What is Thanos’ Universe-Killing Snap Called by People Inside the MCU?

The moment in Avengers: Infinity War when Thanos turns half the universe to dust is commonly referred to as the snap. After all, it was the snap of Thanos’ gauntlet-clad fingers that did the trick. But rather than just settle for that common label, Marvel has created not one, but two different official names for the event. And neither of them are very good! Will anyone in Avengers 4 refer to the moment by these names? Will you?

According to Comic Book, a new Avengers MCU prelude comic released this week ascribes an official name to Thanos’ world-killing snap: The Decimation. I’ll be honest – that’s a really clunky name. It stands to reason that the survivors of the event would give it some sort of name – the big fight at the end of the first Avengers officially became The Battle of New York in the MCU lexicon. But it just sounds weird to call the action at the end of Infinity War anything other than “the snap.”

While The Decimation is currently being batted around as the “official” name for the snap, it’s actually one of two terms being used. As we previously reported, the book Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War: The Cosmic Quest, Volume 2: Aftermath refers to the snap by yet another name: the Blip-Out Event. This is even worse than the Decimation, so I’m not sure which side I should be rooting for here. I also have a hard time believing anyone in Avengers 4 is going to refer to the event as The Decimation or The Blip-Out Event.

Then again, this was a world-wide (galaxy-wide, technically) event. There’s a chance different people all over the world have their own unique name for what went down that day. So perhaps in the end, there really is no “official” name for what happened. Also – and this is just pure speculation on my part – I remain convinced that Avengers 4 is going to un-do the end of Avengers: Infinity War, and more or less erase it from history. Which would mean there would be no reason for anyone to still have an official branding for it. In other words, Marvel only has to keep this going for one more movie, and then we can all put it behind us.

In the end, it’s safe to say that no matter what Thanos’ actions are called in Avengers 4, people will continue to refer it by whatever name or phrase they want. I know I’ll be sticking with “the snap” forever, just because it’s simple.