Sentinels have long been promoted as the ultimate solution to Mutant pacification. However, the lethal robots have a history of turning on their human creators. They are also generally not subtle, and tend to cause more damage than the “dangerous” Mutants they are meant to neutralize. A new breed of Sentinels introduced in Uncanny X-Men #9 is meant to correct these issues. However, it soon becomes apparent they are far from an upgrade.
Written by Gail Simone, with art by Andrei Bressan, Uncanny X-Men #9 opens within the bowels of Greymalkin Prison. It is here that Larry Trask tries to sell a potential investor on a new breed of Sentinels. Acknowledging the problems with his father’s creations, Larry unveils a twisted fusion of Man’s Best Friend and artificial intelligence.
(Image Source: Marvel / Andrei Bressan)
Dubbed the Wolfpack, these Sentinels are meant to have the loyalty of dogs, as well as their tracking instincts. Beyond that, they also have the adaptability and weapons of the classic robots. While intended to hunt Mutants, Trask allows that they could be programmed to hunt and kill anyone, like the political opponents of a foreign power.
Fortunately for Trask, a botched demonstration of the Wolfpack’s safety features only serves to impress the investor as to their lethality. Unfortunately, the Wolfpack quickly prove to be just as ineffective as the classic Sentinels. This becomes apparent after one pack is unleashed on a New Orleans mall.
(Image Source: Marvel / Andrei Bressan)
Trask admitted that the Wolfpack probably was not ready for public testing. Additionally, this particular pack had an over-calculation in their offensive algorithm. In short, they were trained like wild dogs and acted like wild dogs, combining “compact sentinel technology with the instincts of a killer.” While the Wolfpack do home in on the Mutant teens in the mall, they also cause damage and injure humans in the wake of their hunt. This highlights that the new breed of Sentinels have the same flaws as their predecessors.
Uncanny X-Men #9 is now available at comic shops everywhere.