UN Commission on Superhuman Activity London International Model United Nations 21st Session | 2020 1 UN Commission on Superhuman Activity London International Model United Nations 2020 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 2 UN Commission on Superhuman Activity London International Model United Nations 2020 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. 3 UN Commission on Superhuman Activity London International Model United Nations 2020 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 4 UN Commission on Superhuman Activity London International Model United Nations 2020 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. 5 UN Commission on Superhuman Activity London International Model United Nations 2020 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. 6 UN Commission on Superhuman Activity London International Model United Nations 2020 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 7 UN Commission on Superhuman Activity London International Model United Nations 2020 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. 8 UN Commission on Superhuman Activity London International Model United Nations 2020 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. 9 UN Commission on Superhuman Activity London International Model United Nations 2020 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 <https://www.polygon.com/comics/2016/5/5/11597690/marvel-civil-war-comics> 13 Ibid.