Council of Marvels London International Model United Nations 21st Session
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Council of Marvels
London International Model United Nations
21st Session | 2020
1
Council of Marvels 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
Guiding Questions 21
Further Reading 21
Bibliography 22
TOPIC B: RESTORATION AND INTEGRATION – DEALING
WITH THE AFTERMATH OF THE BLIP 24
Introduction to the Topic 25
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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INTRODUCTION LETTER
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.
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. If
you’re reading this, you either agree or you’ve just received your committee
allocation. Either way, you’re in too deep to back out now!
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
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last year, where both cabinets were able to reach an agreement. We hope
to build on this success this year.
Have fun!
Yours faithfully,
Helena Granik, Zoe Braddick, Kelli-Anne Tim, 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 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 hiding 3.
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.
5Daniel 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
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid.
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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 Programme 19.
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
17 Ibid.
18 Ibid.
19 "Battle Of Sokovia", Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki, 2019
20 Ibid.
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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
24 Ibid
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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
26 Ibid.
27 Ibid.
28 Ibid.
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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
33 Deluxe Traffic, "[X-Men: Days Of Future Past] The Time Travel Makes Sense :
Fantheories", Reddit.Com, 2019
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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
35 Ibid.
36 Ibid.
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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.
Guiding Questions
❖ How desirable is it that the Resolution 26/02 of the Superhuman
Registration Act better incorporate the issue of time travel and its related
problems?
❖ In what ways is it conceivable that humanity has been endangered as a
result of time manipulation?
❖ How willing are cosmic entities to subject themselves to existing
legislation regarding the regulation of superhuman activity?
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
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❖ Spiderman: Far from Home
❖ 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
https://www.polygon.com/comics/2016/5/5/11597690/marvel-civil-war-
comics
Captain America: Civil War
Avengers: Endgame
MARVEL Summit Resolution 26.02.pdf
DeluxeTraffic. 2017 . X-Men: Day of Future Past - The Time Travel Makes
Sense .
https://www.reddit.com/r/FanTheories/comments/5wndm7/xmen_days_o
f_future_past_the_time_travel_makes/.
Hornshaw, Phil. 2019 . Avengers: Endgame's Time Travel is Badly
Explained - Here's What's Going On . 6 May .
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/avengers-endgames-time-travel-is-
badly-explained-h/1100-6466567/.
Molloy, Tim. 2014 . Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains The Time Travel In ‘X-
Men: Days Of Future Past’. 27 May . https://www.businessinsider.com/x-
men-days-of-future-past-neil-degrasse-tyson-explains-time-travel-2014-
5?IR=T.
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Young, M. Joseph. 2009 . Temporal Anomalies in Time Travel Movies
Presents Temporal Theory 102 .
http://www.mjyoung.net/time/theory102.html#fixation.
—. 2014. Temporal Anomalies in Time Travel Movies Unravels Xmen:
Days of Future Past. http://www.mjyoung.net/time/xmen.html.
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TOPIC B: RESTORATION
AND INTEGRATION –
DEALING WITH THE
AFTERMATH OF THE BLIP
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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 far-reaching
ramifications of the re-emergence of 50% of the planets population, throws
up many unexpected issues as to the nature and future of the systems that
are currently put in place to govern nations.
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 considered to 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
When Thanos finally gathered all of the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity
War, he wiped out half the universe’s population with the snap of his
fingers. This moment is referred to as The Snap.
The Blip was the occurrence in which Bruce Banner wore Tony Stark's Nano
Gauntlet. As Hulk snapped his fingers, the effects of Thanos' Snap on the
universe were reversed, with the deceased half of its population being
resurrected five years after their demise.
Background
As all of the Infinity Stones were gathered back into the present, the
Avengers realized Black Widow sacrificed herself to gain the Soul Stone.
Determined to not let Romanoff's sacrifice be in vain, Tony Stark, Rocket
Raccoon, and Bruce Banner began working on a new Infinity Gauntlet using
Stark's nano technology. Once it was completed, Rocket asked who was
going to be the one to reverse the Snap.
The Blip
When Stark, Rocket, and Banner completed the Nano Gauntlet, Thor
volunteered to put it on, but the Avengers refused to let him because he
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was neither physically nor emotionally stable enough to wield such power.
Thor insisted on wearing the gauntlet, but Bruce Banner warned his
teammates that because of the Infinity Stones' gamma radiation, the Nano
Gauntlet would kill anyone who tried to wear it, Thor included.
Banner volunteered himself, explaining that his body could withstand the
Stones' radiation and made him the most likely to survive using the
Gauntlet. While Stark ordered F.R.I.D.A.Y. to initiate lockdown procedures
across the facility in case the Gauntlet's energies proved to be too powerful
to contain, an alternate Nebula began to sabotage the quantum time travel
machine as Banner put on the Gauntlet.
Banner channelled the power of the Stones through his body, severely
scorching his arm up to his shoulder in the process. With his last sign of
power, Banner snapped his fingers, which ultimately brought everyone who
Thanos snapped back to life in either the area they disappeared at five
years ago or a nearby safe alternative.
Aftermath: attack on the New Avengers’ Facility
Ant-Man guessed that the mission of resurrecting the universal population
worked, as he looked at the inner garden at a flock of birds that appeared
out of nowhere, while at the same time Hawkeye received a call from his
wife, who had previously perished in the Snap. As the group started to
realize their mission had been completed, a dazed Bruce Banner looked up
and noticed Thanos' mothership, the Sanctuary II, from above the window
ceiling.
Before he could react, the Sanctuary II fired upon the New Avengers
Facility, destroying it and causing the Avengers to be separated from each
other in the collapsing debris, although Hawkeye is able to take possession
from the Gauntlet during his fall into the sewers. Rogers, Stark, and Thor
were the only members to have remained on the ground level floor. The
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trio then confronted the time-remnant Thanos of 2014, who now sought
the Stones to reset the universe in his image by shredding it down to atoms
and starting over. This confrontation happened concurrent to the time-
remnant 2014 Nebula who tricked an exhausted Barton into handing her
the Nano Gauntlet.
Following a long struggle, Stark and Thor were soon rendered out of
commission, leaving Rogers left to face Thanos, who summoned his armada
in full force. The effects of the Blip then became apparent during the
ensuing battle when Captain America received a transmission from Falcon,
one of the victims of the Snap, and the rest of those resurrected started
appearing shortly thereafter through portals created by Doctor Strange and
a group of other sorcerers. Ant-Man then became Giant-Man upon finding
Banner, Rhodes, and Rocket buried and drowning under the facility ruins,
carrying them to the surface for the final battle with Thanos. With the united
army of Allied Avengers, Rogers led the charge against Thanos' forces.
Return
All across Earth and the universe, the trillions who were once killed by the
Snap were brought miraculously back and at the same age and at the same
location they were five years earlier. Most of the resurrected celebrated
their return. The ones who survived the Snap inevitably had grown five
years older. Many of the previous victims were misplaced from their homes.
Resurrected students found themselves five years behind their former
classmates. Because many of Midtown High's previously snapped failed to
go through the entire school year, they were told that they had to restart
all over again. Hulk made sure to save anyone that had perished in the
Snap in a place like an airplane was resurrected in a now safe place.
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Current Situation
Case study: Midtown High School
Spider-Man: Far From Home opens with a YouTube tribute to the fall of the
Avengers, which helpfully juxtaposes footage from both the first snap and
the second. In it, the students explain how life has altered since "The Blip,"
with cell phone videos of both events as they were experienced by everyday
people.
In the first video, Thanos' snap comes in the middle of a basketball game's
halftime performance. As the students cheer, half of Midtown High School's
band disappears, as do many of those sitting in the audience. Those around
them begin to scream in horror as their friends and family turn to dust.
This is then followed by a second video, taken from the exact same vantage
point five years later. Once again, it's basketball season, and Midtown High
School players are racing down the court, when out of nowhere, those band
members and spectators suddenly reappear, standing right where they had
been the moment they disappeared as if nothing had happened.
The resulting car crash of a basketballer running smack dab into the band
members suddenly standing in the middle of the court is played for full
comedic effect.
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
proceeds of the selling of her flat, it would be considered to be unreasonable
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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.
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,
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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 that. Many without these people have faced the brutal
truth of the matter that 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
The Council of Marvels 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 have decided to enlist the help of enhanced
humans to do this; but do we as enhanced humans wish to help a species
that has persecuted us for so long?
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Guiding Questions
❖ Should the Council of Marvels help to alleviate 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,
ultimately, with enhanced humans?
❖ How, if at all, can the Council of Marvels cooperate with the UN CSA 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
Avengers: Endgame
Spiderman: Far from Home
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/07/236750/spider-man-far-
from-home-the-blip-explained
Avengers: Infinity War
https://www.polygon.com/comics/2016/5/5/11597690/marvel-civil-war-
comics
Captain America: Civil War
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/587362/snap-versus-blip-marvel-
cinematic-universe
https://www.themarysue.com/difference-between-blip-snap-marvel/
https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Blip
https://www.newsarama.com/45900-the-mcu-s-the-snap-the-blip-as-
defined-by-kevin-feige.html
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