Prediction Blog: General Zod vs Sentinel Prime

"The strong man is strongest when alone.”
- Friedrich Schiller

General Zod, the former Kryptonian warlord.

Sentinel Prime, the former Cybertronian commander.

What does it take to do the right thing? What does it take to grab destiny by the horns and force it to your command? What is the one thing that truly makes up the measure of man? Power. You need true power to push through, follow your aspirations and see the world for what it is. And if you can achieve that, then truly guiding those beneath you into a better tomorrow is an easy task, right?

However, what if things don't go your way? What if those annoyances who have the audacity to call themselves "heroes" usurp your rule and lead you to your defeat, loss of power, and subsequent MIA status for a long ass time? Well... you end up with two really fucking petty bastards. But destiny waits only for one, so who will witness the end of day, and who will be sent to the scrap heap? Let's find out!

Before we begin...

Zod and Sentinel have been mainly analysed from their original source material; the comics.

Specifically, DC is being covered through everything from Superman's first appearances in Pre-Crisis up to the current events of Infinite Frontier, as that made every prior one canonical. However, Zod himself has actually differed a solid amount between iterations, so the main focus on his material here will be on his New Earth and Prime Earth incarnations. Information from games and TV appearances are not included.

Meanwhile Transformers is sort of a soft composite across everything connected to the G1 comics continuity. Whilst the primary focus of Sentinel himself will be on both of his IDW comic incarnations (The 2005 iteration will take priority, but capabilities from the 2019 are also analysed), additional media from the likes of the original Marvel Comics, the 80's cartoon, connected games, and even the Japanese G1 comics are included as secondary sources. 

For any questions regarding Transformers compositing, see its designated Before the verdicts segment.

Source Citations

Background

General Zod

  • Full Name: Dru-Zod
  • Height: 6'3" / 190 cm
  • Weight: 215 lbs / 98 kg
  • Species: Kryptonian
  • Former Kryptonian military general
  • Frequent prisoner of the Phantom Zone (Serving a 40 Kryptonian sun-cycle sentence + additional charges)
  • Former member of the Superman Revenge Squad & the Suicide Squad
We all know the tragic tale of planet Krypton. Doomed for destruction, one of its lead scientists sent his own son Kal-El away as the planet's sole survivor, who would end up on earth and grow into Superman. For years, the knowledge of his home and species annihilation motivated him to make sure that it would never again be repeated, and he's stood by this sworn promise and protected the entire universe numerous times.

However... the issue with tales like this is that they can only be told from one side. While Superman is heralded as the greatest protector the cosmos have ever known, someone else is standing on the other side of the mirror and spitting at the idea. While the El family is remembered as a noble one that has only ever tried to do good, someone else is watching from the shadows and gritting his teeth in frustration. Whilst the idea of peace and justice is one that heroes worldwide want to keep true, such concepts are nothing but futile and trivial for General Dru-Zod.

Stemming from the aptly named House of Zod, young Dru-Zod grew up the son of two Kryptonian scientists. This gave him a natural exposure to the wild and life within it, something which was pushed further when on a scientific expedition, his parents were killed and he was forced to fend for himself, something which he did for an entire year. For most, the experience would have been harrowing, but for Zod, something deep within was awakened.

After his rescue by a certain Jor-El, Zod grew into a distinguished soldier in the Kryptonian military, rising to the prestigious rank of General. He would lead numerous successful conquers and victories in war, further pushing his newfound belief that the only way to survive was via being strong, and if you failed to stand up, you would fall.

However, it was a belief that many wouldn't stand with, and as Zod continued to gain power, so did he gain ego. In a failed coup to take over over the Kryptonian state, Zod was arrested and banished by his old friend Jor-El into the ethereal Phantom Zone for 40 solar sentences of some much needed mental reconditioning.

But Zod remained steadfast in his resolve. In his eyes, his strength was earned, and so was his would have been rule. His imprisonment did nothing to weaken his ideals, and eventually he would escape into a changed world. Krypton was gone, and so was each and every one of its inhabitants, the seemingly sole exception being himself and the son of Jor-El... the man who had taken his rule away from him. The spawn of this man was now to be heralded as saviour of the world, the role that Zod himself was supposed to hold? Ridiculous!

Zod is absolute, and he will one day rise up against those trying to hold him down. It doesn't matter if he's standing against Superman, the Justice League, or anyone else who thinks they're better than him! In all due time, each and every one of them will learn to kneel before Zod.

Sentinel Prime

  • Real Identity: Titan Master Infinitus 
  • Alias: Sentinel Prime
  • Age: Several million years
  • Height: ~ 40 feet / 12 meters
  • Species: Cybertronian 
  • Former "Prime" of planet Cybertron and Optimus' predecessor
At the beginning of everything, there were only two things; creation and destruction. The two primordial entities of Primus and Unicron governed life and death across the universe, doing eternal battles through the cosmos. Eventually, the two of them had their souls encased within their own planetoids, taking separate paths. While Unicron continued his rampage across reality, Primus turned his planetoid into the planet that would one day be known as Cybertron, the home of all Transformers kind.

Millions upon Millions of years later, and Cybertron had become a bustling civilization for Primus' descendants, who continued to carry on the memory and essence of their creator in the form of the Matrix of Leadership. It would be up to the population's best, their Prime if you will, to protect this powerful artefact and keep the planet's inhabitants in order.

Whilst you may think that such a rank would be likely for corruption and manipulation, most Primes actually greatly cared for their home and people, truly deserving of being chosen by the Matrix. I say "most" for a reason, because in the history books of Cybertron, there is no greater tragedy than the tale of Sentinel Prime.

Sentinel didn't begin as a standard Transformer at all, but instead as Infinitus. Born as a Titan Master, essentially a "smaller" robot that can enter a larger body to pilot it, the entity that would become Sentinel wished for a greater purpose, one that would come in his beliefs of bringing light to the tarnished world around him through any means necessary.

Worming his ways through the Cybertronian senate, Infinitus secretly began to build up an army of supporters who followed his cause and eventually stormed the state of security headquarters and established himself as Sentinel Prime, the new leader of Cybertron and holder of the Matrix of Leadership. With this new position, Sentinel would begin his movement towards his ultimate goal.

However, when you wish to establish complete control, some of the ones beneath you won't be as willing to follow as you hoped. And Sentinel would find this out first hand when the former gladiator Megatron's beliefs of standing against oppression began to get a little too popular with his fellow Cybertronian working class. Failing to see the threat in time, Megatron managed to gain too big of a following and overthrew Sentinel, sending the Prime seemingly to his death.

But Sentinel would not die so easily. As his true identity was unknown to the rest of Cybertron, Infinitus was able to eject out of the damaged Sentinel body during his funeral, and went into hiding to regain his strength. Eons later, he would rise again, now with the body of one of Original 13 and his goals changed from bringing light over Cybertron to causing its total ruination, Sentinel had become an unmatched threat. Taking to the moon, he would resurrect dozens of dead Titans and begin the most deadly war the cosmos had ever seen.

And then he got hit by a bird and fell to his death. Perhaps it is just as fitting as it is ironic that the greatest idealists' plans were trumped before any of them could spring into motion, but either way, Sentinel Prime's story would end up as all great tragedies eventually do... as just a footnote in an ever-expanding story.

Training and Experience

General Zod

Weapon Mastery & Combat Skills

As to be expected of a seasoned alien warrior, Zod is an absolute monster in hand to hand combat. Not only is he fluent in multiple Kryptonian martial arts, but he's straight up moulded in them, and that shows full force in his extremely brutal fighting style. When he's not throwing hands, he's throwing swords, or spears, or guns. He can land headshots in hectic combat, and was skilled enough to create his own deadly weaponry in the wilderness as a child.

Leadership & Manipulation

In spite of his numerous failed takeovers, Zod has actually proven himself as a successful leader on a few occasions. When New Krypton was established, Zod was crowned military leader, where he would actually create an actually working society for his people. Whilst, yes, he did treasure his own safety above theirs and his following brawl with Brainiac caused dozens of civilian deaths, he is genuinely capable of proving himself as a tactical and strategic leader.

But when he's not in that position, Zod is still able to influence those around him. Whether it be the Kryptonian senate or even the Green Lantern Corps, Zod is slimy and sneaky enough to manipulate groups of incredibly powerful people with ease.

Sentinel Prime

Weapon Mastery & Combat Skills

Whilst probably not the most skilled amongst his race, Sentinel certainly knows how to throw down, and he's by far most comfortable with one of his many weapons in hand. Specifically with his blades, Sentinel has proven himself an incredibly deadly foe, and even disarmed, he was able to provide an equal physical match to the gladiator-trained Megatron.

Leadership & Manipulation

Although Sentinel isn't exactly known best for his selfless leadership, he was a successful leader of Cybertron for countless years. It's the duty of a Prime to establish order and control over the entire planet's population, and although Sentinel evidently failed in the long run, ruling over anything that long is a noteworthy feat. He also knows exactly when to step in, such as when he realised Megatron's forces would be too dangerous of an opponent to face normally and busted out his best weapon in spite of being told not to.

When he's not commanding from the senate, he does so from the shadows. Sentinel was able to worm himself up through the Cybertronian regime and quite literally make himself into its leader. Even after his supposed death, he was able to launch a potentially planet-threatening scheme via the activation of the undead titans.

Equipment

General Zod

Laser weapons

Back on Krypton, Zod utilised the most simplistic weapons he had access to. And as a warrior general in an advanced super society, these came in the form of laser weapons. Whether it be laser guns or spears made out of energy, Zod is very experienced with using them on enemies and / or / including his fellow Kryptonians.

Kryptonian Battle Armour

As to be expected of a military general, Zod knows how to protect himself. His Kryptonian battle armour covers almost his entire body, and is both lightweight for maneuverability, and tough enough to withstand things like Kryptonian heat vision, which can reach the temperature of stars.

Ancient Kryptonian Armour

When Zod wants to suit up further, he has access to a set of armour designed for combat against deadlier foes. Crafted by Krypton's Warrior Funders, Zod utilised it to take on Doomsday. It is capable of firing powerful energy blasts, and a single punch from it wiped out a city. With it, he took out Doomsday and saved Krypton! Our hero!

Taser

Zod always carries with him a on-hand powerful taser that's capable of short-circuiting powerful machinery such as Brainiac's drones.

Kryptonian Tendrils

Zod has on one occasion showcased the ability to summon sharp, metallic tendrils from the ground beneath him capable of shredding apart an eneitre caravans worth of people.

Phantom Zone Projector

Considering Zod's familiarity with being locked inside the Phantom Zone, it shouldn't be a surprise that he eventually tried to figure out a way to use it to his advantage. And that came in the form of the Phantom Zone Projector, a powerful device capable of sealing those it targets deep into the endless void of the Phantom Zone. In fact, it's the very same thing initially used on Zod himself, so you know the thing packs a punch.

Although it's not something Zod usually carries on-hand at all times, he's utilised Projectors enough times in the past for them to be considered somewhat standard-ish. And come on, Zod is basically "Sir. Phantom Zone". Let's allow him this one.

Sentinel Prime

Energon Swords

In the situation where Infinitus has to fight without his Sentinel body, he wields a pair of really cool looking energon swords. While he is weaker without his larger exterior, he was still able to use these to kill Alpha Trion, a member of the original 13.

Original Sentinel Body

Infinitus is already a big boy, but with the body of Sentinel Prime, he buffs up to at least three times his actual size, effortlessly towering over his fellow Cybertronians. The Sentinel body that he piloted during his reign over Cybertron may not have been the most advanced or powerful, but it was still durable enough to stand against Megatron for a bit before being overthrown. And against lesser foes, Sentinel came equipped with wrist and shoulder-mounted cannons, as well as extendable energon swords. After losing Alpha Trion's body, Sentinel seems to have rebuilt a version of his older body and used it immediately before his death.

Apex Armour

Imagine wearing a set of armour... on your armour. The Apex set was Sentinel's final trump card back when he was the Prime of Cybertron, being so feared that it required Council permission to suit into. Coming equipped with numerous optic target systems and scanners as well as a pair of massive cannons, the armour made Sentinel strong enough to physically contend with Megatron, requiring the latter to hit him with a dirty move in order to get the upper hand. 

Alpha Trion's Body

When the original Sentinel Prime was destroyed, Infinitus faked his death and went into hiding, hatching a devious scheme over many eons. Tracking down Alpha Trion, Infinitus decapitated him and stole his body for himself. With the might of a titan, he returned to take on those who had usurped him as the new and improved Sentinel Prime.

This new shell is massive, far stronger than his previous body, and has an absolute heap of deadly weapons, such as timed explosives, giant energon blades, and a behemoth of a shield to block attacks. Whilst he would then lose this body, its might made it difficult for anyone to surpass.

Solar Energy Rifle

The Solar Energy Rifle is Sentinel's primary weapon; an absolute monster of an energy cannon powered up on solar energy. Since it is solar powered, it likely has unlimited ammunition as long as Sentinel has access to a sun somewhere nearby. With blasts capable of reaching a scorching 5,500 °C (10,000 °F), it is powerful enough to create explosions nearly the size of Sentinel himself and effortlessly pierce through his fellow Cybertronians. Presumably, these blasts also move at the speed of light.

Spear

A pretty neat spear that Sentinel holds in a single panel and we never see him use. It looks cool, moving on.

Spark Disruptor

A nifty little device that sticks to its targets and kills them without actually damaging their bodies by specifically targeting the Sparks within. Unfortunately, it is only set to the frequency of Cybertronian Sparks, and thus cannot affect anyone else.

The Matrix of Leadership

As the leaders of Cybertron, Sentinel naturally had access to its most prized possession, the essence of the planet itself and source of all hope in the universe; the Matrix of Leadership. After his death, he would pass it on to Optimus, but in spite of his lack of showings with it, it's entirely possible that he could utilise it to a similar extent to the other Primes.

And boy can the Matrix do some cool stuff. A simple activation of it can heal its wielder's body, even once fixing up Optimus with a single touch when he was in critical condition, or even resurrect the dead. However, more importantly, the Matrix also has offensive usages. It was able to unleash a wave of energy that obliterated Unicron, and can erase entire dimensions, such as the embodiment of the Dead Universe, the D-Void, or even infraspace, a conceptual realm made out of pure information. Safe to say, you're not walking off a blast from this thing.

Reminder that Optimus felt the need to use this against the Gundam.

Powers and Abilities

General Zod

Kryptonian Physiology

Kryptonians are a fascinating species. Their strength and stamina stem from the power of yellow solar radiation, of which they can absorb an unlimited amount and use it to power all of their abilities. Thus, if they're removed from a place where they can be continuously exposed to it, their powers will drain at a pace dependent on the training and strength of the Kryptonian in question. Likewise, this effect is also true (at a way more rapid pace) when a Kryptonian is faced with things such as red solar radiation or Kryptonite.

In addition, Kryptonians passively generate a bio-electric aura. This not only further intensifies their already impressive stats but also gives them the ability to interact with machinery, manipulate electricity, and... fly. Huh... odd. Right, well, it's a rather famous "comic-y" ability, but a good way to look at it is through the viewpoint that Kryptonians simply defy logic and physics. It's why Superman can do things like manipulate time and space and even shatter it, sometimes literally!

In terms of Zod specifically, his Kryptonian genes grant him access to a lot of powers you're probably already familiar with (but also with some surprises!), such as;

Regeneration

As long as they have a steady exposure to solar radiation, Kryptonians are able to recover from grievous injuries in no time at all. Just a few seconds of yellow sunlight was enough to completely heal a slash on his chest, and after taking a solar blast from Apollo, he was fully rejuvenated and immediately got strong enough to beat up Superman.

Flight

Of course Zod can fly! Whether it be between entire countries or galactic distances, Zod can go up, up, and away with zero issue. In fact, he figured the whole flying thing out pretty damn quickly considering that Kryptonians couldn't fly back on Krypton.

Super Voice

But that's not the only thing that mouth can do, because Zod is also able to scream so loudly that he ruptures the eardrums of his victims. He can even yell hard enough to obliterate boulders and bring entire buildings down.

Super Senses

Superhuman senses come with the package, and Zod's are super up higher than even most other Kryptonians around. He can hear your heart beating through your body, smell odors across countries, and see his targets from miles away and even through solid objects. Except lead. I don't really get it.

Heat Vision

Kryptonians don't just have to rely on their physical might to win battles, they also have one of the most famous ranged attacks across fiction. The heat vision they fire from their eyes can reach the same temperature as an exploding star, injure intangible entities, bypassing objects without injuring them, and affecting targets down to the molecular level. Zod has used his heat vision for other means as well, such as slicing through buildings like a wave of destruction, lighting his enemies on fire, welding complex machinery together, and obliterating strong objects such as powerful Green Lantern constructs.

Mind Reading

Yup, you're reading that right. It turns out that all Kryptonians have the latent ability of using their super senses to read minds, even being able to do so to other Kryptonians in spite of their mental defences.

Which specific sense do you think they use for that? My bet is on taste.

Superhuman Stamina & Pain Tolerance

Perhaps Zod's most defining trait. The bastard is really hard to keep down, and that's not due to his incredible resistances or healing factor, but because he is just that damn stubborn. Zod has taken all sorts of brutal punishments through the years such as powerful slashes and stabbings from even kryptonite weapons and to vital organs like his brain without ever slowing down for even a second, and when Amanda Waller placed a bomb in his head in an attempt to force him into the Suicide Squad, Zod's response was to use his heat vision to slice his own goddamn brain open and pluck the thing out himself.

Resistances

  • Extreme Temperatures: Kryptonians can easily survive in the vacuum of space (-454.8°F / -270.4°C) and the concentrated heat of stars (10,000 °F / 5,500 °C).
  • Cosmic Radiation: Kryptonians can withstand being in the vacuum of space, where the cosmic radiation can cause rapid cellular decay and near-instant heart failure.

Sentinel Prime

Cybertronian Physiology

Cybertronians are amongst fictions most all time interesting alien races. An entire planet's population worth of completely mechanical entities, yet ones capable of feeling and acting just like us. This is primarily due to their Spark, a supercharged mass of energy that essentially serves as a Transformers version of a soul. And just like for us, a Cybertronian cannot survive for long without their Spark, so if their body is harmed in a way that makes it impossible for the Spark to remain, they'll die within seconds.

However, they are still robots. And thanks to that, they come with a number of nifty built-in boons such as numerous types of optical, tactile, and electromagnetic sensors which allow them to gather and process information at rapid scales. They can also rather famously alter their body shape in order to upgrade their weapons system or even take on entirely new vehicular forms.

But in spite of an all-metal composition, Cybertronian need rest and sustenance just as much as we do. Sure, they can certainly operate for longer periods of time than the average human and can live up to millions of years without slowing down, but without something like fuel, Nucleon, or even specialised food items, they'll shut down in short time.

Energon Manipulation

Now, while Transformers have utilised many types of fuel over the decades, it is clear that nothing truly appeals to their tastes quite like energon. A very versatile material, energon can of course be used to fuel Cybertronians and patch up their wounds, but it can also replenish their stamina and be used to create constructs such as weapons and armour, with even a simple energon blade being able to tear through solid metal.

Transforming

That's what they do! In order to become a robot in disguise, Cybertronians are capable of scanning vehicles and taking their form for all traversal and merchandisable means. Outside of his standard robot form, Sentinel has showcased two different vehicular modes he can transform into:

Time Dilation

According to the e-HOBBY Japanese-exclusive holographic trading cards, Sentinel possesses the uncanny ability to "slow down time in his periphery". This essentially grants Sentinel the ability to experience his surroundings and targets in slow motion, allowing for him to get an upper hand in combat.

Resistances

  • Extreme Temperatures: Cybertronians can easily survive in the vacuum of space (-454.8°F / -270.4°C) and the concentrated heat of stars (10,000 °F / 5,500 °C).
  • Radiation, Poisons, & Biological Manipulation: yeah

Support

General Zod

Zod doesn't NEED ANY SUPPORT

ZOD DOESN'T GET JUMPED, HE'S THE ONE WHO JUMPS

HAIL GENERAL ZOD, THE SUPREME RULER OF KRYPTON ! ! ! !

Sentinel Prime

Undead Titans

Infinitus didn't earn the title "Titan Master" for nothing. With his ultimate plan set in motion, Sentinel managed to resurrect dozens of undead Titans, each of them stated to be independently able to lay waste to a city in seconds, and set them out against his enemies. With his mighty mastery over them, he commands their minds with his thoughts alone, to the point where they kept following his commands even after his death. The Titans are so immensely powerful that when they later were approaching Cybertron, the initial response against them was planetwide evacuation.

Feats

General Zod

Overall

  • One of few Kryptonians who escaped Krypton's destruction... admittedly due to being BFR'd at the time.
  • In spite of how many times he's sent there, routinely manages to escape the Phantom Zone.
  • Survived for an entire year in the wilderness of Krypton as a child.
  • Figured his new abilities out within moments of arriving on Earth.
  • Formed (and betrayed) the Superman Revenge Squad.
  • One of few individuals Amanda Waller completely failed to control.
  • Established genuine order and control on New Krypton as a.... not 100% horrible leader.
  • Routinely proves himself as a physical threat to Earth's greatest heroes.
  • is General Zod 
    • he wins
      • he always wins

Strength

Speed

Durability

Sentinel Prime

Overall

  • Wormed his way through the Cybertronian state to become the entire planets leader despite not actually being a Prime.
  • Wielded the Matrix of Leadership for centuries.
  • Contended with Megatron in the Apex Armour and likely would have beaten him if not for his hubris.
  • Faked his death by Megatron and returned as a more deadly threat than ever.
  • Killed Alpha Trion and took over his body.
  • Resurrected and took control over dozens of Titans who were considered a combined threat to all of Cybertron.
  • Continues to be an absolute menace even in newer adaptations.

Strength

Speed

Durability

Scaling

General Zod

Superman

Zod will always be Superman's biggest hater (with the exception of Lex Luthor, Darkseid, Doomsday, Brainiac-), so it's no surprise that the two kryptonians have gone hand to hand on numerous occasions. And while he always falls just short of victory, Zod has damn well made sure that Clark struggles every time they face off. (For further information, see before the verdicts segment)

Green Lantern Corps

As a routine threat to the inhabitants of the cosmos, Zod has naturally come into conflict with the Green Lanterns on numerous occasions, and has proven himself a fierce targets for them. From fighting the entire corps with his followers, to laying a beatdown on Hal and Kyle simultaneously, and even proving himself an equal match to Red Lantern Sinestro, it's no shock that Zod can certainly compare to the Guardians in Green.

Speedsters

Although Zod isn't quite as fast as the Speed Force users, he should logically still be able to keep pace with the likes of Barry Allen in his prime. Although the speedsters absurd and reality bending speeds may be mind blowing, they're consistently able to achieve feats such like that rather casually nowadays, meaning that heralds pushing themselves to their limits should compare to numerous of their capabilities.

Various Heroes

As you're probably able to tell at this point, Zod knows how to throw hands. Being comparable to DC's heaviest hitters and quickest speedsters, he should certainly compare to the rest of the universe's heroes.

Same as the above. You already get it at this point, Zod scales to these guys pretty easily.

Sentinel Prime

Optimus Prime

Sentinel was the Prime immediately before Optimus, meaning he should hold a similar level of base power, and when he returned post his faked death, he was considered an incredibly dangerous foe for all Autobots, his army of revived Titans even going toe to toe with them and threatening to wipe out Cybertron.

Megatron

Back on Cybertron, Sentinel proved himself a near-equal match with Megatron whilst wearing the Apex Armour, and millions of years later, his new and proper body was certainly more powerful than that, especially when using Alpha Trion's.

Misc Cybertronians across various eras

Being comparable to the two main dogs of the Transformers universe also by proxy means that Sentinel can scale to feats performed by additional Cybertronians in the series, which includes;

Weaknesses

General Zod

Zod rules truly... maybe not. Of course, he shares the same weaknesses as his fellow Kryptonians; a vulnerability to magic, a rapid depletion of stamina under red sunlight, and numerous different negative effects when faced with Kryptonite radiation. But Zod also has his own more... personal issues.

Let's not dance around it, Zod is an arrogant and overconfident asshole. The man has made a comics industry career from telling people to kneel before him, and he's gotten his teeth kicked in due to it too many times to count. When he's not being treated like an annoying child by the heroes he wants to conquer, Zod is likely to lose himself to a ferocious and uncontrollable rage. Sure, that'll probably just make him more dangerous for any would-be opponent, but the loss of strategy and straight thinking could just as well be his downfall.

And finally, that damn Phantom Zone. It's almost honest to god cosmic certainty that he's going to end up back in that place, so if he's not careful with the Projector or if someone manages to use it against him, it's all curtains for our genocidal General.

Sentinel Prime

While yes, it's probably the exact weakness you'd expect someone like him to have, few other characters truly embody the essence of sheer and utterly arrogance as well as Sentinel, and given who we just talked about, that says a LOT.

Overconfidence may as well be his middle name. While he is tactical and cunning, he absolutely hates being second place, and when his attention is turned is the best time to strike. It's what led to all three of his in-canon demises after all, yet he still never learns to prioritise his own safety.

In addition to all that, Sentinel's stamina isn't infinite. Energon runs out after a while, and without it he loses not only his own energy and repair units, but also the ability to use his mounted cannons and extendable blades, severely limiting his combat options. Hell, if his weapons are taken away from him or destroyed, he doesn't have any way to restore or replace them outside of the Energon, and if the Sentinel body is broken, Infinitus will be at a severe disadvantage.

Summary

General Zod


Advantages:
  • Potentially more powerful...
  • Better arguments for immeasurable speeds.
  • Smaller size + flight makes him hard to hit.
  • Can take advantage of Sentinel's arrogance.
  • Superior survivability. 
  • Infinite stamina and extended healing as long as he's under a yellow star.
  • Cool as fuck facial hair
Disadvantages:
  • ...but also potentially weaker.
  • Slower with quantifiable speeds.
  • Younger and less experienced.
  • None of his weapons are built to take on someone like Sentinel.
  • Likely to lose himself to his rage.
  • Without a yellow sun, his power and stamina will drop rapidly.
  • Doesn't have any way to survive a full attack from the Matrix.
  • The Phantom Zone Projector can and just as easily has been used against him.
  • DC's biggest boyfailure (and that's why we love him)

Sentinel Prime


Advantages:
  • Potentially comparable in power...
  • Can potentially match immeasurable speeds...
  • Absurdly faster with quantifiable speeds.
  • Older and more experienced.
  • More strategic and level-headed.
  • Even if the Sentinel body is destroyed, Infinitus can escape unharmed.
  • The Matrix is very much capable of annihilating Zod.
  • Cool as fuck design.
Disadvantages:
  • ...but also potentially far weaker.
  • ...but it requires notable leniency.
  • His weakness is his blind spots.
  • Doesn't have a chance of outlasting Zod under a yellow sun.
  • Most weapons aren't of any use against Zod.
  • Wouldn't have any way out of the Phantom Zone.
  • Has never showcased the full power of the Matrix.
  • Was killed by a fucking bird.

Before the verdicts

How big is DC's Cosmology?

I can't help but feel like...

Alright, DC cosmology, let's not beat around the bush and just get into it. Starting with just the size of the mainline universe, everyone and their mom is at this point aware of the 100 trillion lightyear statement, but we also got a more direct calculation back in Goku vs Superman which got us a size of a ridiculous 56 nonillion light-years (56^³¹) or 1.6 vigintillion times larger than our own universe (1.6^⁶³). Cool!... but also not very useful because it's almost definitely infinite in size. There are so, sooooo many different examples, both old and new, of the DC universe just being called straight up endless in scope.

That's easy enough to understand, so let's talk Multiverse! Similar to their universe, the DC Multiverse is infinite as well, with even cosmic entities saying that there are "countless" universes. There even exists an infinite number of these infinite Multiverses, all of which form a cosmic web known as the "Omniverse". Between all of these universes and multiverses exists The Bleed, the space between realities, which rotates through the axis of the Fifth Dimension.

Aaaaand there's our segway to talk about dimensional scaling. You know, everyone's favourite! We've of course got our infamous 12.3 statement, but there's also been a large number of different dimensions stated, whether it be 8, 10, 14, or 19. But these are largely off-handed statements that didn't have any real thought put into them besides "big number", so let's look for something more factual.

But funnily enough, we can find exactly that in the form of the SpectraVerse. Essentially a different plane of existence that Wally West found himself travelling through during an encounter with Mirror Master. According to Mr Terrific (and that guy knows his stuff), the SpectraVerse consists of 26 different "frequencies", all of which he describes as "layers of existence" and "cosmological dimensions". 


To summarise; DC's universe is infinite, and so is its higher Multiverse and Omniverse, all of which together encompass an upwards of 26 spatial dimensions.

How exactly does Zod scale?

Zod has battled a large number of DC's biggest powerhouses, whether they be Kryptonians, Lanterns, or what else have you. These characters are routinely able to threaten the entire universe and take hits from people capable of altering the entire cosmology. Superman has shook the infinite Phantom Zone, shattered entire timelines, tanked the Big Bang, and KO'd the World Forger, Green Lanterns have numerous universal showings, Wonder Woman survived a blast from the Godwave that can affect reality up to the Source, and two Flashes simply racing each other threatened to annihilate the entire Multiverse. The numbers don't lie, and the scaling certainly checks out.

So, is Zod as strong as Superman then?

Your answer to this question is probably either an obvious "yes" or an obvious "no". While Zod is definitely one of Superman's most notable villains, few people can actually come to a consensus on just how powerful that makes him. This is an issue people have had in the past when powerscaling the likes of Lex Luthor. 

Looking at their fights over the years, you may actually be surprised at how many times Zod has been showcased as just an equal, but outright Superman's superior. However, these instances largely took place during the time where Superman was still learning and thus couldn't keep up with the smarter and more experienced Zod. 

This has, of course, changed over time. But what hasn't changed is Zod's tenacity, pushing his own strength further to keep up with Clark's growth. He is still able to provide a fair physical fight nowadays, but tends to lose out once Superman gets serious.

So whilst it's hard to say if he's as strong as Superman, he has managed to regularly hold his own against him. Furthermore, a large number of Superman's feats are performed when he is in a rather casual and restricted state, so Zod pushed to his limits is certainly above them.

Transformers cross-continuity scaling

The eternal Transformers question: Can you composite the American and Japanese G1 continuities? Well, in some ways it is a continuation, as the TakaraTomy studios choose to continue the story of the original G1 cartoon in a different direction than the western version. Of course, it then heavily split off into its own thing, but a solid argument could be made for compositing given that they originated from the same timeline.

However, even if you consider the continuities to be too different to combine (a fair viewpoint), we can still cross-scale characters across the two versions. According to Transformers Cloud (a Japanese continuity), the American (01-OG) and Japanese G1 (OG-001) continuities are very close to each other, leading to multiple instances of characters hopping universes that could be used to scale them to each other; such as Galvatron II having been "sent from the Primax Gamma universal stream" (the Primax Gamma universes being the American G1 universes) and recollecting events from his home universe, or Zarak / Scorponok from the original G1 cartoon showing up in the Japanese Legends World.

So even if you choose to separate the two continuities, they can still be scaled to each other. Thus, feats from the Japanese G1 characters are still applicable for Sentinel Prime's scaling.

What is Transformers: Earth Wars?

Sit down for this one, Earth Wars is a real-time strategy tower defence game where you collect your funny robots to attack your enemy's bases, very akin to stuff like Clash of Clans. The game is primarily set in the G1 universe, but also features numerous characters from other timelines joining the fray, which obviously is why it's often talked about when it comes to Transformers debates.

Alright, so is it canon then? Weeeeeeeeeeeeell...... not reaaaaally?

At heart, Earth Wars is essentially a crossover game not directly meant to serve as canon to any one continuity, similar in concept to something like Smash Bros. Thus, at face value it's not really something that can be used.... however, according to brand founding father and basically the writer for Transformers, Simon Furman, the game was based in the 2005 IDW continuity, at least at some point in development. While that alone doesn't necessarily make its use justifiable, there's also nothing explicitly stating that any feats performed in the game are things the characters couldn't normally do. Add on that it's just more fun to include and talk about it, and I think it's fine to at least consider its usage. After all, if you disagree, you can simply feel free to ignore any of the few times it's mentioned in the blog.

How big is the Transformers Cosmology?

The cosmology of Transformers isn't nearly as comprehensively put together as DC's, but I'll do my best here regardless. As to be expected from a franchise that is this focused on outer space, there are numerous times where the universe has been described as infinite in size and scope, whether it be from character statements, toy bios, or narrator statements. It's fair to assume that all universes are around the same size, and furthermore, every individual universe possesses a total of at least 17 spatial dimensions, and while we know that there are likely more, we don't really have a solid idea of how many more that would be. This is directly stated by Vector Prime, Primus' chosen guardian of time and space. Naturally, he should know his stuff.


To summarise; the Transformers universe is infinite, as is its ever-expanding Multiverse, both encompassing at least 17 spatial dimensions.

How exactly does Sentinel scale?

Sentinel is comparable to various Cybertronians who have performed universal feats, such as Optimus and Megatron, both of which have battled universal level threats, and were able to distort and transcend spacetime just by punching each other. Furthermore, Scorponok threatened to collapse the universe on his own, and Metalhawk took a universal collapse head on. Infinitus even killed Alpha Trion, a member of Primus' Original 13 (although admittedly, an Alpha Trion nowhere near his peak of power). Bear in mind that due to how Transformer's spatial dimensions work, these feats would all translate to 17 dimensional levels of power.

Scaling Sentinel to the multiversal power of Golden Megatron is a little more tricky. Star Convoy took out Golden Megatron with a singular blow, and whilst that state of Optimus' is one where he's empowered by the cosmic Zodiac, another autobot leader by the name of Dia Atlas managed to overpower the Zodiac on his own. This is important because Dia Atlas outright considers Optimus his superior and stated that he would be absolutely necessary to take on Dark Nova. Considering that the Zodiac provides energy equivalent to the creation of the universe, a level of power that Optimus can already match, it isn't completely out of the question that Star Convoy's power isn't too much higher than Optimus' normal.

That, of course, is also without taking into account the power of the Matrix. That thing completely annihilated the D-Void and Infraspace, and Sentinel unleashing its power would more than compare to Golden Megatron's strength, also giving precedence in scaling to Optimus Maximus' feat of genuinely injuring Unicron.

What the fuck are those Speed Feats

There's at least one of you who's scrolled down here immediately upon seeing those absolutely massive speed calcs in the Scaling segment and needed to know how Sentinel fucking Prime potentially outspeeds 90% of fiction. Let's have a little chat about these speed feats and whether they're viable or not.

Lightspeed's Decillion Dimensions

In Earth Wars, Lightspeed shows us his capability to search a "Decillion dimension per femtosecond", an absolutely ridiculous statement that as you can tell, nets an absolutely ridiculous number. In fact, he's so good that he completely outdoes those silly Autobots who were only searching a trillion dimensions per nanosecond. What a guy!

But that's by itself also implies the issues with this feat. Lightspeed outright calls the initial search slow and was able to outdo it because he's simply naturally faster than the other Cybertronians. The guy has a hyperspeed processor that allows him to... well, process things at hyperspeed, faster than those around him. 

So no, Sentinel likely cannot scale to Lightspeed. But it's not like that matters anyways considering...

Mainframe's Centillion Calculus

So if that number wasn't crazy enough, we also have Mainframe, who's toy bio gives us the outrageous statement that says he can "Calculate pi to a centillion digits", a statement far past ridiculous and halfway into astonishing. Not only does that result in a speed faster than any Death Battle has ever calculated, it is even noticeably higher than even Lucifer fucking Morningstar's infamous feat of processing the entire universe in the blink of an eye.

At first, it seems like an easy thing to argue against with the simple fact that there's no timeframe, or maybe it's Mainframe's best potential calculation? But then you take a second look at the bio and realise that he does this to entertain himself. That's right, this is is fucking hobby for the guy. The calc already massively lowballs this to a one month timeframe (very unlikely if it's one of his favourite pastimes) and the battle capabilities of the million-year old hardened soldiers should definitely be above this one guy who doesn't like fightings ability to count. By all logic, the feat is not only usable, but Sentinel and the other Cybertronians should probably upscale from it.

yknow unless you wanna call it an outlier 

Infinite / Immeasurable Feats

  • Universe-crossing Feats: The Transformers universe is infinite in size, thus logically meaning that any feats of characters crossing it would result in immeasurable speeds. Bear in mind that this would require a direct statement of them travelling across the entire universe, and not just a section of it.
  • Golden Megatron: Golden Megatron's power was enough to merge the past and present with the future, requiring an energy output that would transcend time itself and thus reach immeasurable levels of speed. It's unlikely Megatron could channel this level of speed himself and thus physically scaling to it could be highly questionable, but an argument could be made for the Matrix possessing a similar level of higher might to compare to the Golden power.

Should Sentinel get the Matrix?


During almost my entire time working on this blog, I didn't think I'd have to make a segment for this... and then I got to the end of the 2019 IDW Transformers run, where Sentinel dies... while still having the Matrix... meaning you can argue it as standard equipment... joy.

So, should he get it and is it even reasonable to use it for the debate at all?

Well, yes but actually no.

It is factual that Sentinel held the Matrix for a long time, and it's about as standard as other important and nowadays non-standard items Death Battle have given their combatants. After all, we always prefer to have characters at their strongest, and given that Sentinel ended one of his continuities with the thing inside of his damn chest, it should be fine to argue it for him, right?


Sure, there's just uh... one little minor baby waby issue.


Sentinel has never used it. At least from what we've seen. Is he able to? Oh, almost certainly. Can he use it to the extent that Optimus can? Less easy to be sure of. So to what extent could we even possibly imagine him utilising it? Would he be able to pull off it's awesome dimensional erasure blast? Yeahhhhh.... uh.... mmmmmaaaaaaayyyyybeeeee....????

And even then, that's all assuming you give it to him in the first place. The 2019 run is hardly Sentinel's most significant IDW iteration, and most of the stuff you've read in this blog comes from the 2005 one. Comparing them directly, 2005 would certainly take priority if you choose to separate them, and while he held the Matrix in that one, he lost it long before his return to the series in Titans Return and thus didn't have it for the most important moments of his appearances.


So, no. Sentinel probably should NOT get the Matrix in any ordinary debate. Still, it's fun to argue about, so expect to see some of the verdicts still talking about it.

Verdicts

Loka

Production hell is a bitch, but I managed to get it out before 2026. Not bad for a blog that was originally supposed to release in September. I've really gotta change the way I schedule these....

You know, while every matchup I make a blog on is one that I really like to some extent, its different to work on one where I made the matchup. Don't get me wrong, I doubt I'm the first to think of the comparison, but I at least made it myself and grew to love it ever since. These two are characters that, while a lot of people know of, most don't really know that well. If you're one of those people, I hope this blog helped you get a better understanding of them, because they're both characters I really love.

But alas, one of them has to die today, and its up to us to figure out who.


Zod and Sentinel actually match each other in a lot of surprising ways. Both are cunning and conniving, both are resourceful and tenacious, and both are ridiculously strong.

Let's not beat around the bush, both of them can easily be compared to unuversal-levels of power, and potentially even multiversal ones. Either way, their destructive might encompasses over a dozen spatial dimensions. While you can crunch numbers based on different statements to decide which cosmology has a higher dimensional count, its such a nebulous comparison that we can solidly say they're around similar enough. In terms of sheer physical stats, its a draw.

Speed is harder to quantify. When we look at finite ends, its blatantly obvious that Sentinel is much, muuuuuuuuch faster. It'd be a contender for biggest stat gap in the series if we worked with that alone, so Zod is damn well lucky that we don't have to. Immeasurable DC heralds is a pretty widely accepted idea at this point, but Transformers doesn't really have that luxury. Sure, you can make arguments for it, but a lot of them require noticeable leniency. Still, in the spirit of a debate, lets continue to have it as a toss-up and call it a draw.

As far as skill and experience is considered, they actually take numerous advantages each. Sentinel has millions of years of commanding and manipulation above Zod, who in turn has better showings of formal training, a wider array of skills, and better abilities. His flight grants him a big mobility advantage over even Sentinel's jet form, and his smaller size makes him more difficult to tag. Infinitus' bigger bodies may make him a more dangerous physical threat in Transformers, but they're also a bigger target for, say, Zod's durability-bypassing heat vision.

And while Sentinel can fix up his body via his repair units or Energon, Zod has an unlimited healing factor as long as he's exposed to solar radiation. Say, remind me what Sentinel's main weapon is again? Even if he catches on quickly enough to change his tactics, nothing is stopping Zod from taking away into the nearest star for a quick recharge.

But even with all these advantages, there's one thing Zod cannot counter: the Matrix of Leadership. He hasn't exactly showcased Superman's metaverse-anchor levels of conceptual immortality, so a single blast from that thing is sure to wipe him out just like its done to cosmic threats beforehand. Well, Zod is just as likely to hit Sentinel with the Phantom Zone Projector, which would trap Sentinel in an infinite realm he has no way to escape. So, both can use their special trinkets for an instantaneous victory.

The real question is... who has the biggest chance of pulling it off?

And this is where context matters. While Sentinel has the Matrix, he has never used it on screen. Even when he boasts about being chosen by it, he never once gives an indication of how well he can utilise it. Compare that to Zod, who's more than willing to bust out the Projector against his enemies. And sure, some people have broken out of the Phantom zone in the past, but those instances are few and far between, even Superhaxman cannot reliably do so on his own, so Sentinel has little chance of doing so even with the Matrix's unmatched might. Even if he were to destroy that entire dimension, there's no say that it would take him back to his fight with Zod to continue the battle, or that he'd even be able to withstand cosmic destruction on that sheer scale.


Ultimately, Zod vs Sentinel is interesting match where very few variables can be used to determine a winner. But at the end of it all, it is Zod who holds the most important advantages and is the most likely to take home the win. And as thus, the Titan Master will have nothing else to answer to than the judgement of General Zod.

Meg

<VEERRYYY GOOOOOOD!!!>”



ANGSTROOOOM!!! YOU’RE [Deaf]

Hi. Meg here. You may know me, and you may not! Finally debuting in a VS blog for once! Okay, General Zod vs Sentinel Prime! I haven’t read enough comics despite being a fan of DC and a massive fan of Transformers (god i’m such a fraud) but I know enough about these two that I do think this match is pretty sick. The fight would be raw raaagggghhhh. And now enough beating around the bush and let’s get down to my verdict. I will note that I am not super experienced in actual VS debates and whatnot, so I apologize if my verdict is scuffed and/or sloppy in areas.

In terms of stats, while Zod would probably outclass the IDW incarnations of the Prime through his scuffles with Superman and other characters of ridiculous levels of strength and speed, other Transformers media such as the Japanese continuity shows that with their inclusion, even Sentinel can reach multiversal and higher levels of power and even outspeed Zod’s quantifiable levels of speed or match the General with scaling to immeasurable levels of speed. (Insert a gif of Sentinel’s face edited onto Wally) While these higher level arguments for the Prime probably require some leniency and whatnot, let’s assume they’re relative in stats for now and take a look at other factors.

Neither of their arsenals for the most part would be useful against the other, meaning it would probably mostly come down to their abilities and skill. As a Kryptonian, Zod is definitely heavily resilient, and assuming the fight takes place under the right type of star, he would be extremely difficult to put down if at all. Sentinel in comparison has a smaller and less impressive kit of innate abilities. His alt modes are awesome, but nothing too game changing against Zod, and while Sentinel’s time dilation will definitely be a problem, I would say Zod does have an overall better pool of innate abilities with superior healing capability, and other powers such as heat vision and super breath. Infinitus is one tough son of a glitch, but even his stamina is not on that level. Kryptonians are kinda cracked lmao. 

But Sentinel is not out yet. He does have a sizable support in the form of the Undead Titans he has control over. While they are probably not as powerful as a soft-comped Sentinel (they could probably just get torn like paper by Zod), I would say they are still pretty useful as Zod is probably alone in this scenario, with their great numbers and size making them more than a nuisance. This is also coupled with the fact that Sentinel is much older and experienced which is par for the course for a Cybertronian, and compared to the General, he is less susceptible to losing his cool and he will play it smart against his adversary. 

And now, their more contentious equipment, the Phantom Zone Projector and the Matrix of Leadership, both instant trump cards in the context of this debate…. But Sentinel has never been shown using what the Matrix is fully capable of. Sure, we know the Matrix could definitely kill Zod with what it has accomplished in a soft-composite lens, but the Prime has not really used it like Optimus or Rodimus has. We do know he does technically have access to it, he is a Prime after all and it has been passed down to him, but at the same time, and I am probably parroting this, he has not really used it, unlike Zod with the Phantom Zone Projector which is something he has used, with Sentinel not having a reliable way to escape the Zone itself. To conclude, I think the General has the edge here… But it is worth noting that the thing has been used against him, meaning if Sentinel could play his cards right, the Projector can be turned on the General, assuming the Projector is included of course. Kinda funny to think about imo.

For other factors, Sentinel is a pretty big target lol. As a Cybertronian he is naturally pretty big, especially in his various armors. His size could be an advantage to an extent, but Zod’s mobility and aggressiveness can make things pretty difficult in a head on scuffle. Infinitus himself is pretty small, but the lil guy is not as powerful as when he is in his armour and body. 

Overall with everything I have learned and discussed, I personally think the odds are in the General’s favor. Infinitus is a cunning foe, but with his Kryptonian resilience, ruthlessness and easier arguments (at least it seems that way to me) I think General Zod will make the Titan Master kneel. Thank you for your time! 

….Sentinel is cooler looking imo though hmmmmmm…….

Hi Convoy.

Soma

Death Battle please use DC again, Marvel's greed sickens me

Hi! Thanks again to Loka for having me on, and let's jump right into it.

So, off the bat, very interesting matchup in general, and a lot closer than I was expecting! When it comes to weaponry, combat skills, leadership and manipulation, both match each other pretty much blow for blow. Zod is better at martial arts and unarmed combat, but Sentinel has been alive for millions of years and has much more experience. Both have insanely tough armour (Battle Armour & Sentinel Body), and then another stronger armour (Ancient Kryptonian Armour & Apex Armour) on top of that. Zod's laser weapons and tendrils compare to Sentinel's Energon blades, and so on.

Where things really start to shake up though is when it comes to their abilities. As a Cybertronian, Sentinel is rocking a lot of really useful abilities, like enhanced sensors, his two transformations, the ability to slow down time, and he could possibly use the Energon within his blades to replenish his stamina if necessary. But he's mostly land-locked, and his jet transformation hasn't been shown to also work in active combat, so all his fighting needs to be done on the ground, and that's a big problem against someone like Zod, who can not only fly freely, but also fly interstellar distances in short periods, and fight at the same time.

Moreover, Sentinel's best ranged option is his solar energy rifle, which in ordinary circumstances would be super dangerous, but as a Kryptonian, Zod actively gets stronger with solar energy, so it would only end up empowering Zod. And Zod has a lot more to throw at Sentinel in return, like his super breath to freeze him or his weapons, super voice to create mighty shockwaves, and powerful and precise heat vision to cleave through his armour. Plus, there's his insane pain tolerance to power through harm and keep fighting, paired with his healing factor and infinite stamina under a yellow sun (which he could fly to in a short while if he needs to recharge), and super senses to keep himself aware and ahead of the game against Sentinel.

And I feel it's important to emphasise his advantage with flight, because he can use it to keep Sentinel at range and control the pace of the fight. Keeping him at bay to wear him down over time is something Zod could very much do, and with the ability to fly to a yellow sun and heal up, get stronger and rejuvenate himself, he's definitely winning the war of attrition. Sentinel's time dilation seems really useful at first, but their stats show that it doesn't quite matter in the grand scheme of things. Zod is hanging around with Kryptonians like Clark and Zara, who have broken infinity and time travelled with their speed, Speedsters like Barry and Thawne who break time just by running, and other Justice Leaguers like Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner who can break into the Speed Force, Shazam, who flies beyond space and time to reach the Rock of Eternity, and Doctor Fate, whose helmet flew across the universe at the velocity of God. Manipulating time isn't going to be able to slow Zod down when his speed cannot be measured by time.

But Sentinel Prime also has similar speed. Through scaling to characters like Optimus Prime and Megatron, he'd naturally be capable of the same, like when JG1 Optimus and Megatron's clash transcended space, or when Golden Megatron was about to merge together every universe and timeline; past, present and future. Plus, weaker Cybertronians like Mainframe can calculate at 5.2 Duononagintillion times light speed, and Sideburn has been said to have infinite speed. While DC may have more instances of speed that transcends or breaks time, there's a clear precedent within the Transformers series for absurdly fast speed feats and statements, and I believe it's fair to suggest Sentinel would be capable of matching the best of the best. After all, he is a Prime.

Before we get into their best wincons, I think it's important to cover their strength and how that compares, because it'll be very relevant for the following section. As Loka has explained, both DC and Transformers feature an infinite multiverse, with several dimensional layers within, and both should be able to scale to the full extent of this. While personal views may vary, going with the highest numbers for both, Zod scaling to DC's cosmology containing 26 higher spatial dimensions within it trumps Transformers' cosmology with 17 higher spatial dimensions within, and Sentinel scaling to that. Ergo, Zod holds a definitive strength advantage, and can decisively use that well with his array of abilities.

Were it just down to this, I would definitely say that Zod has enough on his side to be able to wear Sentinel down and eventually land the killing blow, but Sentinel also has Alpha Trion's body to hop into, and on top of that, the Undead Titans, which threatened the entire planet of Cybertron. While Zod could definitely take Sentinel down in a 1v1, he also has to contend with an even stronger body and an army of the same kind of strength all attacking him at once. That's a tall ask, even for him. Added on top of that is the fact that we're looking at Sentinel while he had access to the Matrix of Leadership, and it has the potential to be able to erase Zod like it did to an entire conceptual realm of information.

The key word there being potential. Sentinel has never used the Matrix from what we've seen, and it's unlikely that he could even use it in the same kind of way that Optimus could, or know that it has such specific abilities that he would have to activate in order to take Zod down. With Zod putting on constant pressure, Sentinel would be hard pressed for time to try and use it. Though he does have the Undead Titans to stall Zod and wear him down, Zod has faced off against similarly sized legions plenty of times before, and with the strength advantage against them all, he would be able to plow through the army. Furthermore, under the same rules that we're allowing the Matrix for Sentinel, we're also allowing Zod access to the Phantom Zone projector. He could not only banish the Undead Titans to the Phantom Zone, from which they could not escape, giving him a straight shot at Sentinel, but he could also just use it on Sentinel himself.

Though it's been used against Zod in the past, and plenty of times, it's by people who have knowledge of the device, what it does, and how to use it. It's very unlikely that Sentinel would get the chance to wrench it away from Zod or figure out how to use it against him with so much pressure being applied. And given the dimensionality difference between the two, given that it has consistently held characters of Zod's level within, not even the Matrix has a high enough reach to be able to break Sentinel out. Then there's the question of if its erasure would even work on Zod. He's far above what it has been shown to be capable of reaching - his dimensional scaling eclipses Unicron's - it may not be able to outright kill him, and Zod has plenty of ways to avoid it through flight or separating it from Sentinel directly.

It has the ability to heal and resurrect the dead, but once again, Sentinel has never used it in this way, and relying on something he hasn't been show to use isn't an overly concrete method of victory. Whereas in comparison, Zod has multiple showings of using the Phantom Zone projector, which offers a lot more versatility for him in banishing Sentinel's army, and would be an instant win if Sentinel was trapped inside it. Even taking away both the Matrix and Phantom Zone projector, Sentinel lacks a good way to put Zod down for good. Though Zod definitely has a lot to contend with - plus an entire army to take down - his wider variety of Kryptonian abilities like flight, heat vision and super senses, superior strength, endless stamina, and natural healing factor means he has a lot more room for error and will win the war of attrition eventually.

So in conclusion; Zod wins. He always wins. And that's just Prime.

Gman

Wow I haven't been in one of these since four months ago! 

Starting off, as I always do, with
Strength: At first glance, it would seem obvious that General Zod is the stronger of the two. Zod beat Martian Manhunter to unconsciousness, beat Hal's ass hard enough for his ring to malfunction, and LORDY the less said about what he did to Kyle the better. Sentinel Prime in comparison has defeated Megatron in battle multiple times with his Apex Armor, which is no small task seeing as Megatron did battle against Deceptigod, who wielded the power of the D-Void, the embodiment of the Dead Universe! And this isn't even getting into the fact that Sentinel has the Matrix of Leadership, which can destroy the D-Void! At first glance, it would seem that Zod and Sentinel can go blow for blow in terms of raw power. Except... Zod curb stomped Hal and Kyle. The same Hal and Kyle who took part in the battle against the Electromagnetic Spectrum Entity possessed Guardians of the Universe who, even when not possessed, can destroy multiple universes. With this in mind, I think it's safe to say that Zod is the stronger of the two.

Speed: Zod, alongside just demolishing Kyle in a fight, did so faster than he could react. As we know, Kyle is comparable to Hal, who alongside Guy Gardner, flew across the universe in under 10 hours. This would be faster than anything Sentinel could reasonably scale to...except that there's this nerd named Mainframe who does calculus as a hobby God SHOVE HIM IN A LOCKER ALREADY- who can, and I quote, "Calculate Pi to a centillion digits". A centillion, if you didn't know, is 10 to the THREE HUNDREDTH AND THIRD POWER. 303 zeroes! This is one of the fastest calculable speed feats in vs, let alone DC or The Transformers. And seeing as it comes from a guy who doesn't like fighting, it is very reasonable to say that Sentinel, alongside Primus knows who else, scales to this!

Durability: This one is kinda easy. Zod can take beatings from Hawkman's Nth metal mace, a pissed off Superman wailing on him, doesn't get any reaction, and even Hal Jordan's constructs just bounce off of him! Sentinel doesn't even have anything that sounds a quarter as impressive as that for me to compare, that's how much tougher Zod is!

Tertiaries: OKAY! Now, here's the make or break of this debate. So, remember that Matrix of Leadership thing I mentioned back in the strength section of this verdict? No that thing could while Zod off of the face of whatever planet these two are fighting on... in theory. Sentinel, as a prime, is a Matrix Bearer. Except that he has never once used the Matrix of Leadership offensively. So, while he is more experienced and level-headed than Zod, there is a likely chance that, having never used it before, wouldn't do so against Zod. And from there, in spite of having lots of leeway thanks to his spare bodies and undead titans, Zod could most likely just snipe Infinitus (Sentinel's head, long story) with his heat vision. Finally, while Sentinel has never used the Matrix of Leadership before, Zod has used a similar ace in the hole, the Phantom Zone Projector. If Sentinel gets hit by it, he's sent to the Phantom Zone, which is an instant game-end for him. As such I'm giving tertiaries to Zod.

So, despite Sentinel having a damn near oppressive speed advantage and a weapon that could instantly end the battle should he so choose, I believe that due to Zod being stronger, tougher, having nigh infinite stamina under a yellow sun, and Sentinel Prime never having used that "I win" button, that General Zod, however long it may take, will make Sentinel Prime kneel.

French

Hello everybody it’s French here, famously known for the creation of Nikes and best friend of Santa Claus. I’m here to say my thoughts on the verdict for ts matchup so here it is. It’s gonna be brief cuz I wanna get straight to the point:

Speed
Starting off with the easy one, speed!!!! Ok off the bat, speed should at bare minimum be equal. Once dimensional tiering gets into the mix, obviously immeasurable speeds should be included. Not gonna elaborate much on this because not using equal immeasurable speed is just odd. Of course there is also the problem of quantifiable speeds and to that I say: There are too many infinite to immeasurable feats for both to scale to for them to reasonably be limited to quantifiable speeds. So with that, speed is a tie.

Strength
Next up in the big ring is strength. There are a lot of contentions and mess with dimensional tiering for both verses. However, DC’s cosmology and Transformers’s cosmology both have pretty blatant cosmology. With Zod and Sentinel, both should scale to some of the highest portions of their cosmologies. Sentinel, while not being the strongest, still is comparable to characters capable of scaling to the multiverse, which contains 17 spatial dimensions. However, with the Matrix, Sentinel should be able to upscale, but considering it’s iffy nature in this debate, I would say he wouldn’t get it, and stays comfortably at 17D without upscaling. Now DC, despite all the cosmology back and forth, has some blatant stuff. Like the SpectraVerse. As explained, they contain layers of existence, and have about 26 spatial dimensions. With it being contained in the general omniverse, there should be multiple characters, including Superman, who have moments of scaling to characters at that level of existence. Zod has pushed Superman multiple times, and some of his feats on par with the higher portions of the cosmology are performed casually, so Zod should absolutely scale. With that in mind, it’s 26D for Zod vs 17D for Sentinel. So Zod should take strength.

Abilities
For the final main category, let’s talk about abilities. In this I will talk about both their weapons and natural abilities. Starting off with Sentinel, let’s get the big thing out of the way: The Matrix of Leadership. This thing is genuinely insane, capable of beating one of the strongest beings in the verse, Unicron, capable of erasing entire dimensions, including ones that were composed entirely of information. That gives Sentinel informational erasure on the fly…at least you would think. However, we have never seen him actually use it. Yes, he held onto it, but we have never once seen him actually use it, including its insane informationally erasing abilities. With this, while yes he has it, it’s unfair to say that he can use all of its abilities. So with that, no, the Matrix should probably not be used in the debate.

Now, with his other abilities, Sentinel has some good stuff. Energon is the iconic power fuel for Transformers. Sentinel, like every other Cybertronian, can alter and manipulate Energon to his will, mainly using it to create constructs that are used as weapons, or to replenish lost energy. He also wields weapons like the Solar Rifle, capable of launching blasts over five thousand degrees Celsius. He also has the unique ability to dilate time, which can let him get the upper hand by perceiving time at a much slower speed.

Now onto Zod. Zod’s big thing in this off the bat is the Phantom Zone Projector. Now, this should be fair to use in the debate. Why? Because unlike The Matrix of Leadership, Zod has used all of the abilities of the projector, which is just trapping someone in the Phantom Zone. He is also shown onscreen using it, and multiple times as well, which is more than I can say for Sentinel. So for this debate, I will include it. Moving on, Zod also has things like Kryptonian Tendrils, which tear through people effortlessly. Ability wise though, Zod is your average Kryptonian. Can heal from the yellow sun, resist extremely powerful temperatures over five thousand degrees Celsius, fly, and of course shoot extremely powerful laser eyes. These laser eyes are powerful enough to negate Intangibility, negate durability, or even weld objects together. Zod physiology also allows him to take lethal to fatal injuries and still fight, see through solid objects, freeze people with his breath, take oxygen from people, or scream at unnatural decibels.

So with all this, who really wins abilities? Well, it’s pretty simple. While Sentinel has a pretty crazy ability in the form of time dilation, which can allow him to react to attacks easier, and prepare more. However, this is his only unique ability that can do anything, and even then, he has nothing to follow up with after it besides trying to attack Zod. Zod on the other hand has his lasers, which tear Sentinel to shreds by negating his durability, or even welding parts of his body together. There is also the hurdle of the Phantom Zone Projector. It is an instant one shot wincon that Sentinel has no counter to. It instantly BFRs and seals him in the Phantom Zone. With all of this, Zod should take abilities.

Conclusion
While speed is a tie, strength is easily taken by Zod by an immeasurable margin. Abilities aren’t too bad, but Zod still takes it fairly easy. Sentinel’s only important viable ability is time dilation, which can help him prep more, but otherwise, Zod’s lasers and Phantom Zone Projector would prove to be too much in the end.

The winner is General Zod.

Results

Team Zod: 5 (Loka, Meg, Soma, Gman, French / Everyone)

Team Sentinel: 0 (😔) (still love you buddy)

Hello there! Thanks for checking out this blog and reading this far, it really means a lot! If you enjoyed what you saw and want to see more of my stuff, then make sure to follow me (and my dear verdict writers) on my BlueSky account. I not only post my blogs there so you'll never miss an upload if you follow, but I also share my thoughts on all other interests I have, whether it be Death Battle or other!

See you in the next blog!

Comments

  1. Anonymous28 December 2025 at 13:02

    That was great. Wasn’t expecting to see Sentinel in a Death Battle.

    ReplyDelete

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