X-Men: A Brief History of The Sentinels

The mutant-hunting robots arrived on the big screen in the X-Men First Class sequel Days of Future Past. Here's a brief history of mutant-kind's greatest foes.

Besides Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants and other villains of the Marvel Universe, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced a different kind of foe for the young X-Men team.  These antagonists weren't fellow mutants bent on world domination or destruction.  These were machines programmed to capture and exterminate mutant-kind altogether! No other menace has threatened the existence of the X-Men and mutant-kind than these inhuman machines, the Sentinels.

Bolivar Trask introduces the Sentinels

The Sentinels were created by scientist Bolivar Trask to hunt down and control the mutant population. With his hatred for mutants, it’s hard not to imagine what Trask ultimately had in mind for mutants once the Sentinels captured them. The giant robots first made their appearance sharing a stage with Trask and Professor Charles Xavier. Xavier wanted to debate Trask regarding mutant-kind and during the festivities, Trask unveiled the early model Mark I Sentinels. Trask couldn't complete his demonstration as the Sentinels turned on Trask, captured him and then attacked Xavier. Only through a psychic plea for help to his X-Men, was Xavier freed and they were even able to capture one Sentinel. This event served to be the first showdown with these machines and wouldn't be the last time the X-Men faced off against Sentinels. Another battle had them fighting replicas of other team members.

"Days of Future Past" cover

Throughout the X-Men series and related titles, the Sentinels continued to plague the teams and mutant-kind. In the famous story Days of Future Past the Sentinels of the future have finally conquered North America and captured virtually of the mutants. Set in an alternate timeline, the story saw the deaths of several members of the X-Men fighting a tragic final battle against the machines.

As with technology, the Sentinels evolved lethally as well. Nimrod, a Sentinel from the distant future was actually threat to modern day mutants as well. Nimrod was radically different but just as powerful than his predecessors, as he had the ability to change his form and disguise itself as an actual human.  The Sentinel followed the mutant Rachel Summers into the present timeline. Nimrod blended into society and fooled the civilians he came in contact with, thinking he was human too, by wearing an armored suit just like Iron-Man. Nimrod eventually engaged the X-Men and the Hellfire Club, severely injuring many of the members on both teams, in the process.

Days of Future Past delved into new concepts and adventures for the team, such as time travel and perhaps a final glimpse of what would happen to these beloved characters. It was a remarkable story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne to cap off what was an incredible run by both on the Uncanny X-Men series. They certainly fleshed the Sentinels far more than what Stan Lee and Jack Kirby could have ever envisioned.  While the robots were famously depicted in the 1990s X-Men animated series, they finally made their big screen debut in the Days of Future Past movie.

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Images copyright Marvel Comics