The original Flag-Smasher first appeared in Captain America #312 in December 1985. He was created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Paul Neary. Gruenwald's legendary run on Captain America was known for its deep exploration of political and social themes, often using villains to represent complex, real-world ideologies. Flag-Smasher was conceived as the ultimate ideological opposite for Captain America. At a time of heightened Cold War tensions and fierce patriotism, a character who saw all nationalism as a poison was a provocative and timely antagonist.
Gruenwald envisioned Flag-Smasher not as a simple supervillain, but as a political terrorist with a coherent, albeit extreme, philosophy. His goal was to create a foe who couldn't simply be punched into submission, but one whose ideas challenged the very foundation of Steve Rogers' identity. The name “Flag-Smasher” itself is a blunt and effective mission statement, immediately establishing his anti-patriotic agenda. His creation reflected a growing global consciousness and a critique of the jingoism prevalent in the 1980s, making him a more intellectually challenging foe than many of Captain America's contemporary rogues.
The origin of the Flag-Smasher identity is radically different between the two primary Marvel universes, reflecting the distinct political and social concerns of their respective eras.
The one and only original Flag-Smasher in the prime comic universe is Karl Morgenthau. Born in Bern, Switzerland, he was the son of a wealthy and influential diplomat. Karl grew up traveling the world, witnessing firsthand the strife, conflict, and death caused by nationalistic disputes. His perspective was tragically solidified when his father was trampled to death during a riot at a Latverian embassy. This event shattered Karl's worldview, leading him to believe that the very concept of nations and borders was the root of all human suffering. Using his considerable inheritance, Morgenthau dedicated his life to the violent eradication of nationalism. He adopted the moniker “Flag-Smasher” and embarked on a global campaign of terrorism. Unlike many villains, his goal was not personal enrichment or world domination in the traditional sense. Instead, he sought to achieve “world peace” through anarchy and the destruction of national symbols. He believed that if he could destroy symbols of patriotism—flags, monuments, and national heroes like Captain America—he could break the psychological hold of nationalism on humanity. His initial campaigns involved hijacking airplanes, taking hostages at the New York Stock Exchange, and attempting to assassinate Steve Rogers. He was a highly skilled martial artist, strategist, and propagandist, but possessed no superhuman abilities. To amplify his efforts, he founded the terrorist organization U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. (Underground Liberated Totally Integrated Mobile Army To Unite Mankind). This organization provided him with the soldiers and resources to carry out larger-scale attacks across the globe. For years, he was a persistent thorn in Captain America's side, their battles being as much about philosophy as they were physical.
The MCU's interpretation, featured in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, dramatically reimagines the concept. The Flag Smashers are not a singular person but a well-organized anarchist cell, and their leader is Karli Morgenthau, a young woman whose motivations are born from a specific, catastrophic global event: The Blip.
During the five years when half of all life vanished, humanity came together. National borders became porous as governments cooperated to manage the crisis. Refugees were welcomed, and a sense of global unity emerged out of shared trauma. When the Avengers brought everyone back, this fragile new world was shattered. The pre-Blip borders were re-established, and millions of people who had found new homes during the five-year gap were suddenly displaced, labeled as refugees, and pushed into squalid resettlement camps managed by the newly formed Global Repatriation Council (GRC).
Karli Morgenthau was one of these displaced individuals. Having lost her family and home, she and others like her felt betrayed by the world's return to the “old ways.” They came to believe that life was better during the Blip's era of borderless cooperation. Radicalized by the GRC's brutal and bureaucratic indifference, Karli and her followers formed the Flag Smashers. Their slogan, “One World, One People,” was a call to tear down the resurrected borders and return to the unity of the Blip.
Their methods were escalated dramatically when they stole a recreated version of the Super-Soldier Serum from the Power Broker. Karli and her core followers imbued themselves with superhuman strength, durability, and agility, allowing them to overpower GRC authorities and carry out sophisticated acts of terrorism. Their goal was to halt the GRC's “Patriot Act,” which would force the repatriation of millions, and to redistribute hoarded resources to the displaced. This adaptation shifted the Flag Smashers from a wealthy, philosophical terrorist to a group of desperate, super-powered refugees fighting against a system they believed had abandoned them, making their motivations far more sympathetic and directly tied to the central conflicts of the MCU's Phase Four.
The operational philosophy and structure of the Flag Smashers differ significantly between the comics and the MCU, reflecting their different origins and the nature of the threats they pose.
The comic book Flag-Smasher is defined by his singular, unwavering ideology and his use of conventional, albeit large-scale, terrorism.
The MCU's Flag Smashers are a more grassroots, technologically savvy, and physically powerful organization.
As an antagonist organization, the Flag Smashers' “alliances” are often temporary, opportunistic, or based on a master-servant dynamic. In Earth-616, Flag-Smasher's primary “allies” are the members of his own organization, U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. He has also entered into temporary alliances of convenience with other villains when their goals align against a common enemy, such as Baron Zemo during “The Bloodstone Hunt,” though these partnerships are always fraught with mistrust and betrayal. In the MCU, the Flag Smashers' most significant early ally was the Power Broker. She provided them with the resources and the Super-Soldier Serum they needed to begin their crusade. However, this was purely a business transaction, and when Karli and her crew stole the remaining vials and went into business for themselves, the Power Broker became their sworn enemy. Their truest allies are the network of unnamed civilians in the GRC camps who provide them with shelter, food, and intelligence, forming a global support system.
This classic Mark Gruenwald storyline saw Flag-Smasher in a high-stakes race against Captain America and Baron Zemo to collect the fragments of the mystical Bloodstone. Flag-Smasher's goal was to use the stone's life-extending powers to become immortal, ensuring his war against nationalism could continue forever. The story forced Captain America into an uneasy alliance with Zemo to stop Morgenthau. It was a perfect showcase of Flag-Smasher's ambition and his role as a major threat, operating on the same level as one of Cap's most infamous villains. It also highlighted his pragmatism, as he was willing to pursue supernatural means to achieve his political ends.
During the first Superhuman Civil War, Flag-Smasher's role was minor but significant. He was among the many villains apprehended by the new Thunderbolts, led by Baron Zemo. Rather than being imprisoned, he and other villains were offered a deal: join the Thunderbolts army to hunt down unregistered heroes in exchange for amnesty. This demonstrated how the Superhuman Registration Act blurred the lines between hero and villain, forcing enemies into bizarre alliances. Flag-Smasher's participation, however reluctant, showed his willingness to compromise his ideals for self-preservation.
Flag-Smasher's path took a darker and more violent turn when he was seemingly killed by Domino, only to be resurrected by HYDRA scientists. Suffering from the flawed resurrection, he became more unhinged. He later came into direct conflict with Deadpool. The Merc with a Mouth ultimately defeated Morgenthau in a brutal battle in London, seemingly killing him for good by impaling him on his own flag-themed staff. Deadpool then briefly and hilariously took control of U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. before abandoning it. This storyline served as the apparent end for the original Flag-Smasher.
This series is the definitive and singular storyline for the MCU's Flag Smashers. The entire six-episode arc chronicles their rise and fall. The story follows their campaign across Central and Eastern Europe, from stealing medical supplies in Switzerland to bombing a GRC building in Lithuania. It explores Karli Morgenthau's descent from a desperate idealist into a hardened revolutionary willing to kill innocents for her cause. Her arc is central to Sam Wilson's journey to becoming Captain America, as he must defeat her not just physically, but ideologically, by offering a better path forward. The series culminates in a massive attack in New York City, where Karli is ultimately shot and killed by Sharon Carter (the Power Broker) and her remaining followers are apprehended, only to be assassinated by Zemo's butler.
Secret Empire event, an LMD (Life Model Decoy) of the original Karl Morgenthau Flag-Smasher was created by HYDRA. This version served the HYDRA-aligned Steve Rogers. This was a brief appearance, a mere echo of the original character co-opted by a fascist regime—the very thing Morgenthau would have despised.Squadron Supreme, making him literally part of the comics.The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where a senator refers to the slain Flag Smashers as “terrorists” only for Sam Wilson to correct him, stating they were “people” and that their cause must be understood, is the culmination of the ideological struggle between Captain America and the Flag Smasher concept.Captain America #312 (Dec 1985). Creators: Mark Gruenwald, Paul Neary.The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 1: “New World Order” (Mar 2021).