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Flag Smasher

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"The struggle is what brings us all together. People who have nothing in common. For we are, after all, simply one world and one people."
―Flag Smasher[src]

Karli Morgenthau, also known as the Flag Smasher, was the leader of the anti-nationalist group, the Flag Smashers. In the wake of the Blip, the GRC reinstated world borders along with the careers and homes of those who had disappeared during the Snap, causing a surge of people to become displaced refugees, including Morgenthau. Relocating to Madripoor, where she worked for Sharon Carter, Morgenthau stole twenty Super Soldier Serum vials from Wilfred Nagel. Using it on herself and her friends, she founded the Flag Smashers with the goal to recreate a world without borders and provide resources to those in need. Morgenthau attempted to prevent the ratification of the Patch Act in New York City, but was ultimately killed by Carter. However, Captain America convinced the GRC to abandon the Patch Act, partially fulfilling Morgenthau's goals despite the Flag Smashers' defeat.

Biography

Early Life

Supported by Mama Donya

"I don't remember my mother, or my father, same goes for siblings, grandparents, cousins. What I do remember is being alone. Worse than being hungry or cold, or scared, I was alone, until Mama Donya. Like a lot of you here, she saved me, clothed me, fed me, loved me."
―Karli Morgenthau[src]
This section needs a rewrite

Karli Morgenthau was orphaned at an early age and grew on the streets with other orphans like her until they were taken care by a kind woman they lovingly referred to as Mama Donya. When the Snap extinguished half the life on Earth, they found lucrative economic opportunities in Latvia where they managed to get a home where they lived with Mama Donya. However, when the Blip brought back the other half of humanity, they were evicted from their house which forced Morgenthau, her friends and Mama Donya into homelessness, to make matters worse, they were fired from their jobs in the labor market as they were no longer needed.[5]

Becoming Super Soldiers

"How many vials did you make?"
"Twenty. Karli Morgenthau stole those."
―Sam Wilson and Wilfred Nagel[src]

Desperate for opportunities, Morgenthau and her friends moved to Madripoor for job opportunities and ended up working for the Power Broker as muscle after being given a distilled version of the Super Soldier Serum, which Morgenthau and Dovich found to be incredibly painful, although it eventually proved successful. Due to both being unhappy with the job as muscle and Mama Donya being very ill, they would desert the Power Broker, steal the bag containing all twenty vials of the Super Soldier Serum and escape back to Latvia to care for Mama Donya.[3]

Upon seeing how bad was the situation with the refugees caused by the Blip, she and her friend would found the Flag Smashers as an anti-Global Repatriation Council and anti-nationalist Robin Hood-esque organization dedicated to helping the refugees by stealing medicine and food from the GRC and other government organizations. Her group would gain a dedicated following among refugees and people sympathetic to the plight of the refugees.[5] With Mama Donya's condition worsening, Morgenthau asked Wilfred Nagel for help, but he refused.[3]

Flag Smashers

Robbery of Gasel Bank

Morgenthau hands out their masks

In 2024, Morgenthau and the other Flag Smashers went to the Gasel Bank in Switzerland. There Morgenthau provided masks for her teammates and Joaquín Torres to attack and rob the bank. Morgenthau kept herself hidden while Dovich smashed through the window with the stolen money, before handing it over to Gigi and DeeDee, allowing them to escape and the cops to be unable to stop them. Following the robbery, Morgenthau disappeared into the crowd with the money.[1]

Chase in Munich

Morgenthau joins the fight

Morgenthau and the other Flag Smashers traveled to Munich, Germany to load up boxes of medicine and vaccines into transport trucks. While getting the boxes at the abandoned factory, they realized they were being spied upon by Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes and escaped onto the highway. Morgenthau hid in one of the trucks pretending to be a hostage, while Barnes broke inside the truck and tried to help her, only for her to kick him out with superhuman force. She then jumped on top of the truck and hit Barnes, who was being restrained by the other Flag Smashers.

Morgenthau destroys Redwing

Upon seeing the Redwing flying overhead, Morgenthau jumped with superhuman agility and snapped the drone in half. Seconds later, Wilson flew in and kicked her backwards. She then got back up to engage against Wilson. She and the other Flag Smashers then witnessed John Walker and Lemar Hoskins' arrival, who also joined the fight. However, after easily defeating them, Morgenthau and her team made their escape.[2]

Finding Refuge

Morgenthau finding shelter for her teammates

"We're not playing no more. We can't let the same assholes who were put back in power after the Blip win. The GRC care more about the people who came back than the ones who never left. We got a glimpse of how things could be."
―Karli Morgenthau to the Flag Smashers[src]

Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers fled to a secret facility owned by Rudy, who offered them temporary refuge. Expressing gratitude toward his generous gesture, Morgenthau and the others explored the facility and made it to the bedroom. While they discussed their actions, Nico hacked into the security cameras at the abandoned warehouse they gathered at in Germany to erase the video footage of them smuggling the supplies.[2]

Escape in Bratislava

Ultimately, Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers left and traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia, where they intended to take off via airplane to evade the capture. As the loaded the plane, Nico received a message warning him that the Power Broker's men had found them, and intended to kill them all for stealing the Super Soldier Serums in Madripoor.

In order to ensure that everybody else escaped, Matias volunteered to stay behind and hold them off, as Morgenthau hugged and thanked Matias for his sacrifice. The pilot had then forced Morgenthau onto the plane as they take off, and Morgenthau watched in horror as Matias was shot multiple times and killed.[2]

Passing of Mama Donya

Morgenthau with Donya Madani

Morgenthau returned to Riga, Latvia and went to the Latvian GRC Resettlement Camp where she knelt beside Donya Madani's bed. Morgenthau comforted Madani as she died, with Morgenthau crying over this.[3]

Raid of the GRC Supply Depot

Morgenthau speaks with Dovich

Morgenthau and Dovich traveled to Lithuania and reminisced together about life before the Blip caused their displacement and how they'd enjoyed those five years.

Morgenthau tells Dovich what she did

Later, Morgenthau and Dovich raid the Lithuanian GRC Supply Depot and steal materials in order to give to displaced children in other refugee camps. Morgenthau then set the GRC Supply Depot on fire and ran outside to the car, in which she told Dovich to close the car door, as the explosion went off. Dovich told Morgenthau that people were still inside, but she told him that those people didn't matter to their cause.[3]

Speaking with Nico

Morgenthau speaks with Nico

Following the last raid, Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers returned to Riga, Latvia. There she went to a graveyard and collected saved vials of Super Soldier Serum. At the graveyard, Nico talked with her about how he had been a fan of Captain America as a child in which Morgenthau scoffed at the idea. Morgenthau then prepared for Donya Madani's funeral, taking the vials with her to the building where the funeral was to be held.[5]

Funeral Interrupted

Morgenthau sees Sam Wilson at the funeral

Morgenthau then went to Donya Madani's funeral and gave a speech to her followers about Madani's impact on their lives. During the funeral, Morgenthau noticed Sam Wilson standing on the next floor above them watching them. Once the funeral had ended and everyone had left, Morgenthau stayed and waited for Wilson to come down. After he did, she asked him what he was doing there.

Morgenthau speaks with Sam Wilson

Wilson sat on a nearby table and told her that he wanted to know why she was doing what she was doing being a Flag Smasher. Morgenthau explained to him what life was like during the Blip and how the nations of the world came together as a united front. She explained after the Blip, life before became normal again, causing many people to be displaced in communities. Wilson said he agreed with her motive, but not in the way she was trying to obtain it through violence. Morgenthau, however, didn't feel that violence was a huge problem.

Morgenthau sees the Super Soldier Serum vials on the ground

Morgenthau then watched as John Walker walked inside the room, demanding her arrest. Thinking that Wilson had lied to her and set her up to get arrested, Morgenthau kicked Walker and Wilson back into a table and ran out of the room. She leaped over stairs and floors with Bucky Barnes following. However, she managed to escape capture and returned to the place where she had left the Super Soldier Serum vials. Upon entering the room, Helmut Zemo fired his gun at her, causing Morgenthau to run back. Trying to dodge the bullets, Morgenthau stumbled over a table in which the vials were on and they fell on the floor. Morgenthau then crawled behind something to shield herself with. When she peeked her head to look out, Zemo shot the gun again at close range, startling Morgenthau. She then listened as Zemo examined a vial and then to her displeasure, he destroyed the vials. As Zemo continued destroying the vials, Morgenthau saw Nico come in through a door, motioning for her. She then quickly ran out to escape with him.

Morgenthau calls Sarah Wilson

Morgenthau, wanting to know if Wilson would be an issue for her going forward, called his sister Sarah Wilson. Morgenthau asked Sarah if she needed to kill Wilson and if he'd be a problem for them. She then told Sarah to ask Wilson to meet with her alone so that she can see if he is truly genuine in wanting to talk to her. Morgenthau said that if Sarah failed to do this, then she told her that she, AJ Wilson, and Cass Wilson may be visited by Morgenthau on the docks. Following this, she texted Wilson the coordinates of where to meet.[5]

Ambush at the GRC Camp

Morgenthau jumps down from the balcony

Morgenthau waited at an abandoned building until Sam Wilson arrived to talk with her. She then noticed that Wilson had brought Bucky Barnes with him and commented that he didn’t come alone as she had asked. Wilson chastised her for calling his sister, but she said she would never hurt her and only wanted to know more about him. She then said that killing Wilson would be meaningless. After Wilson received word that John Walker had found the rest of the Flag Smashers, he and Barnes jumped down only for Barnes to get knocked down by Morgenthau who did the same. Morgenthau then ran to the camp with Barnes following.

Morgenthau runs after killing Lemar Hoskins

Morgenthau immediately joined the fight upon entering the camp, and prepared to punch Walker, only to get thrown back by Lemar Hoskins. When Hoskins got back up to fight, Morgenthau fiercely punched him in the chest sending him flying into a column, which killed him instantly.

Morgenthau watches Nico's murder

Upon seeing Walker’s anger, Morgenthau, now concerned, ran away to the public square. Mixing in with the onlookers, Morgenthau watched as Walker brutally murdered Nico in front of the public.[5]

Making her Next Plan

Morgenthau bitter about the world

Following Nico's death, Morgenthau and her teammates met up at the now-abandoned resettlement camp. Morgenthau told them how angry she was about how their missions had gone and how they had lost members they loved, such as Donya Madani, Matias, and Nico. Before leaving the abandoned camp, she threw a teddy bear to the ground, signaling how bitter she had become.

Morgenthau talks of her new plan

Traveling to the United States of America, Morgenthau and her teammates met in a park in New York City to make their plans. She told them they were growing in numbers throughout the world and how followers of their movement were everywhere. She also told them how determined she was to stop the Global Repatriation Council meeting committee from voting for the Patch Act.

Morgenthau speaks with Georges Batroc

As she and Dovich talked, they were shortly met by Georges Batroc who walked up to them. Morgenthau then introduced Batroc to her teammates and told them he had agreed to ally with them. She also told her team that Batroc had weaponry that they needed to enact their plans, with Dovich questioning if they were really working with criminals like Batroc now, to which Morgenthau claimed that they were all criminals. When Batroc declared that he was also there to kill the Falcon, Morgenthau ensured him that he would get his chance.[6]

Battling Captain America

Morgenthau sees Captain America arrive

That night, Morgenthau infiltrated the GRC Meeting Hall and gave instructions to her teammates and other allies of what to do. After the GRC members were forced out of the meeting room, Morgenthau told her allies to send them down to the parking garage where they'd be loaded into armored Humvees and taken to an undisclosed location in order for them to negotiate.

Morgenthau distracts Bucky Barnes

After realizing that Bucky Barnes was there in the building, Morgenthau called one of her supporters' phone asking to speak with Barnes. While talking on the phone to Barnes, Morgenthau bought her team some time to escape. Half heartedly listening to Barnes' advice, Morgenthau then thanked him and hung up.

Morgenthau admits if she dies the movement will continue

Meeting with Dovich, DeeDee, and Gigi outside, Morgenthau explained how if the plan doesn't work out, they may have to kill the GRC hostages. However, DeeDee challenged her saying that the plan was only to negotiate with the GRC members, not kill anyone. Morgenthau dismissed that and went on to say that if any of them died, the Flag Smasher movement would continue as the following was so great. Morgenthau then told her teammates "one world", only for there to be silence. She said it again, louder and sounding somewhat worried, and her teammates finished their motto.

Morgenthau sees Bucky Barnes arrive

She ran out to the street and forcibly pulled a NYPD officer out of a NYPD armored truck and hopped inside. She then put her Flag Smasher mask on, but then watched as Bucky Barnes arrived on a motorcycle and tackled Dovich. Morgenthau, frustrated, jumped out of the truck and told her teammates to make Barnes have to rescue someone. After one of her teammates started a fire close to one of the NYPD truck's, Barnes left the fight to save the hostages.

Morgenthau is approached by John Walker

Morgenthau prepared to jump back into the vehicle, but was stopped again when John Walker walked up and yelled out her last name. She told Walker that his friend didn’t matter to her cause so it wasn’t an issue that he died, causing Walker to grow more enraged. He angrily threw his shield at her, only for Morgenthau to kick the shield away with ease. She and her teammates then fought Walker, and eventually knocked him to the ground. As he used his shield to defend himself, they kicked at it. Morgenthau and her teammates were then confronted by Barnes, who had rescued the hostages, and now had returned to his fight. After Barnes knocked Dovich out, Morgenthau fought him, tearing a parking meter out of the ground and swung it at him, only for him to dodge it. However, after Barnes used a heavy chain in an attempt to hit Morgenthau, she kicked him, causing him to fall off the ledge to the riverbank below.

Morgenthau fights John Walker

Morgenthau then found herself engaged in a fight against John Walker. Walker fiercely fought her throughout the construction site, using his shield to slam Morgenthau into the steel bars. However, Morgenthau eventually got the upper hand, by kicking Walker in the back of his helmet, knocking him out. Not thinking clearly, Morgenthau then jumped into the NYPD Swat Armored Humvee full of GRC hostages and drove through the barriers towards the edge. Keeping the Humvee in drive mode, Morgenthau jumped out of the driver’s seat and tumbled onto the ground. She then watched as the vehicle nearly fell off. She then watched as Walker returned and decided to help the hostages, rather than fight. Morgenthau and her teammates then rushed at Walker, stopping him from saving the hostages, and pushed him and themselves off the ledge to the riverbed below.

Morgenthau is disappointed with Captain America

After landing, Morgenthau threw a pole at Barnes and Walker, but Barnes caught it. Before she could fight them, she and her teammates were knocked to the ground after getting hit by Captain America’s shield. Upon seeing Sam Wilson in his new Captain America suit, Morgenthau took off her Flag Smasher mask and asked angrily why he would ever want to become Captain America. Before they could finish talking, Georges Batroc filled the construction site with smoke grenades in an attempt to cause more chaos and allow for Morgenthau's escape.[4]

Final Battle

Morgenthau speaking with Sharon Carter

"Fight back!"
"Stop it!"
"Fight me! Fight back!"
―Flag Smasher and Captain America[src]

Escaping off deeper into the construction site, Morgenthau heard the Flag Smashers' whistle. Thinking it was Dovich, she walked towards the sound only to run into Sharon Carter. Carter held her at gunpoint, to which she did the same. Carter then told Morgenthau that she felt disappointed in her for leaving and betraying her, which she said she felt the same towards Carter. Morgenthau told Carter that she only wanted them because they had Super Soldier Serum and that even though she was the Power Broker, they were still more powerful than her. Carter disagreed, telling Morgenthau she was more powerful, and then watched as Georges Batroc walked up to them. Upon hearing that Carter was the Power Broker, Batroc demanded more money from her or he would blackmail her, but she shot and killed him instead. Morgenthau then shot Carter, causing Carter to fall to the ground, clutching her side.

Morgenthau fights against Captain America

Morgenthau continued to keep her gun aimed at Carter, ready to kill her off. However, the first gunshot had alerted Captain America to their location and after he arrived, Morgenthau, in a fit of rage about the whole situation tried to fight him. She was angry that he had taken up the role of Captain America, feeling as if he did not share any common ground now. She slammed Captain America to the ground, causing him to become separated from his shield, and after she realized that he would not stop, decided that he was in her way of moving forwards. She then aimed her gun at him and pressed the trigger, ready to kill him.

Morgenthau dies in Captain America's arms

Before Morgenthau could follow through, she was then shot by Carter in the back repeatedly. She then instantly crumpled to the ground, with Captain America laying her into his arms. As she succumbed to the gunshot wounds, she told Captain America that she was sorry, before then dying.[4]

Legacy

"I mean, this girl died trying to stop you, and no-one has stopped to ask why. You gotta do better, Senator! You gotta step up! Because if you don't, the next Karli will, and you don't wanna see 2.0."
―Captain America to Global Repatriation Council officials[src]

Captain America picked up Morgenthau's body and flew outside back to the street where an ambulance was. He then put her on a patient cot and the medical staff took her away. Wilson told the GRC leaders to do better in their mission by treating everyone fairly, hence if they don't another Morganthau might rise up. Following this, the GRC members disbanded the Patch Act.[4]

Personality

"You're killing innocent people."
"They're not innocent. They're roadblocks in my journey and I'd kill them again if I had to."
―Sam Wilson and Flag Smasher[src]

To be added

Powers and Abilities

Powers

  • Artificially Enhanced Physiology: The Super Soldier Serum enhanced all of Morgenthau's bodily functions, granting her low level superhuman physiology.
    • Enhanced Strength: Morgenthau exerted a level of strength beyond a normal human, being strong enough to send Bucky Barnes flying several meters with a hit, defeat both Sam Wilson and John Walker, and easily destroy Redwing. She also managed to kill Lemar Hoskins with a punch that led to an impact with enough blunt trauma for him to die almost instantly.
    • Enhanced Durability: Morgenthau was more resilient to trauma than normal humans, able to withstand blunt force trauma such as blows from similarly enhanced individuals, and highly trained combatants like Sam Wilson and John Walker. Morgenthau was also able to survive gunshot wounds from Helmut Zemo.
    • Enhanced Speed: Morgenthau was capable of running and moving faster than an average human.
    • Enhanced Agility: Morgenthau possessed superior reflexes and agility than normal humans; during her fight with John Walker in New York she was able to perform advanced acrobatic maneuvers to avoid his attacks; affording Morgenthau the opportunity to knock Walker out. Morgenthau was also able to leap higher, further and with greater accuracy.
    • Enhanced Stamina: The serum has also increased Morgenthau' stamina as she remained active in fighting without any signs of fatigues.
    • Enhanced Reflexes: Another physical trait of her's was faster reaction speed capable of anticipating objects or subjects coming towards Karli.
    • Regenerative Healing Factor: Morgenthau was able to heal from wounds at a much quicker rate than that of a normal human. Despite being shot by Helmut Zemo at least once, she quickly recovered and showed no signs of weakness during her fight with John Walker, Falcon, Battlestar, and Bucky Barnes. However, it was not enough to save her after she was shot twice by Sharon Carter.

Abilities

"That little girl kicked your ass."
―Falcon to Bucky Barnes[src]
  • Expert Combatant: Morgenthau was a skilled fighter, which, combined with her enhanced physical attributes, allowed her to defeat both Falcon and John Walker, as well as handle herself against fellow super soldier Bucky Barnes.
  • Marksman: Morgenthau had shown some knowledge of using firearms when she wounded Carter with a handgun. This also extends to using her super strength to throw a metal pole at Bucky Barnes with deadly force, which would have hit him if not for the latter's enhanced reflexes.
  • Expert Acrobat: She was shown to possess great acrobatic skills in many environments.
"She's got people helping her from all over the world, on all platforms. She's really, really good at this thing."
―Joaquín Torres to Sam Wilson[src]
  • Expert Tactician: Morgenthau was a competent leader and strategist, having gathered many followers for her cause.
  • Bilingualism: Morgenthau was fluent in English and French, this had shown when communicating with Georges Batroc.

Equipment

Weapons

  • Combat Knife: Morgenthau used a combat knife when attempting to kill John Walker.
  • Parking Meter: During her New York fight against Barnes, Karli used her super strength to rip a parking meter from the ground which she used as a melee weapon.
  • CZ P-09: Karli used this handgun during a confrontation with Sharon Carter, managing to wound her with it.

Other Equipment

"Do you remember how scared we were when we took the serum? Felt like my veins were on fire. Prayed it'd kill me. But it was worth it."
―Karli Morgenthau to Dovich[src]

Morgenthau studies the Super Soldier Serum

  • Super Soldier Serum: Morgenthau stole vials of the serum while she was living in Madripoor and gave them to her teammates in the Flag Smasher movement.
  • Mask: Morgenthau wore the mask of the Flag Smashers to disguise her identity.

Vehicles

To be added

Facilities

To be added

Relationships

Family

  • Grandfather
  • Grandmother
  • Father
  • Mother
  • Siblings
  • Cousins
  • Donya Madani † - Adoptive Mother

Allies

Enemies

Appearances

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

References

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Flag Smasher.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Falcon and The Winter Soldier 1.01: New World Order
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.02: The Star-Spangled Man
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.03: Power Broker
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.06: One World, One People
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 The Falcon and The Winter Soldier 1.04: The Whole World Is Watching
  6. ↑ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: 1.05: Truth
  7. ↑ Erin Kellyman Teases What’s to Come on ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’

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