Prime Sentinels are an advanced type of fictional Sentinel appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are depicted as a humans-turned-cyborgs that uses nanotechnology from the "Days of Future Past" alternate future. Like the original Sentinels, they are typically depicted as antagonists to the X-Men.

Prime Sentinels
The Prime Sentinels attack.
Cover to X-Men (vol. 2) #65. Art by Carlos Pacheco.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
In-story information
Member(s)Agent Boyd
Agent Mathers
Arvell
Curtis
Felipe
Helmut
Mustang
Number 5
Sanjit Shaara/Unit 3
Saroyan
Karima Shapandar
Tanya
Ginny Mahoney/Unit #1031
Daria

Creation

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The Prime Sentinels were created when Bastion initiated the "Operation: Zero Tolerance" program. These Sentinels were actually humans who had been fitted with cybernetic nanotech implants which, upon activation, transformed the humans into armored beings with powerful weapons systems. These altered humans were set up as sleeper agents, unaware of their natures until a signal from the Operation: Zero Tolerance base activated their programming. These Sentinels were used by Bastion to capture Professor X for his own purposes, as well as attack various mutants associated with the X-Men across the country. Bastion and his Prime Sentinels were eventually defeated by the X-Men with help from the government agency S.H.I.E.L.D. who shut down Operation: Zero Tolerance.

Powers and abilities

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Prime Sentinels are equipped with several technological enhancements, superpowers bestowed ranging towards: flight, enhanced physicals, optic lasers and force-blasts as well as being able to dampen or disrupt the powers of mutants around them. On board scanning and homing sensors which enable them to detect the presence of Homo Superior within their vicinity, backed by combat computers which allow them to compensate for surprising events (such as the arrival of police cars) faster than normal humans. Finally, their programming may use the natural personality along with the original form of the host to lull unsuspecting targets into conversation, at which point they dampen their powers and kill them.

Omega Prime Sentinels, like Karima Shapandar, are equipped with mechanical regeneration coupled with some level of electromagnetic powers, but these were apparently prototypes, as their designs are clunkier than other Prime Sentinels. Other tools Karima shows that Omega Sentinels are equipped with include adaptive countermeasure facilities which enable them to fabricate specialized weaponry tailored to counter specific mutant adversaries.[1] Able to become resilient towards damage dealt prior to their chassis, as well as produce weaponized solutions angled towards dealing with a specific mutant target.[2]

In X-Men 2000 Annual they, like Omega Sentinels, are shown to have limited nano-mechanical morphing abilities. Able to morph or sprout cannon artillery from their body parts for greater arms fire. One of the deadliest abilities of the Prime Sentinels is displayed to be the lethal injection of nanomachines into another human being that will turn the target into a Prime Sentinel. It can be noticed that in the selfsame episode Rogue tries to use her personality-absorbing powers on one of the Prime Sentinels only to find nothing at all: she then states that nothing of the original host remains once the Prime Sentinel personality has taken over, though this is questionable as Magneto and Professor X were able to restore Karima's personality.

Known Prime Sentinels

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  • Agent Boyd
  • Agent Mathers
  • Arvell
  • Curtis
  • Daria
  • Felipe
  • Ginny Mahoney - Known as Unit #1031.
  • Helmut
  • Karima Shapandar
  • Mustang
  • Number 5
  • Sanjit Shaara - Known as Unit #3.
  • Saroyan
  • Tanya

In other media

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Television

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  • A variation of the Prime Sentinels appear in Wolverine and the X-Men. In the Sentinel-dominated future, some people were turned into cyborgs made from human technology and are shown to have a failsafe by Master Mold should their human half get compromised.
  • Prime Sentinels appear in X-Men '97. Acting as Bastion's sleeper agents of OZT subjected to Mister Sinister's techno-organic virus, they consist of various humans who remained unaware of their change and new purpose, such as the Da Costa family butler Ford (voiced by Jeff Bennett), Daria (voiced by Anjali Bhimani), and others (voiced by Jennifer Hale and Eric Bauza), as well as Bolivar Trask, Trish Tilby and Rose Gilberti. When detecting a mutant threat, they would transform into more dangerous versions of traditional Sentinels that could withstand even partial dismemberment and could only be taken out with an electro-magnetic pulse. After Professor X hijacked Magneto to restore Earth's magnetic field, the Prime Sentinels were reactivated and assumed their mission to attack both mutants and humans. The Prime Sentinels' humanity was restored when Jean Grey used the Phoenix Force to attach a Mnemonic Scrambler on Bastion's forehead, severing the Prime Sentinels' connection.

Video games

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  • Prime Sentinels appear as bosses in X-Men: Next Dimension, which is based loosely on the events of Operation: Zero Tolerance. The Prime Sentinels released their leader Bastion from S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. During an invasion at the Xavier Institute, they captured Forge after the latter destroys a Prime Sentinel. They later attack Magneto in Genosha, but Magneto destroys them. After the X-Men makes an uneasy alliance with the Brotherhood of Mutants, the two groups attack the Citadel, and several Prime Sentinels were destroyed.
  • Prime Sentinels appear in X-Men Legends called Bio-Sentinels. They are under the control of General William Kincaid. They were destroyed when the X-Men saved a younger version of Bishop from being killed. In the end, it was revealed they were controlled by Master Mold. The X-Men defeated Master Mold and the Bio-Sentinels were seemingly destroyed.
  • Prime Sentinels appear in Marvel: Avengers Alliance.

References

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  1. ^ Excalibur Vol 3 #10 (April 2005)
  2. ^ X-Men: Legacy Vol 1 #242-243 (2011)
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