It was the moment that defined a generation of comic book readers. If you were following Marvel’s Siege event back in 2010, you remember exactly where you were when you saw it. The image is burned into the collective consciousness of the fandom: Robert Reynolds, the Golden Guardian of Good known as the Sentry, gripping the God of War by the chest and literally tearing him into two distinct pieces.
No shadows. No strategic "off-panel" censorship. Just raw, visceral, and terrifying power on full display.
When Sentry rips Ares in half, it isn't just a gore-fest for the sake of shock value. It’s the culmination of years of mental instability, manipulation by Norman Osborn, and the terrifying realization that Marvel’s most powerful "hero" was actually its greatest threat. Honestly, it changed how we viewed power scales in the 616 universe forever.
Why the Siege of Asgard Led to This Bloodshed
To understand why this happened, you have to look at the state of the Marvel Universe during the Dark Reign era. Norman Osborn—yes, the Green Goblin—was somehow in charge of national security. He had his own team of "Dark Avengers," and he’d managed to manipulate both Sentry and Ares into serving his interests.
Ares was there because he respected Osborn’s "warrior" mentality. He thought he was doing the right thing. But the Sentry? He was there because he was broken. Osborn had convinced Bob Reynolds that he was the only one who could help him control the Void, the dark entity living inside him.
The Siege of Asgard was a desperate move by Osborn to solidify his power. He told Ares that the Asgardians had been compromised. When Ares finally realized he’d been lied to, he did what any God of War would do: he threatened to cut Osborn’s head off.
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That’s when Osborn gave the order. "Sentry. Do it."
The Anatomy of the Kill
Writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Olivier Coipel didn't hold back. In Siege #2, the fight between the two heavyweights is surprisingly short. Ares is a god. He’s fought thousands of wars. He’s incredibly durable. But the Sentry is something else entirely. He’s often described as having the "power of a million exploding suns," and in this moment, we saw what that looked like when applied to human (or Olympian) flesh.
The Sentry grabs Ares' chest armor. There’s a moment of struggle, a brief second where you think Ares might hold his own. Then, with a sickening krrak, the Sentry pulls.
Ares is split down the middle.
The aftermath was a literal rain of viscera. It was a turning point for the other heroes on the battlefield. Even the villains were horrified. Taskmaster, usually the guy with a quip for everything, looked like he wanted to be anywhere else on Earth. It signaled that the Sentry was no longer a man; he was a force of nature that had completely succumbed to the Void.
Why This Moment Still Matters for Marvel Lore
People still talk about this because it shattered the "Superman" archetype. Sentry was always meant to be Marvel’s answer to Clark Kent, but with a schizophrenic, terrifying twist. When Sentry rips Ares in half, it removes the safety net. It told the readers that no one was safe, not even the gods.
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There are a few reasons this specific panel remains legendary:
- The Power Scale Shift: It established that the Sentry was significantly more powerful than the Olympian gods. Thor had struggled with Ares in the past, but Sentry ended him in seconds.
- The End of the Dark Reign: This act was the beginning of the end for Norman Osborn. It showed the world that his "peacekeeping force" was just a pack of monsters.
- The Visual Impact: Olivier Coipel’s art made the moment feel heavy. It wasn't just a cartoonish death; it felt like a tragic, gruesome execution.
Some fans argued at the time that it was "gratuitous." They weren't necessarily wrong. It was one of the most violent images ever put into a mainline, non-MAX Marvel comic. But looking back, it was necessary to show how far the Sentry had fallen. You can't have a "hero" do something that irredeemable and then go back to eating apple pie with the Avengers.
Misconceptions About the Sentry/Ares Fight
A lot of people think Ares was "weakened" or that Sentry used some kind of magic. Neither is true. Ares was at full strength. He was armed. He was motivated. The reality is simply that the Sentry’s power level is fundamentally broken. He exists outside the normal limits of Marvel’s power tiers because his abilities are tied to molecular manipulation and reality warping, even if he doesn't always realize it.
Another thing people forget? Ares eventually came back. It’s comics, after all. He spent some time in the Chaos War and eventually made his way back to the land of the living, but his reputation was never quite the same. Being the guy who got "Sentried" is a tough label to shake in the halls of Olympus.
What to Read if You Want the Full Context
If you’re just looking at the single panel on social media, you’re missing the tragedy. To get the full weight of the scene, you need to start earlier than Siege.
- The Sentry (2000) by Paul Jenkins: This gives you the origin. You need to see Bob Reynolds as a man before you see him as a monster.
- Dark Avengers (2009): This series shows how Osborn groomed the Sentry. It’s a masterclass in psychological manipulation.
- Siege (2010): This is where the actual event happens. Read issues 1 through 4.
- Sentry: World on Fire: A later look at the fallout of his mental state.
How the MCU Might (or Might Not) Handle This
With the Sentry appearing in the Thunderbolts* movie (played by Lewis Pullman), everyone is wondering if we’ll see this level of violence. Honestly? Probably not. The MCU is gritty, but "tearing a man in half" is a hard R-rating. However, we might see a "homage" to it. Maybe he rips a drone or a non-human character apart to show his strength.
The core of the Sentry isn't the gore, though. It’s the fear. It’s the idea that the person meant to save you is the one you should be most afraid of.
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If you are looking to own a piece of this history, look for Siege #2. The 1:75 variant covers or the sketches by Coipel are highly sought after. If you're a digital reader, most of these are on Marvel Unlimited, but seeing the "Ares moment" on a physical, oversized page is a different experience entirely.
For those interested in the power dynamics, pay attention to how Marvel writers have handled the Sentry since then. He’s rarely used because he’s a "narrative breaker." Whenever he’s on the page, the question isn't "Will the heroes win?" but "Will the Sentry snap?"
If you're writing your own stories or analyzing media, use the Sentry/Ares moment as a case study in consequence. The violence worked because it had been built up for three years of publishing. It wasn't a random act; it was the breaking of a dam. That's how you write a "shock" moment that actually sticks the landing.