UN Commission on Superhuman Activity London International Model United Nations 21st Session | 2020
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Table of Contents
TOPIC A: USE AND REGULATION OF TIME
MANIPULATION 7
Introduction to the Topic 7
History of the topic: A Timeline of Events 10
Time travel in the MARVEL Universe 13
Current Situation 18
Past Actions 21
Conclusion 21
Guiding Questions 21
Further Reading 22
Bibliography 22
TOPIC B: RESTORATION AND INTEGRATION – DEALING
WITH THE AFTERMATH OF THE BLIP 24
Introduction to the Topic 24
History of the Topic 26
Current Situation 29
Past Actions 32
Conclusion 32
Guiding Questions 33
Further Reading 33
Bibliography 34
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Dear Delegates, We are Helena Granik, Zoe Braddick, Kelli-Anne Tim, and Zeesha Shirin Bandyopadhyay, and it is our honour and privilege to be your Directors for the UN Commission on Superhuman Activity as well as the Council of Marvels.
We hope that it is here that you will discover what an amazing activity Model United Nations truly is; it is the only forum in which you see academic rigour and social relations come together in one place. At every conference we attended, we learned an incredible amount and made lots of new friends; above all, MUN teaches people to accept others and themselves.
The concept of this summit is to have two parallel committees: one of the powered individuals from the Marvel Universe and a United Nations committee made up of world leaders. After discussing the chosen topics in your own committee, representatives from both the rooms will meet in a summit to try and reach an agreement. After the summit, you’ll return to your committees to get the treaty ratified. This is precisely what happened last year, where both cabinets were able to reach an agreement. We hope to build on this success this year.
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At its core, Model United Nations is a tool for empowerment and there are many people without whom this summit would not have taken place. We would therefore like to thank the LIMUN Foundation Board of Trustees and the following individuals: Zeina Dowidar for her kindness, Moshka Mehta for her friendship and Cynthia Bossuyt for their exceptional selflessness and bravery.
Have fun!
Yours faithfully, Helena Granik, Zoe Braddick, Kelli-Anne Tim, and Zeesha Shirin Bandyopadhyay
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Introduction to the Marvel Committee
Set in the Marvel Cinematic and Comic Universe, with all history, storylines and understandings within these are an accepted and recommended background for this committee. Since the establishment of the United Nations in 1945, there has been no war between great powers. However, even at its founding, new threats began to emerge; threats that had the power to create just as much instability, destruction, and death as a war between the superpowers. From the attacks of the mutant terrorist Magneto in the 1970s to the Chitauri invasion of New York in 2012, it was clear that the UN’s goal of keeping peace in the world extended beyond keeping peace between nations1.
Following the attack on Sokovia City in 2015, the United Nations created a committee aimed at tackling the question of legislation and enhanced humans2. Spearheaded by U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross, the Commission on Sokovia offered all known powered humans the choice between working for the UN within a legal framework, or the cessation of all abnormal activities. The result was a civil war between the powered individuals of the world. Split between those for and against registration, heroes and wanted criminals joined either of the sides in a battle that claimed property and more than a few lives. The outcome resulted in many of the most accomplished and valiant heroes in the world being placed under arrest or going into hiding3.
The United Nations Commission on Superhuman Activity (UNCSA) was created with the purpose of protecting the unpowered peoples of the world. In comparison to the enhanced humans, both heroes and terrorists, most
1 Daniel Gindis and Lara Govea, UN Commission on Superhuman Activities, London International Model United Nations (London: London International Model United Nations, 2019), 7 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid.
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of the citizens of the world can be considered in the category of the defenceless4. Last year, Secretary General António Guterres invited both humans and superhumans to resolve the pressing issue of superhuman regulation, where a Resolution, Resolution 26/02, was ratified for the first and only time. They have been invited back to grapple with one of the following issues: The Use and Regulation of Time Manipulation and Restoration and Integration – Dealing with the Aftermath of the Blip.
4 Ibid.
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TOPIC A: USE AND REGULATION OF TIME MANIPULATION
Introduction to the topic CLASSES OF ENHANCED HUMANS
Powered individuals can be divided into the following six classes: skill, tech, science, cosmic, mutant and mystic. Each class has been evaluated on its own. Some enhanced humans fall into more than one category (e.g.
Deadpool: Science, Mutant and Skill)5.
5 Daniel Gindis and Almas Haidery, United Nations Commission On Sokovia (London: London International Model United Nations, 2017),12
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SKILL Skilled heroes have no supernatural powers but have reached such proficiency in a specific type of skill to deem themselves lethal weapons. Examples include the Avenger Hawkeye for his skill with a bow and arrow, the Winter Soldier and Black Widow for their hand to hand combat ability, and the Punisher who has single-handedly killed over 600 criminals and wounded over 2000 more6.
TECH Tech heroes are either machines themselves or humans in suits of armour that make them extremely powerful. Examples of machine entities are the Avengers Vision and the killer robot Ultron. Examples of humans using such weapons are Tony Stark (Iron Man) and James Rhodes (War Machine). Humans with grafted technological implants such as Yuriko Oyama or the Reavers are also considered tech. Peter Quill (Starlord), whose combative advantage derives from his weapons, also falls into this category7. Unlike Hawkeye, who’s skill with the bow and arrow is enhanced by a better bow, Peter Quill derives his skill from the weapons he uses.
SCIENCE This category pertains to anyone whose powers derive from earth-based science. This includes individuals who were enhanced by lab tests, radioactive rays, or other chemical alterations. Examples of science heroes are Captain America and Spider-Man, while villains of this category are
Electro and the Green Goblin. The Hulk also falls into this category8.
COSMIC
6 Ibid. 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid.
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The cosmic class of enhanced humans generally come from space or other realms; some are earth-born and experimented on by species from outer space, and thus also pertain to this category. Examples include Gamora and Drax of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Carol Danvers, who owes her powers to the explosion of a Kree device, is also classified as cosmic. Cosmic characters similarly include Black Bolt and Medusa of the Inhumans, because they represent an entire nation of thousands, as opposed to individual space born creatures like Rocket Racoon9.
MUTANT These individuals have powers given to them by evolution. Many mutants on earth many even be unaware that they are mutants. There are notably powerful Omega class mutants such as Magneto and Storm. There are also less powerful mutants who have powers that provide an advantage in hand- to-hand combat such as Beast, Wolverine, and the anti-hero Deadpool10.
MYSTIC While we don’t know its source or origin, certain individuals have powers that can only be called magic. These can range from wizards and sorcerers, such as Dr. Strange to gods from other realms such as Thor and Loki11.
9 Ibid. 10 Daniel Gindis and Almas Haidery, United Nations Commission On Sokovia (London: London International Model United Nations, 2017), 13 11 Ibid.
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History of the Topic: A Timeline of Events 1981 The idea of superhuman, specifically mutant, regulation was first introduced12.
1984 The “Mutant Registration Act” was proposed and became U.S. law. Humans born with mutant powers were required to register with the government upon discovery of their capabilities. The Commission on Superhuman
Activities (UN CSA) was established to enforce this new legislation13.
1990 The “Superhuman Registration Act” was proposed in the United States of America. As an extension of the Mutant Registration Act, it required not just the registration of those born with the mutant X-gene, but to all enhanced humans. The leader of the Fantastic Four, Reed Richards, strongly opposed the pending legislation, and testified against it before a congressional committee. His main arguments were as follows: that superheroes would be hampered instead of helped by government oversight, thereby compromising their ability to fight crime. Additionally, supervillains were already pursued and punished, rendering additional legislation and registration obsolete. Lastly, the proposed definitions of “superhuman” or “enhanced human,” were so subjective as to apply to congressmen; the very people introducing this new Act. The committee advised against, and eventually scrapped, the new proposed legislation on those grounds14.
12 Alan Kistler, "Marvel's Civil War In Comics, Explained", Polygon, 2016
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1993 Canada passed a “Super-powers Registration Act,” similar to the
“Superhuman Registration Act” proposed by the United States of America15.
May 4, 2012 - The Battle of New York Loki, God of Mischief, opened a portal of top of Stark tower. This allowed an army of aliens, the Chitauri, to invade New York. The City was swiftly overwhelmed and destroyed16. There was an initial wave of gratitude once the Avengers finally managed to defeat both Loki and the Chitauri army, however the ramifications of the battle were numerous, resulting in 74 casualties and $88 billions’ worth of property damage17. It also raised an awareness among humans of other supernatural beings in the universe, and prominent politicians, including New York Senator Boyton, called for additional regulation of enhanced humans. Some even went so far as to suggest that the Avengers were the main cause of the attack18.
May 1, 2015 – The Battle of Sokovia Tony Stark, believing that the world was in need of additional protection, developed a peacekeeping programme known as the Ultron Programme19. Unfortunately, the Artificial Intelligence that he used to build them went awry, resulting in Ultron’s belief that humanity was the greatest threat to Earth. The main site of Ultron’s clashes with the Avengers was the town of
Novi Grad in Sokovia, a country in Eastern Europe20.
15 Ibid. 16"Battle Of New York", Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki, 2019
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Though the Avengers managed, ultimately, to destroy Ultron, the consequences for them were far worse for them than they had been in the Battle of New York. If public opinion hadn’t turned against them then, it was definitely against them now, especially after the death of young Charles “Charlie” Spencer, who was crushed by a falling building during the Battle. The entire city was utterly destroyed, as well as Ultron, the powerful enemy the Avengers fought to defeat21. The Battle of Sokovia casualties dwarfed those of the Battle of New York: the death toll rose to 177, and property damage reached $474 billion in value. Public opinion of the Avengers plummeted as a result; the increasing calls for superhuman registration culminated in the Sokovia Accords later that year22.
21 Ibid. 22 Ibid.
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Time travel in the MARVEL Universe We will be following the rules and understanding of time travel in accordance with what has been presented in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). We acknowledge that the Marvel Comics have explored time travel with a different theory of time manipulation, but we will be strictly adhering to the time manipulation in the MCU. We will use two examples of time manipulation that has been undertaken by Marvel characters: X-Men: Days of Future Past; and the Avengers: Endgame. These examples of time travel will be laid out in brief explanation in order for delegates to be able to discuss this topic in some technical aspect.
One note that we should take into account is that there are thinkers in the scientific community, such as Stephen Hawking, who have created an hypothesised time manipulation rule.23 This rule is that “you cannot travel back in time and interact with the world that created you that enabled you to travel back in time” because this would create an “unresolvable paradox”.24 To put this in more simpler terms, you cannot go back in time and then interact with yourself or those who would know you in that specific moment in time. In our understanding, this particular rule would indicate that you cannot alter time by physically interacting with it. An example of this is how, to take the example of time travel in Harry Potter, Hermione, in the Prisoner of Azkaban, threw a rock to draw past Harry’s head to the Minister of Magic’s arrival. Hermione altered time without revealing that she was from the future.
23 Tim Molloy Molloy, "Neil Degrasse Tyson Explains The Time Travel In ‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’", Business Insider, 2014
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We will also note that there are different ways for time manipulation to take form and we will account for this in our following examples. When discussing this during debate, we would ask that you refrain from referencing any other media outside of the Marvel Universe when discussing the technical aspects, but you can refer to the theory behind it. Three main theories of time manipulation include: fixed time theory; parallel dimension theory; and replacement theory.
FIXED TIME THEORY The fixed time theory, as briefly mentioned above, is highly popular among physicists as it prevents any time paradox to arise. Fixed time theory posits that “all of history as already completed”.25 This theory believes that if you go back in time, your “departure from the future has already occurred and so has your arrival in the past”.26 Therefore, this theory posits that the past cannot be changed because whatever you do in the past has already been done. It presents the idea that if you were to travel back in time, your actions in the past will already have been done and therefore, already happen in the future. It is a closed time loop.
PARALLEL DIMENSION THEORY The parallel dimension theory is also quite popular among scientists and states that there are more than one dimensions in existence. 27 So if you were to travel to the past, “you could find yourself in the past of a seemingly identical universe” and be able to change without a problem because it is
“not really your past”.28 This can be taken a step farther as writers have posited in the divergent dimensions theory that “when you arrive in the past, that instantly changes the past, but since the past cannot change it
25 Joseph Young, "Temporal Theory 102", Mjyoung.Net, 2009
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creates a separate universe”.29 A universe that diverges from the moment you arrived in the past and “continues with its own history into the future, without changing the events of your universe origin”. 30 The parallel dimension theory or the divergent dimensions theory only creates alternative universes, which means that the actions that you take in this “past” will not affect the original timeline that you arrived from.
REPLACEMENT THEORY This theory has a few variations, but ultimately state that travelling to the past will change your own history and that there is only one universal history, which is able to be changed.31 The past is easily changeable, and the future is not fixed.
The two examples we will be basing our time manipulation theory on could be seen as taking elements from these theories in order to create their own time travel theory.
XMEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (DoFP) The first scene for the DoFP shows us an post-apocalyptic world where humans and mutants have been almost exterminated by the Sentinels. The Xmen’s last plan is to return Wolverine back to 1973 in order to change the past and therefore, change the future. This particular version of time manipulation returns the mind of Wolverine to his past self so that he is able to remember the events of the future. This allows him to embark on shifting the course of the past, particularly to prevent Mystique from assassinating Bolivar Trask as this confirmed the mutant threat by the United States Government who then funded the sentinel program.
29 Ibid. 30 Ibid. 31 Ibid.
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The explanation of time manipulation is given by Kitty Pryde. She has the ability to “send someone’s present consciousness into their past body … but that she can only do this to someone else, and it is very dangerous for them”.32 While she is maintaining connection to his past self, the past and present timelines move parallel to each other. Each minute is connected and runs simultaneously to the present, until the person who has been sent back in time changes the future. We could potentially call this the precise point in the past timeline where the future has an impact, or the “timeline snap” point where in the movie, Wolverine gets sent back to his present with an entirely new future. This particular “timeline snap” point is when Mystique does not shoot the President of the United States. We can hypothesize that the snap happened because the United States of America “saw” that mutants are not a threat as Mystique saves them. This particular hypothesis is a bit flawed because Wolverine had already been thrown out of the stadium by Magneto and, therefore, had no more effect on the past.
A clearer hypothesis is that the “timeline snap” happens because either the person who travelled back in time died or if there is an interruption to the time travel stream. This interruption in DoFP is most likely the death of Kitty Pryde in the Sentinel future, which causes the “timeline snap” and we see the future adopting the changes. 33This we see when Wolverine wakes up in the altered future with no memory of this new time stream, but rather still remembering the events of the no longer existing past.
From what we can see from the end of DoFP is that the future has been completely altered, yet it also hints that this may be more of a shift in the
32 Joseph Young, "Temporal Anomalies In X-Men: Days Of Future Past", Mjyoung.Net, 2014
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future and that it has not been entirely transformed. Nevertheless, the key to the time travel in DoFP is that the X-Men did not create an alternative timeline, but rather changed past events so that the future could be shifted.
AVENGERS: ENDGAME The Avengers: Endgame starts with the Avengers finding Thanos five years after the Snap where half the universe was turned into dust. They discover that the infinity stones no longer exist after Thanos destroyed them. In order to recover the infinity stones and return those who had been turned into dust, the Avengers decide to travel back in time through Quantum Realm by exiting the Quantum Realm (QR) at an exact place and time that they choose to go.
The first explanation of time travel is given by Bruce Banner who basically presents a version of the multiverse theory or parallel dimensions theory. This is part of the reason that they cannot go back into the past to prevent Thanos from doing the Snap. The reason is that when they return to the past, there is a creation of a separate timeline. Therefore, for the Avengers, they cannot alter the past through time travel, which is how the Quantum
Realm comes into play.34 Through the Quantum Realm, they are able to travel through space and time because the QR connects the multiple universes that exist in the Marvel Universe.35 The Quantum Tunnel machine that they use to make this possible gives them an exit point that returns them to their original universe and present.36
34 Phil Hornshaw, "Avengers: Endgame's Time Travel Is Badly Explained - Here's What's Going On", Gamespot, 2019
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The Avengers travelling back into time to collect the various infinity stones shows alternative timelines/universes that exist. This means that when they return to the present, those alternative realities no longer exist because it isn’t their past that they are affecting. Throughout these events, the Avengers fundamentally change specific events in these alternative universes or “branch realities” as the Ancient One puts it, which are further affected by the removal of the infinity stones.37
The removal of the infinity stones is another element to the time travel in Avengers: Endgame. The infinity stones are crucial to maintaining the balance within that particular universe. Without the stone in its specific alternative universe, it would suffer dire consequences. This is the reason that the Avengers, specifically Captain America, return it to the precise moment that the stones left their alternative reality. Yet, this does not account for the changes that occur in these alternative universes that will ultimately affect their future. Such as, Captain America in the alternative universe finding out that Bucky Barnes (the Winter Soldier) is alive.
The time travel theory in these two examples shows how time travel can occur within the Marvel Universe. These are the basis from which the discussion on time travel will exist.
Current Situation Given the huge number of casualties in the Battle of New York and the Battle of Sokovia, the Sokovia Accords came into law in 2015 and were renamed the Superhuman Registration Act. The act promised protection to any powered individual who agreed to submit to registration. In return,
37 Ibid.
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their anonymity was guaranteed, and they were given the choice between using their powers in an official legal capacity or not at all38.
Thousands registered on the first day. Many criminals registered to receive the pardon offered to low-level offenders. However, the mass registration was not without flaws; the registration act was found to lack clear guidelines regarding many of the classes of powered individuals39.
In London in 2019, an agreement to a basic framework for the regulation of superhumans was reached for the first time (please click here). However, The Avengers: Endgame has showed that this legislation is far from watertight. The alarming decision of superhuman individuals to determine the fate of the world has become increasingly more prevalent. Acknowledging that the Avengers did save the world from Thanos by returning to the past does not mitigate the fact that it is still a decision that was unilaterally made without the consultation or consent of a represented autonomous body. Furthermore, it is not the first time that a group of superhuman or enhanced individuals have made world changing and life changing decisions to travel through time in order to fix or alter the realities as we know it. Similar decisions have been made by other groups, like the mutant superheroes, the X-Men.
The repercussions of time travel are often not taken into account, especially the effects that they have on the day to day life of people. Some might argue that the results outweigh the risks, but there must be some element of regulation when it comes to timeline manipulation, as the risks and – subsequently – consequences are dire, for even the smallest change made by the individual travelling through time will affect the timeline continuum.
38 Daniel Gindis and Almas Haidery, United Nations Commission On Sokovia (London: London International Model United Nations, 2017),9 39 Ibid.
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Despite all the precautions and attempts to prevent the worst outcome by these individuals, there are highly dangerous and not unlikely risks. Time manipulation could result in an alternative timeline created, which could then create a new reality that – due to the effect of these changes – will then spiral into a completely new future, potentially resulting in a future that is worse than the previous timeline. Furthermore, as the argument that has been a constant issue regarding superhuman registration, these superpowered individuals argue that they are fighting for the greater good and for humanity. Yet, there is no consultation from the very people that they say that they are protecting and fighting for. Considering the risks of time travel, it must be argued that those representing the non-superhuman members of society should be included when the universe and time and space continuum is at risk and able to impact the world. An example of these very consequences is the result of the Avenger’s decision to time travel in order to return those who disappeared in the Snap.
Ultimately, there is a strong case for the regulation of time manipulation so that these consequences and more are not fully realised. Some would argue that there must be additional regulation to how these paradigm-altering decisions affect everyone in the world and the universe. Furthermore, they would argue that we need to identify the limits to time manipulation that will ensure the security and safety of earth, and possibly other planets beyond the scope of earth’s jurisdiction. However, those who seek to use the power of time manipulation would argue that this is a tool that allowed half the planet to return after the Snap, and thus to lose it could potentially harm the planet more than its use ever did.
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Past Actions After two failed attempts in 2017 and 2018, Resolution 26/02 was reached in 2019, which can be found here. Please read the document in its entirety.
Its key points are: the continued establishment and implementation of a UN Council of Superhuman Activity (UN COSA) comprised of an equal number of both humans and superhumans, a criminal registry of superhumans has been introduced, and it was established that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights applies to enhanced humans as well. More elaborate measures include a court and the beginnings of superhuman criminal justice, education and social security systems. What is striking, however, is the total absence of space-time manipulation. In light of this, Resolution 26/02 needs to be comprehensively re-examined.
Conclusion When preparing for the London summit, the UNCSA needs to strive for a united front. This is difficult because some countries have seen only negative consequences of enhanced human activities, be they invasions by American operatives, or attacks by terrorists and criminals. Other countries would like a United Nations stamp of approval to continue to create more enhanced humans. There are reasons to be optimistic, however: it has been achieved once, and can be done again.
Guiding Questions
❖ How can the Resolution 26/02 of the Superhuman Registration Act better incorporate the issue of time travel and its related problems? ❖ What consequences, if any, should there be for those who have already endangered humanity as a result of time manipulation? ❖ How can we make sure that cosmic entities are subject to existing legislation regarding the regulation of superhuman activity?
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❖ Should there be regulation at all?
Further Reading Required (it is imperative that you watch and read these before committee) ❖ https://www.polygon.com/comics/2016/5/5/11597690/marvel-civil- war-comics ❖ Captain America: Civil War ❖ Avengers: Endgame ❖ X-Men: Days of Future Past ❖ MARVEL Summit Resolution 26.02.pdf
Optional ❖ https://www.elitedaily.com/p/how-does-the-quantum-realm-time- travel-work-in-avengers-endgame-we-investigate-17227235 ❖ https://www.thefandomentals.com/avengers-endgame-time-travel/ ❖ https://collider.com/x-men-days-of-future-past-ending-explained/ ❖ https://orenbell.com/?p=272#endgame-container ❖ https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/26/18518923/avengers-endgame- time-travel-loki-alive-captain-america-old
Bibliography Movies: Captain America: Civil War Avengers: Endgame
Websites: Battle of New York. (2019). Retrieved 16 November 2019, from https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_New_York
Battle of Sokovia. (2019). Retrieved 16 November 2019, from https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_Sokovia
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Hornshaw, P. (2019). Avengers: Endgame's Time Travel Is Badly Explained - Here's What's Going On. Retrieved 16 November 2019, from https://www.gamespot.com/articles/avengers-endgames-time-travel-is- badly-explained-h/1100-6466567/.
Kistler, A. (2016). Marvel's Civil War in comics, explained. Retrieved 16 November 2019, from https://www.polygon.com/comics/2016/5/5/11597690/marvel-civil-war- comics
Molloy, T. (2014). Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains The Time Travel In ‘X- Men: Days Of Future Past’. Retrieved 16 November 2019, from https://www.businessinsider.com/x-men-days-of-future-past-neil- degrasse-tyson-explains-time-travel-2014- 5?IR=T&fbclid=IwAR14DgS6qqqVqVWvzcusCn3W8KvuhS- wVULeBwYHsLpyfJT22mZyknguKmU
Traffic, D. (2019). [X-Men: Days of Future Past] The time travel makes sense : FanTheories. Retrieved 16 November 2019, from https://www.reddit.com/r/FanTheories/comments/5wndm7/xmen_days_o f_future_past_the_time_travel_makes/.
Young, J. (2009). Temporal Theory 102. Retrieved 16 November 2019, from http://www.mjyoung.net/time/theory102.html#fixation.
Young, J. (2014). Temporal Anomalies in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Retrieved 16 November 2019, from http://www.mjyoung.net/time/xmen.html
Publications by London International Model United Nations: Gindis, Daniel, and Govea, Lara, (2019). UN Commission on Superhuman Activities, London International Model United Nations [Ebook]. London: London International Model United Nations.
Gindis, Daniel, and Haidery, Alamas United Nations Commission On Sokovia (London: London International Model United Nations, 2017)
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TOPIC B: RESTORATION AND INTEGRATION – DEALING WITH THE AFTERMATH OF THE BLIP
Introduction to the topic With the returning of all those who were lost to the snap in Infinity War, the consequences of the Blip are frequent and far reaching, beyond just those expected within the realms of Superheroes. The widespread ramifications of the re-emergence of 50% of the planet’s population throws up many unexpected issues as to the nature and future of the systems that are currently put in place to govern nations.
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Looking from the perspective of governments and ruling systems, issues such as inheritance, property laws, consideration of age, identification, housing, food, medicine, and other basic areas that would need to be addressed have been thrown into disarray. With this, basic guidelines that have been in place since the birth of nations’ legal systems will all be considered to be unusable in this case, thus calling for an intervention from the UN and other international bodies to be able to provide for a new system that considers the delicate and unexpected position that the globe finds itself in.
While this would usually be internal affairs of nations, the magnitude of the Blip and the nature of the impact means that delegates will have to balance sovereignty and the global impact.
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History of the Topic The Blip refers to the successful return of those who disappeared in the Snap. The Avengers were able to achieve this by going back in time to collect all the Infinity Stones before Thanos can get them to wipe out half the Earth’s population. Tony Stark then made an Infinity Gauntlet so that the Snap may be reversed. It transpired that the force generated by the Nano Gauntlet is extremely powerful, to the extent that no-one but the Hulk is able to deploy it. The Hulk snapped his fingers, and the effects of the Snap were reversed and the missing population resurrected. The quest to acquire the stones, make the gauntlet, and return humanity more or less to rights took approximately five years40.
Background Thanos gathered all the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War and used them to wipe out half of Earth’s population at the snap of his fingers in an event hereafter known as The Snap.41 In that moment, Earth became the
40 The Avengers: Endgame, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. MARVEL Studios, 2019. 41 George Marston, "The MCU's 'THE SNAP' & 'THE BLIP’ As Defined By Kevin Feige", Newsarama, 2019
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epicentre for a power surge of unprecedented cosmic proportions. After hunting Thanos for three weeks to no avail, the Avengers enlist the help of his estranged daughter, Nebula, to find him. It is discovered that Thanos has fulfilled his dream of retiring in “The Garden” on another planet. The Avengers find him there alone, a shadow of his former self – it transpires that the effort Thanos expended in destroying the stones almost killed him. The Avengers finish him off swiftly. Half of Earth’s population is still missing and the Avengers desperately try to find a way of reversing the effects of the Snap42.
Ant-Man misses the initial effects of the Snap because he is in a time capsule. When he arrives home his name is among those who have perished. Meanwhile, Tony Stark has retired, wishing to spend more time with his family, and Black Widow and other enhanced humans are fighting to reverse the effects of the Snap. Upon discovering where Ant-Man has been, the Hulk perfects a time-travel machine that would allow the Avenger to travel back in time to procure the Infinity Stones, before Thanos can get to them to carry out the Snap. Black Widow, Captain America, The Hulk and Hawkeye, who lost his entire family, persuade Tony Stark and Thor to come out of retirement for one last attempt at reversing the damage that
Thanos has inflicted. Nebula agrees to help43.
Black Widow perishes while retrieving one of the stones. Thanos discovers that Nebula has been sent from the future to stop him and sees how he dies in the future, which he becomes desperate to change. He arranges for a corrupted and evil Nebula to return to the present to destroy the
Avengers44.
42 The Avengers: Endgame, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. MARVEL Studios, 2019. 43 Ibid. 44 Ibid.
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Return Once the infinity stones are obtained they are all put into a Nano-Gauntlet. The Hulk puts it on and snaps his fingers. The sheer force destroys his arm. Ant-Man immediately sees that it has worked, because a flock of birds flies above him- something that hadn’t occurred in the Snap, and those who disappeared are successfully resurrected45.
Aftermath Though they have been successful in accomplishing their task, the Avengers facility sustains a huge attack. Thanos, still alive as the timeline has been changed so as to avert his death in the Garden, sees the plan in Nebula’s mind and sends her to infiltrate the facility from within in addition to the external attack. Thanos thus arrives in this version of the present, this time intent on destroying all of life in the universe, as opposed to just half. A huge battle ensues and Thanos nearly deploys the infinity gauntlet. However, Iron Man succeeds in removing the infinity stones from the gauntlet and inserting them into his own armour. He is the one who snaps his fingers, eradicating Thanos and the raging battle. The force of the stones kills him46.
45 Ibid. 46 Ibid.
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Current situation Case study: Midtown High School The opening of Spiderman: Far From Home shows us the repercussions of the Blip in Midtown High School. Thanos’ Snap occurs halfway through a basketball game; half the players and spectators are simply wiped from existence. When they were brought back, those who had returned hadn’t aged a day, whereas their classmates had aged for five years- the total duration of the Blip47.
The students who disappeared during the Snap blipped back into existence in exactly the same place that they disappeared. A video taken from the same vantage point five years later shows the people reappearing in the same place that they had vanished. This results in a basketball player blipping back and crashing into a band member, who is occupying the school gym at that precise moment. Those who had returned from the Blip, despite having completed half of the academic year, were forced to repeat it. The tributes to Iron Man and Black Widow, among others, that play during the opening reel similarly show the decimated superhero population that perished fighting Thanos48.
Property Rights One of the areas most instantly apparent is the area of Property Rights, as was seen in Spiderman: Far from Home, the most recent of the Marvel Cinematic universe and the only film to be canonically placed after the Blip. In this film Aunt May returns from the Blip only to find that other people have moved into her apartment and that it no longer belongs to her. Given she was neither around to be able to give consent, nor did she receive the
47 Rachel Paige, "Your One-Stop", Refinery29.Com, 2019
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proceeds of the selling of her flat, it would be considered to be unreasonable that she would now no longer have anywhere to live. However, the new tenants would have acquired this in a legal manner. The delegates should consider the interaction between the legal basis for each ownership and how they can work to achieve a solution respecting both old and new tenants.
Inheritance All 50% of people who disappeared in the Blip now find themselves legally dead and their wills in the process of being exercised. Therefore, they no longer have any possessions or savings because these have gone to survivors of the Blip who were mentioned in their wills. As a result of being declared legally dead these people are no longer legal entities, meanings that they are unable to function in society including but not limited to paying bills and accessing social security services.
Food Security If agriculture and food production is done on a yearly basis, this is effectuated according to demand for food. The latter has halved over last five years. Now, all those who have returned from the Blip find themselves causing a potential famine. This has resulted in extreme rationing across the globe. Society can no longer function, and this has severe statistical ramifications given that victims of the Blip were not affected in equal proportion across the globe, making its effects uneven. Countries that did not previously have enough food enjoyed an increase in their food supply as a result of the Blip, but now that everyone has returned this is to be discontinued. This is causing mass uprisings and resentment across the globe.
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Age Limits and the Age-Related Rights Currently, age-related privileges e.g. driving, drinking, voting are all granted according to a person’s date of birth. Unfortunately, after the Blip, this is no longer an accurate metric. Society is also struggling with early retirees who have decided to withdraw their pensions en-masse five years earlier than planned. This is having a profound impact on state resources and public services.
Job Security and Maintenance Over the course of the Blip, jobs have been reallocated. Employees who have gone missing as a result of the Blip have missed the introduction of new laws and new technological and scientific advances in the last five years. They are therefore unable to perform their tasks at work because their information is woefully out of date. Tertiary sectors are no longer able to function as a result. This has resulted in a mass unemployment spiral from which there is no foreseeable escape.
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Past Actions The countries known to have superhumans have mainly utilized their capabilities as part of government projects or defence mechanisms in the past. The United States, former Nazi Germany, the former USSR, and others are proof of that49. Many, without these people, have faced the brutal truth of the matter that the aftermath of the Blip is potentially dangerous, destructive, and devastating for normal humans. Many countries have access to study and use other superhumans to their benefit, and many don’t. States that have had superhumans have kept them hidden before the age of mass communication and the internet, able to cover up the study and use of these peoples in times of technology or war. Countries like the United States, Russia, and Germany are the biggest actors of that, but many others like Canada, many in the European Union, China, Japan, and Korea have all had access to these resources. Many in the former USSR have experienced the damages caused by their demonstration of power, as well as the terrors of World War II. Developing countries and economies have been hit statistically more often and harder than larger countries, unable to take advantage of the damages through lack of control and available technology. Through this discussion, countries will want the accountability and responsibility of dealing with the aftermath of the Blip, and others will not for strategic and technological purposes.
Conclusion This committee must decide how best to grapple with the aftermath of the Blip and restore the world to before its devastating consequences. This committee should bear in mind that only a united front can repair the situation. World leaders must enlist the help of enhanced humans to do this.
49 Aaron Avery and others, Superhuman, Technologies And Resources Conference Background Guide (Red Cedar Model United Nations VIII, 2019), 10
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Guiding Questions ❖ How can we overcome the seemingly insurmountable challenges that the Blip has presented regarding property rights, inheritance, food security, age limits and age-related rights and job security and maintenance? ❖ To what extent are enhanced humans responsible for the Snap? ❖ Should the responsibility to rebuild the world after the Blip rest with those who have a history of creating and deploying enhanced humans? ❖ How, if at all, can the UN CSA cooperate with the Council of Marvels to rebuild the decimated human world as a result of the Blip?
Further Reading Required (it is imperative that you watch and read these before committee) ❖ Avengers: Endgame ❖ Spiderman: Far from Home ❖ https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/07/236750/spider-man-far- from-home-the-blip-explained ❖ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/587362/snap-versus-blip-marvel- cinematic-universe Optional ❖ Avengers: Infinity War
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Bibliography
Movies: Avengers: Infinity War Avengers: Endgame Captain America: Civil War Spiderman: Far from Home
Websites: Blip. (2019). Retrieved 16 November 2019, from https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Blip
Hale-Stern, K. (2019). Here’s the Big Difference Between “the Blip” and “the Snap” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Retrieved 16 November 2019, from https://www.themarysue.com/difference-between-blip-snap- marvel/
Marston, G. (2019). The MCU's 'THE SNAP' & 'THE BLIP’ as Defined by Kevin Feige. Retrieved 16 November 2019, from https://www.newsarama.com/45900-the-mcu-s-the-snap-the-blip-as- defined-by-kevin-feige.html
Paige, R. (2019). Your One-Stop. Retrieved 16 November 2019, from https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/07/236750/spider-man-far- from-home-the-blip-explained
Roe, B. (2019). The Difference Between a Snap and a Blip in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Retrieved 16 November 2019, from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/587362/snap-versus-blip-marvel- cinematic-universe
Publications: Avery, A., Berg, M., Chehrazi, R., & Marsaux, L. (2019). Superhuman, Technologies and Resources Conference Background Guide [Ebook]. Red Cedar Model United Nations VIII.
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