There's been a lot of discussion on Youtube about the version of Flag-Smasher, Karli Morgenthau, that appears on The Falcon & The Winter Soldier. Specifically, several speculators have asked if Karli's character is the "same" character as the Flag-Smasher, Karl Morgenthau, that appears in the comics. One Youtuber said the two characters are not a "1:1 comparison."

More specifically, because the two characters have different genders, they question whether collectors should invest in Flag-Smasher's key issues, including his first appearance in Captain America #312.

Marvel Often Dramatically Changes Characters that Appear in the MCU.

My opinion: of course they're the same character. Marvel clearly based Karli's character on Karl's character from the comics. They both lead terrorist organizations (i.e., the Flag-Smashers and U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M.) who seek to achieve specific political goals. Moreover, Kevin Feige has modified every single character that has appeared in the MCU. Nick Fury is black, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne are a generation older than the other Avengers, MJ is black, Kang the Conqueror will be portrayed by a black actor, and Killmonger is basically an entirely different character from the comics except for his name. The fact that Flag-Smasher is a woman in the MCU should come as no surprise to anyone.

The Value of Flag-Smasher's Keys has Risen Dramatically.

And more importantly, the market appears to agree. Although CGC has graded very few copies of Flag-Smasher's first appearance in Captain America #312, those graded copies have skyrocketed in value. For example, during the past three years, the value of CGC 9.4 copies of this book has jumped an astounding 438% in value. On March 25th, a CGC 9.6 copy sold for $400 on eBay. (FYI, I wrote this blog on April 4).

You can also see the same rise in prices for raw copies of Captain America #312 on eBay. Most raw, high-grade copies have sold for around $50; however, a few outliers sold for close to $100.

There can be only one explanation; speculators see Karli and Karl as being the same character. At least for the present time, the market sees her as a character worth investing in.

Captain America #321

You can see a similar increase in Flag-Smasher's other keys. Captain America #321 contains the 1st team appearance of U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M., a guerrilla army led by Flag-Smasher, not too dissimilar to the small band of political fighters that Karli leads in Falcon & The Winter Soldier. For example, the value of a CGC 9.6 copy of Captain America #321 has risen by nearly 83% over the past three years. On April 4, a CGC 9.8 copy of this book sold for an astonishing $500 on eBay.

We should also expect more of these kinds of changes in the future as well. As I've written several times, the number one priority for a conglomerate like Disney is broadening its audience to increase its revenue.

Closing Thoughts

What do you think? Would you buy key issues for characters that aren't exactly the same in the MCU? Please tell us your opinion in the comments section below!