The moment Sentry brutally ripped the Olympian God of War, Ares, in half remains one of the most visceral and unforgettable panels in modern Marvel Comics history. As of December 14, 2025, this single act in Siege #2 is still the ultimate benchmark for the Sentry's terrifying, unstable power, a pivotal event that signaled the catastrophic end of the "Dark Reign" era and forever changed the perception of both characters.
This shocking display of raw, god-tier strength was not just a random act of violence; it was the culmination of a massive, multi-year storyline orchestrated by one of Marvel's greatest villains. To truly understand the magnitude of this scene, one must delve into the tragic biographies of the Golden Guardian and the Warrior God, and the dark political machinations that led to their bloody confrontation.
The Tragic Biographies of the Combatants
The clash between Sentry and Ares was a battle of two immensely powerful beings struggling with their identities—one a flawed god trying to be a hero, and the other a broken man struggling to contain a cosmic force.
Robert Reynolds: The Sentry / The Void
- Civilian Name: Robert "Bob" Reynolds
- First Appearance: The Sentry #1 (2000)
- Origin: A former drug addict who stumbled upon a secret, enhanced version of the Super Soldier Serum, granting him the "power of a million exploding suns."
- Dual Identity: He is inextricably linked to his malevolent alter-ego, The Void, a destructive entity that represents the dark side of his power and the cosmic price for his existence.
- Key Relationships: His wife, Lindy Lee, who was central to the ongoing attempts to erase the Sentry from reality to stop The Void.
- Affiliations: Avengers, New Avengers, Dark Avengers, Thunderbolts.
Ares: The Olympian God of War
- Full Name: Ares
- First Appearance: Thor #129 (1966)
- Origin: The actual Olympian God of War, son of Zeus and Hera, and brother of Hercules.
- Character Arc: Ares attempted to renounce his role as a bringer of chaos to live as a mortal warrior. He joined the Avengers to be a more present father to his son, Alexander (Phobos).
- Key Arsenal: A powerful axe, a variety of Olympian weapons, and his innate power as a Class One immortal god.
- Affiliations: Olympians, Mighty Avengers, Dark Avengers.
Ares joined Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers under the belief that he was still serving a legitimate government force, unaware of Osborn's true, villainous intentions. This misplaced loyalty put him on a collision course with the unstable Sentry.
The Context: How Dark Reign Led to Siege
The brutal encounter was the explosive climax of the "Dark Reign" storyline, a period in Marvel Comics where Norman Osborn (formerly the Green Goblin) was hailed as a national hero after the Secret Invasion and given control of S.H.I.E.L.D., which he rebranded as H.A.M.M.E.R..
Osborn formed his own team of government-sanctioned villains disguised as heroes—the Dark Avengers—which included Ares and the Sentry. Ares, a warrior who valued honor, believed Osborn was a legitimate leader and followed his orders. However, Osborn was secretly manipulating the Sentry's fragile mind, exploiting his connection to The Void to keep him unstable and under control.
The final act of Osborn's reign was the Siege of Asgard. Osborn, desperate to consolidate his power, fabricated a reason to attack the floating city of the Asgardians, framing the Asgardian hero Volstagg for a disaster. Ares, realizing the full extent of Osborn’s treachery and the attack on his fellow gods, finally turned on his leader.
Ares confronted Osborn, vowing to kill him. Osborn, terrified, did the only thing he could: he unleashed the Sentry, specifically instructing him to kill Ares.
The fight was devastatingly short and served as a shocking moment of realization for the heroes present that Sentry was no longer in control, but a puppet of The Void's destructive will.
The Five Shocking Details of the Brutal Confrontation
The scene in Siege #2 (2010) is remembered not just for its gore, but for the sheer power disparity it revealed and the narrative consequences that followed.
1. Ares's Fatal Miscalculation
Ares, the God of War, was confident in his ability to defeat the Sentry. He was a god, a Class One powerhouse, and a master warrior who had fought both Thor and Hercules. He told Sentry that he was not the Hulk or Thor, and that he was a god who could not be defeated by a mere mortal with super-powers. This statement was tragically wrong, as Sentry's power level was far beyond a mere mortal, often compared to that of a cosmic entity.
2. The Void's Dominance
While Sentry was the one physically present, the brutality of the act was a clear sign that The Void—the dark, nihilistic aspect of Robert Reynolds—was in control. The Sentry’s eyes were glowing yellow, a visual cue that the cosmic entity was directing the violence. The Void has an intimate, malicious understanding of the Sentry's near-limitless abilities, allowing for maximum, focused destruction.
3. The Speed and Finality of the Kill
The fight lasted mere seconds. Ares rushed Sentry with his axe, but Sentry caught him in a grapple. Before Ares could even register the danger, Sentry used his incredible, reality-warping strength to grab Ares by the torso and, with a single, agonizing pull, ripped the God of War in two pieces. The death was instantaneous, graphic, and left a permanent scar on the Marvel Universe.
4. The Aftermath: A God's Journey to Elysium
Ares, as an Olympian god, did not simply cease to exist. His soul traveled to Elysium, the Greek afterlife, where he was eventually reunited with the spirit of his son, Alex (Phobos), who had been killed earlier. This reunion was short-lived, as the destruction caused by the Sentry’s act had cosmic repercussions.
5. Ares's Resurrection by the Chaos King
The death was not permanent—few deaths in comics are, especially for gods. Ares was eventually restored to life by the entity Mikaboshi, the Japanese God of Evil, who had taken the title of the Chaos King. Mikaboshi resurrected Ares to serve him during the massive Chaos War storyline. Ares's return cemented the fact that even Sentry's most devastating act was only a temporary setback for the God of War.
The Enduring Legacy of the Sentry's Brutality
The ripping of Ares in half served as the ultimate proof of Sentry’s power and the central horror of the "Dark Reign" era. It was a line crossed, a moment that demonstrated to the entire Marvel Universe that Robert Reynolds was a force that could not be contained by conventional heroes.
This event immediately preceded Sentry's own final defeat in the *Siege* event, where he was eventually killed by Thor to stop The Void from destroying Asgard and the world. However, the memory of Ares’s death has consistently been used to measure the Sentry's terrifying potential in subsequent storylines, including his various resurrections and returns to the Avengers and Thunderbolts.
The sheer, unbridled violence of the moment is a critical piece of Marvel lore, highlighting the thematic struggle between the Sentry's desire to be a hero and The Void's inescapable destiny as a cosmic-level destroyer. It remains a dark, defining chapter for both the Golden Guardian and the God of War.
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