The Sentinels tower over the X-Men in comics, and the mutant-hunters are also some of the biggest Marvel action figures ever produced.
The mighty Sentinels are some of the biggest and most formidable of the X-Men’s villains, hunting down unwary mutants wherever their lavender frames tread. These monstrous machines haven’t just terrorized the comic books, but toy aisles as well, with Sentinel figures showing up across several Marvel and X-Men toylines.
Toy industry giant Hasbro has just sent out the biggest Sentinel figure ever to faithful fans, though it’s not the first towering toy for the technological titans. With massive action figures going back to the 1990s, the Sentinels are once again leaving their gigantic imprint on the world of plastic X-Men. Now, here’s how these giant-size robots were immortalized in plastic.
X-Men: Water Wars Sentinel (6 Inches)
One of the first Sentinel toys was the rather diminutive Water Wars Sentinel Prototype Robot. A paltry 6 inches, the robot was the same scale with the regular toys in the line, which is likely why it’s billed as simply a test robot. Along with a wrecking ball weapon, it can also wield a water cannon on its left arm, hence its place in the spinoff toyline. While it’s definitely the wettest and wildest of the Sentinel figures, it’s also one of the smallest.
Toy Biz Sentinel (14 Inches)
The bulky Toy Biz Sentinel figure was a whopping 14 inches, towering over its helpless X-Men prey. The accessories of the toy include a detaching left arm that delivers a rocket-powered punch, as well as a gripping tentacle to lure in and capture mutants. While it was the first Sentinel figure to tower over regular-size X-Men figures, the figure is otherwise a gigantic brick, lacking much in way of articulation, thanks largely to the era it was produced in.
Marvel Universe Sentinel (16 Inches)
The San Diego Comic-Con-exclusive Hasbro Sentinel figure was initially only available at the toy dealer’s booth at the convention, and it cost quite the pretty penny. At over $300, it was one of the biggest figures in the then-current Marvel Universe: Fury Files toyline, and was second only to the Galactus figure. Along with its impressive frame and sculpt, it also boasted lights and sounds and box art designed by former Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada.
Marvel Legends Build-a-Figure Sentinel (16 Inches)
The Marvel Legends Build-a-Figure Sentinel was constructed from parts of the then-current wave of Marvel Legends, with each of its body parts packaged with the other – -largely X-Men-related — figures of the wave. As one of the first Build-A-Figures, this 16″ Sentinel had a much more realistic, slightly battle-hardened appearance than its predecessors, although it is slightly leaner than them too. This was accentuated by a darker, faded color scheme, though its tentacles were still as deadly as ever.
Marvel Legends Sentinel (16 Inches)
The Days of Future Past Sentinel figure was essentially just the SDCC figure, albeit now packaged with a smaller Days of Future Past Wolverine action figure and having box art from the classic Chris Claremont-penned story. Of course, this meant that it was also 16″ and had lights and sounds, though nothing had really changed since the original release of the figure besides a slightly brighter color scheme.
Hasbro Pulse Sentinel (26 Inches)
The latest and greatest Sentinel action figure is the new Hasbro Pulse Sentinel toy, which is a high-end figure backed through crowdfunding. The humongous 26″ toy has the highest quality sculpt yet for a Sentinel, as well as several accessories. It has multiple heads, including a normal noggin, a battle-damaged variant and one for Master Mold, the leader of the Sentinels.
Its tentacles are 18 inches long, making them more terrifying than ever to X-Men foes. It also has LEDs in its head to light up when going into action, further bringing the action of the comic books to life. Also included is a 6″ Marvel Legends Bastion figure, helping to establish the scale of the plastic behemoth. Those who backed the project are now receiving their toys, so fans anticipating their shipment should rest assured that the “Night of the Sentinels” will soon be upon them.
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