Flag-Smasher

Superherobox|


caption = Flag-Smasher explains his politics.
comic_color = background:#ff8080
character_name = Flag-Smasher
publisher = Marvel Comics
debut ="Captain America" #312 (December 1985)
creators =Mark Gruenwald
Paul Neary
alliance_color = background:#c0c0ff
alter_ego =
species = Human
status =
alliances = ULTIMATUM
previous_alliances =
aliases =
relatives = **
powers = None

Flag-Smasher is the name used by two fictional supervillains appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. The original was most often a foe of Captain America while other adversaries of the Flag-Smasher include The Punisher, Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, The Runaways, and The Liberteens.

Flag-Smasher (ULTIMATUM)

Fictional character biography

Flag-Smasher was born in Bern, Switzerland, the son of a wealthy Swiss banker-turned-diplomat. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a diplomat until his father was trampled to death in a riot at a Latverian embassy. He came to believe that humanity needed to do away with the concept of countries and nationalism that made people feel superior to those of different nationalities.

Today, Flag-Smasher uses terrorism to spread anti-nationalist sentiment. He conducted a one-man terrorist campaign in New York City against nationalist symbols, and held hundreds as hostages until he was eventually captured by Captain America. ["Captain America" #312]

He founded ULTIMATUM, the Underground Liberated Totally Integrated Mobile Army To Unite Mankind. He served as the Supreme Commander of the anti-nationalistic terrorist organization. With ULTIMATUM, he hijacked an American airliner and held its passengers hostage. He demanded the surrender of Captain America for execution in return for the hostages' freedom. His plot was thwarted by Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D. ["Captain America" #321-322]

The Flag-Smasher later learned that the Red Skull was funding ULTIMATUM. He survived assassination attempts by ULTIMATUM, and captured the current Captain America, John Walker. Flag-Smasher teamed with Captain America, Battle Star, and Demolition-Man in thwarting an ULTIMATUM plot to set off a worldwide electromagnetic pulse that would render all electrically operated machinery useless. ["Captain America" #348-349]

Flag-Smasher again became head of ULTIMATUM, and attempted to supply American subversives with arms, but was thwarted by Moon Knight and the Punisher. ["Marc Spector, Moon Knight" #8-9] He made a new attempt to create anarchy in the United States through distribution of arms to malcontents, but was thwarted this time by the Punisher and Ghost Rider. ["Ghost Rider" Vol. 2 #5-6]

Flag-Smasher later captured an amnesiac Demolition-Man, but during a battle with USAgent he fell into the Arctic Ocean. ["Captain America" #400]

Roxxon Oil turned him into a berserker with super-strength, but he later lost these powers.

Flag-Smasher was installed as the ruler of Rumekistan by the V-Battalion as a compromise between powers ["Citizen V & The V-Battalion: The Everlasting"] . It is later revealed that Flag-Smasher was allegedly assassinated by Domino as part of a series of events which installed Cable as leader of that nation [Cable & Deadpool] . [http://www.uncannyxmen.net/db/issues/showquestion.asp?fldAuto=3424]

Powers and abilities

The Flag-Smasher is an athletic man who is a gifted hand-to-hand combatant with great proficiency in the martial art of "shotokan karate-do". He is also a brilliant terrorist strategist, and has fluency in English, French, German, Russian, Italian, Japanese, and Esperanto.

ULTIMATUM personnel have supplied him with a number of weapons and other devices, including a flame-throwing pistol, a tear-gas gun, a spiked mace, jet-propelled skis used for flight, teleportation devices, submarines, and rocket-propelled hovercrafts.

Flag-Smasher (Civil War)

A new Flag-Smasher appears ["" #1] , though it is later confirmed that this is not the original but an impostor ["Civil War Files" one-shot] . He attacks the Santa Monica Farmers' Market to show his opposition to the Super-Human Registration Act, but is defeated by The Runaways.

Later, a fight is described between Flag-Smasher and Araña ["Dr. Strange: The Oath"] . He is next seen being described as the "new" Flag-Smasher [" Annual" #1] .

After this he was seen fighting against Liberteens, but was defeated and imprisoned.

Bibliography

*"Avengers: The Initiative" Annual #1
*"Cable & Deadpool" #27-28 ("death")
*"Captain America" vol. 1 #312, 321-322, 400, 438
*"Captain America 1999"
*"Citizen V and the V Battalion: Everlasting" #1-4
*"" #1 (imposter)
*"Ghost Rider" vol. 3 #5-6
*"Marvel Team-Up" vol. 2 #3
*"Moon Knight" vol. 3 #8-9
*"Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4
*"X-Man" #35
*"X-Men Unlimited" vol. 1 #22

References