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The universal union is a non-canonical substitute term for the Combine, popularized by many Half-Life 2 Roleplay fandoms. Despite being used once as a mere descriptor in one of Dr. Wallace Breen's speeches, much of its meaning has been expanded and quasi-legitimized over the years by various fans of the Half-Life series.

Usage in the Half-Life series[]

Combine for safety clean

"Combine" is used extensively in propaganda as evidence that Combine themselves do not find the term derogatory.

In one of the Breencasts, Breen addresses the allegations that he is a "collaborator" with the Combine, where in said speech he states: "And only the universal union that small minds call 'The Combine' can carry us there." This has often been misinterpreted to mean that Breen scrutinizes the use of the term "The Combine" despite the name being present in a significant amount of propaganda, as well as being used by him later in the game when he addresses the transhuman arm of the Sector 17 Combine Overwatch in Nova Prospekt, and when he speaks to Eli, Alyx and Gordon in the Citadel. It more likely refers to the fact that the Combine are so vast that merely describing them as "The Combine" does not fully grasp their true nature.

Fans supportive of the argument that the name "Combine" is derogatory neglect to realize that the word is used frequently by the Combine themselves. In Half-Life: Alyx, the "Report the Vort" poster tells Citizens to report antisocial elements to "your nearest combine officer" while another poster says "COMBINE FOR SAFETY." The underside of the Combine Advisors also have text printed in Combine alphabet on them that says "Combine Lab."

Writer's clarification[]

The writer of Half-Life 2, Mark Laidlaw, replied to a fan on Twitter regarding the term when asked to clarify what the "universal union" is. In his response, the writer stated that he had no memory of the term, having tossed in a sentence in a hurry and never having intended it to be a substitute for the name Combine at all.[1] Further evidence reinforce the writer's claim is the lack of capitalization of the term in the official game captions where it is used.

References[]

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