them unique powers. The Sentinels are a team dedicated to tracking down major mutant threats, taking on foes such as Sebastian Shaw and Magneto. These 'heroes' serve Corina Ellis - a new X-Men villain who has taken over the team's former school base, turning it into a mutant prison.

'From the Ashes' is intended to create a new X-Men era with a unique status quo, but one which specifically welcomes in new readers and doesn't require much prior knowledge of the franchise. Reinventing Sentinels is a smart move, broadening the role they can play in the series. While the gigantic robotic Sentinels were always an imposing threat, stealth Sentinels make sense in a world where mutants struggle to find safe haven and are constantly being confronted by threats they didn't see coming.

Meanwhile, heroic Sentinels is an idea that's rarely been done before, though the concept has been controversial. Some X-Men eras have defined the Sentinels as a literal hate symbol, making it a hard (and some would say harmful) concept to 'redeem.' Whatever the strengths and weaknesses of X-Men's new human Sentinels, the Bloodhounds certainly fit the bill of upgrading anti-mutant technology for a new era, and it's looking more and more like Marvel may be about to sacrifice Colossus to solidify their fearsome reputation.

Uncanny X-Men #9 is coming from Marvel Comics January 22, 2025, followed by Uncanny X-Men #10 on February 5, 2025.