The Sentinel
from the pages of The Uncanny X-MEN ! ! !
The arch-enemy of the mutant heroes known as the X-Men, Sentinel robots stand thirty feet tall or more and are programmed to hunt down mutants at all costs!!!
This display was built specifically for Tropic Comics in North Miami Beach. It is located directly in the center of the ceiling, bursting forth from the shattered roof panels. The idea worked something like this...
The owner had seen a female mannequin that would look great as a flying heroine since she had her arms upraised. There was but one little hitch, she was missing an arm. So, he said, maybe there could be some big robot hand grabbing that area and obscuring the fact that there was no actual arm. Oh, and since I was going to build a giant robot arm anyway, maybe I should go ahead and build a giant robot head to go with it.
That female mannequin eventually became Rogue and the rest is history!
I based the Sentinel design on a composite of several designs, most notably one from a 1997 Amazing Spider-man issue's cover.
The structural portions are wood with styrene skin. His eyes are spot light lenses and they conceal a flashing strobe light for a more dynamic and menacing appearance.
To surprise people, I installed a digital/programmable voice player similar to the Gambit figure, activated by a button behind the counter. People would often walk back and forth underneath trying to trip a mechanism that didn't actually exist.
His left hand grasps Rogue as she turns in surprise to gaze at him. A later addition is a right hand, near the cash register area, with a surging energy beam reaching out to unwary victims out there (via pulsing rings of light that change pattern constantly thanks to a hidden lighting FX generator).
Material: Wood, styrene, cloth
Approach: Completely Custom!
Client: Tropic Comics, North Miami Beach
© Original License Holder
