“ | 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. I need to know that you're all committed, because after tomorrow, there's no going back. | „ |
~ Karli Morgenthau to her group. |
“ | They're not innocent. They're roadblocks in my journey and I'd kill them again if I had to. | „ |
~ Karli going as far as to murder to accomplish her goals. |
Karli Morgenthau, also known as Flag-Smasher, is the main antagonist of the Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
She is a masked anarchist and the leader of the anti-patriotism group the Flag Smashers, with all of the group's members, including herself, having the Super Soldier physiology as a result of the newly-resurfaced Super Soldier Serum that was created by Dr. Wilfred Nagel. Her main goal is to unite the world without borders or symbols, and to share resources to the population since it wasn't being given to them by the Global Repatriation Council. During her movement, she came into conflict with Falcon, the Winter Soldier, and the new "Captain America", John Walker. She becomes John Walker’s archenemy after accidentally killing his best friend, Lamar, leading Walker to go on a quest for revenge against her and her group.
She was portrayed by Erin Kellyman in her first villainous role.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Much of her life is unknown, but what is known is that Karli Morgenthau was born around 2004-2005, and was an orphan living on the streets of Madripoor until she was adopted by Donya Madani. Madani didn't have much, but she gave her the best life she could, and Karli tried to do the same for her. After the Snap, Karli survived, along with a few others, and saw the world how it could be with food and medicine to share and population control. After the Snap ended and all the people came back, Karli saw that people who came and those that stayed were suffering, abandoned and that the only people who will help them are those that are from the same nation like them.
Soon enough, Donya Madani contracted Tuberculosis, and Karli finally had enough and decided to find a way to help people. She made contact with Sharon Carter, who was known as the "Power Broker", the ruler of Madripoor. There, she learned that Carter's employee, Dr. Wilfred Nagel had re-created a new version of the Super Soldier serum. Karli went back to Madripoor and stole twenty Super Soldier Serums and founded the Flag Smashers, an organization that wishes to unite the world without borders, no matter the cost. After learning that Morgenthau had stolen from her, Carter threatened to kill Karli and her group for her treachery.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier[]
In Switzerland, Karli Morgenthau provided masks to the Flag Smashers, so they could rob the Gasel bank. She also provided a mask to Joaquín Torres, who is a member of the United States Air Force and was keeping an eye on Flag Smashers. Following the robbery, Karli disappeared into the crowd with the money, and allowed her teammate, Dovich attack the polcie and Torres, who attempted to arrest the group.
Karli and the other Flag Smashers then traveled to Munich to load up crates and boxes of medicine and vaccines onto transport trucks. While getting the boxes from the abandoned factory, they realized they were being watched by Falcon and Winter Soldier and soon escaped to the highway. Karli hid in one of the trucks pretending to be a hostage while Bucky broke inside and tried to help her, only for her to smile and kick him out with brute force.
She then jumped on top of the truck where Bucky landed and punched him while the other Flag Smashers held him. Upon seeing Redwing flying overhead, Karli jumped and snapped the drone in half. Falcon then flew in and kicked her backward. She and the other Flag Smashers then witnessed John Walker and Lemar Hoskins' arrival, who joined the fight. However, after easily defeating them, Karli and her team escaped.
Karli and the other Flag Smashers then fled to a shelter owned by Rudy, who offered them temporary refuge. Expressing gratitude toward their generous actions, Karli and the others explored the shelter 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. Karli then made a speech about their mission and how they can bring down the GRC, asking if the others are still with her. They then announced their chant and took off the next day.
Afterward, Karli and the others traveled to Bratislava where they stole supplies from GRC camps and intended to take off in an airplane. As they 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. To ensure that everybody else escaped, Matias volunteered to stay behind and hold them off, as Karli hugged and thanked Matias for his sacrifice. The pilot had then forced Karli onto the plane as they take off, and Karli watched in horror as Matias was shot multiple times and killed.
Personality[]
To be added
Quotes[]
“ | 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. | „ |
~ Karli's speech as Donya Madani's funeral. |
“ | 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 to Dovich. |
“ | 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 to the group. |
“ | I don't want to hurt you, you're just a tool in the regimes I'm looking to destroy. You're not hiding behind a shield. If I were to kill you, it'd be meaningless. | „ |
~ Karli to Sam Wilson. |
“ | I didn't mean to kill your friend. I don't want to hurt people who don't matter. | „ |
~ Flag-Smasher to John Walker. |
“ | Fight me! Fight back! | „ |
~ Flag-Smasher while fighting Sam Wilson. |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the comics, Karl Morgenthau was the son of a wealthy diplomat who becomes the anti-nationalist supervillain named Flag-Smasher and an enemy of Captain America.
- The original Flag-Smasher in the comics, Karl Morgenthau, became a supervillain after seeing his diplomat father murdered during a riot outside a Latverian embassy. Here, Karli is a young woman radicalized by seeing the world come together to survive in extreme circumstances after Thanos' Snap only for things to go back to how they were before or get even worse after the Avengers undid its effects by bringing back those who died in the initial Snap.
- Flag Smasher is the eighth character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to be depicted as a different gender from their counterpart in the comics, following Jeri Hogarth, the Ancient One, Fenris Wolf, Ghost, Mar-Vell, Morgan Stark, and Gabriella Rosetti.
- In an interview, Erin Kellyman stated that Karli is 19 years old.