What Is The UNSC? (Article 72 In Halo Explained)
The Halo TV series has just arrived, and it already has a lot of references to its source material, which is the Halo video game franchise. Despite being popular, Halo is still new to a lot of different people, and such people may not fully understand every reference made in the TV show if they watch it. One such term that is often used is the UNSC. So, what is the UNSC in Halo, and what is Article 72?
UNSC stands for United Nations Space Command, which is essentially the military organization that governs Earth and the different human colonies all over the galaxy. As such, it is the body that also governs the human forces that participate in interplanetary wars and other similar events in Halo.
Halo may be extremely popular all around the world, but it still is new to some people who may want to watch the TV show but are unfamiliar with the video game lore of the franchise. As such, it is important for us to talk more about the basics of the Halo universe. And one of those basics includes the powerful organization known as the UNSC.
What Is The UNSC In Halo?
The much-awaited sci-fi series, Halo, which is based on the popular video game franchise, has made its debut, and it has opened up some questions that may be new to those who don’t know anything about Halo but are basic for those who have been following the Halo story for a long time.
That said, one of the terms that were often thrown around during the pilot episode was the acronym “UNSC.” In fact, the pilot episode opens up on a colonized planet called Madrigal, with inhabitants that were talking about the UNSC and how they were fighting for independence against this seemingly powerful organization. So, what is the UNSC in Halo?
Basically, the UNSC stands for United Nations Space Command, which is supposedly working for the United Earth Government. However, considering that the UNSC has a larger scope, it is arguably more powerful than the UEG and is one of the most powerful organizations in the entire Halo universe.
The reason why the UNSC is very powerful is the fact that it basically controls humankind’s military forces and is more of a military organization than a governing body. But the UNSC is still a governing body that oversees humankind’s interplanetary affairs, such as planet colonization, space exploration, and interplanetary wars.
Established in the 22nd century, the UNSC has since grown in power as humankind’s ability to traverse space improved. That’s why the UNSC has been able to colonize different planets throughout the galaxy, and one such planet is the aforementioned Madrigal, which is the planet where the first episode of the Halo TV series began.
The UNSC is largely headquartered in the planet called Reach, and that is where much of the organization’s different activities take place. On top of the fact that the UNSC handles humankind’s military power in space, it is also responsible for some of the most advanced scientific research involving military technology.
One such figure that has become quite prominent in the UNSC is Dr. Catherine Halsey, who is one of the most brilliant minds of the 26th century due to her expertise in the field of genetic enhancements and military technology.
Halsey is the one responsible for heading the Spartan-II program, which involves kidnapping genetically superior children so that they can be trained in the art of warfare and experimented on to become the super soldiers known as the Spartans. Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, who was introduced to us in episode 1, is one of the Spartans.
The Spartans are the frontline soldiers that the UNSC often sends out for special missions that require their expertise because they are nearly invincible and are a lot more powerful than regular human soldiers. We saw the Spartans in action in episode 1 when only a few of them were able to subdue an entire unit of Covenant soldiers that attacked the human outpost in Madrigal.
What Is Article 72 In Halo TV Show?
Now that you know more about the UNSC, another concept that was mentioned in the Halo TV series is Article 72, which a lot of people are wondering about. Article 72 was mentioned when the only survivor of the attack on Madrigal, Kwan Ha, was taken into custody by Master Chief himself and was onboard his ship to be transported to Reach. Miranda Keyes, who is a key figure in the UNSC and is the daughter of Dr. Halsey, conversed with Kwan Ha through a hologram.
In the conversation between Keyes and Kwan Ha, the UNSC officer tried to talk the refugee into talking on behalf of the UNSC so that the other planets that wanted independence from the organization would be convinced of joining up with them. However, Kwan Ha threatened to lie about the events that happened in Madrigal and told Keyes that she wanted complete independence for Madrigal instead of joining up with the UNSC.
After the conversation, Miranda had a conversation with her father, who told her that the UNSC does not want to comply with Kwan Ha’s demands. He cited Article 72 and said that the top brass of the UNSC wanted Kwan Ha dead.
It is worthy to note that the exact nature and meaning of Article 72 were never explained and that this is something that is also new to Halo fans. The possibility is that Article 72 is a clause in the UNSC charter that allows the organization to take drastic measures when it comes to anything that can possibly threaten the safety of humankind. In this case, Kwan Ha’s case could fall under such a clause, considering that she threatened to cite an insurrection if her demands were not met.
When Will We Find Out What Article 72 Is?
Even though the exact nature of Article 72 in Halo was never really talked about in the pilot episode, it is quite possible that we will end up learning more about what this clause is and what it means for the UNSC and for Kwan Ha in the greater scheme of things. And it might be possible that we will learn more about it in the next episode of the Halo TV series.