Warning! Spoilers forUncanny X-Men#16ahead!
TheX-Menjust gained an unexpected ally, one who evokes the most animalistic qualities ofWolverine, but with a mechanized twist. The Sentinel Hounds were introduced as a ferocious new foe in the pages ofUncanny X-Men, but now the threat has seemingly been neutralized, and the lone surviving mutant-hunting robot dog has actually joined the team.
Uncanny X-Men#16, written by Gail Simone, with art by David Marquez and Luciano Vecchio, ends on a pleasant note,as X-Men old and new celebrate victory, with one new addition: a Sentinel Hound.
While the Hound might be in “Good Boy Mode” for now, it shouldn’t be forgotten that it harborsberserker-level violent potential, akin to Wolverine.
The Last Surviving Sentinel Hound Just Joined The X-Men, In A Surprising Twist
Uncanny X-Men#16, Written By Gail Simone; Art By David Marquez And Luciano Vecchio; Available Now From Marvel Comics
X-Menlore features many different types of Sentinels;Uncanny X-Men’sHounds are the latest elaboration on the design of the mutant-hunting robots, eschewing their familiar humanoid form for a canine appearance. This reinvention of the Sentinels was well-received by fans, who praised the more up-close-and-personal horror it allowed for, as opposed to the usual Sentinel style of attack.
Uncanny X-Men#16 even includes a single panel from the Hound’s perspective, affirming it is now in “Good Boy Mode,” and its “Aggression Filter” is activated.
In the end, the X-Men prevailed over the Sentinel Hounds, just as they have over every preceding type of Sentinel pitted against mutantkind. As far as storytelling beats go, that wasn’t unexpected. What is a surprise, though, isUncanny X-Men’sswerve of having one of the Hounds undergo a “reboot” and wind up being adopted by the X-Men.
Uncanny X-Men#16 even includes a single panel from the Hound’s perspective, affirming it is now in “Good Boy Mode,” and its “Aggression Filter” is activated. While this is a great moment of levity, it also drives home the point that this is still a highly dangerous killer robot the X-Men have quickly taken in as one of their own.
The Sentinel Hounds Were A Dangerous Adversary, But Can One Make A Powerful Ally?
From Mutant Hunter To Mutant Protector
Though they seemed formidable at the onset, the X-Men were able to overcome the Sentinel Hounds in the latest arc ofUncanny X-Men. Of course, this is the form of superhero storytelling: build up a strong threat for the heroes to surmount. The adoption of the surviving enemy into their ranks, likewise, is aclassicX-Menstorytelling trope.
What makes it more than just a throwaway joke, though,is the way the Sentinel Hound oddly mirrorsX-Menstalwart Wolverine. Since Wolverine was first added to theX-Menroster fifty years ago, his overarching storyline has involved struggling with, and refusal to succumb to, his base animal instincts towards violence and aggression.
The franchise has always centered this as a matter of constant vigilance for Wolverine. What makes the Sentinel Hound different is its mechanical, computerized nature. The Hound is subject to its programming;while it might have overridden it this time, all it takes is the flip of a switch to turn it back to its original mutant-hunting purpose.
The Sentinel Hound’s Parallels To Wolverine Should Be The Starting Point For Future Storylines
The Hound Has A Built-In Arc
To put it more plainly: self-control is acentral part of Wolverine’s character. His success, and failures, at controlling himself define the hero. This doesn’t necessarily translate to the Sentinel Hound as a character, at least not at first. This could, in fact, be a hint at how the character’s story might continue.
That is, the Marvel Universe is no stranger to sentient, self-aware machine intelligence,and the Sentinel Hound’s story arc as the X-Men’s newest member might be a matter of achieving this, if it hasn’t already. If this turns out to be the case, gaining a sense of self-control might actually become essential to the character.
This would make the Hound even more like Wolverine; despite their outward differences, at first glance, the killer dog-robot and the hero have a surprising amount of overlap, with the potential for those parallels to be explored in unique ways moving forward. Marvel might have its share of “nextWolverines,”butX-Menjust introduced a sleeper candidate.
