Marvel XP: Dossiers/Sentinels

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[[Image:Iron Man Marvel XP Sidebar.png]]SENT BY TONY STARK
POLITICAL AND SECURITY ISSUES ARISING FROM THE USE OF SENTINELS Executive Memorandum :: TOP SECRET

To: All S.H.I.E.L.D. Personnel

OVERVIEW Sentinels are a class of robot created to hunt and capture mutants. They are hated and feared by mutants, with good reason, and their use in a conflict inevitably casts that conflict in terms of mutant-versus-nonmutant issues.

RECENT EVENTS The Brotherhood of Mutants has recently created Sentinels of their own, or perhaps repurposed the programming of captured Sentinels. As a result, these former mutant-hunters are currently serving as combat support for Brotherhood activities. This is part of the Brotherhood’s ongoing effort to disrupt the status quo of mutant rights and create an environment ripe for violence.

In response to violent demonstrations led by known members of the Brotherhood, S.H.I.E.L.D. has deployed Prime- and Omega-class Sentinels in riot-control capacities during recent mutant-right demonstrations. Professor X and members of the X-Men have opposed this move, raising the question of whether S.H.I.E.L.D.’s use of Sentinels is ultimately counterproductive.

The Sentinels’ role was made more problematic when Brotherhood sabotage turned the S.H.I.E.L.D.-deployed Sentinels rogue. Those most recently encountered have treated their area of operations as a free-fire zone, causing mass casualties and tremendous property damage. They were destroyed and their components are being analyzed but mission objectives were made much more difficult to achieve.

Blowback from these events has put S.H.I.E.L.D. in an untenable position with respect to both mutant issues and imperatives to minimize collateral damage during engagements with the enemy.

CONCLUSION Current thinking is that S.H.I.E.L.D. should abandon use of Sentinels until the following conditions can be met: At present, none of these conditions exist. S.H.I.E.L.D. will therefore discontinue use of Sentinels until further notice.
 * Approval from leaders of the X-Men and other political stakeholders.
 * Reliable, secure command-and-control systems.
 * Demonstrated need not met by other S.H.I.E.L.D. assets including the Avengers and field agent teams.

-Acting Director Tony Stark