Captain America New Costume

But what…or who is it? One thing that Marvel makes clear - it's not Steve Rogers. He's still dead.

The top image is a 50/50 variant cover for Captain America #34, due in January. As for what the costume is all about? It's the return of Captain America - or "a" Captain America. Writer Ed Brubaker reveals that he'd long had the idea of a new Cap debuting in January of the year following his death, and just mentioned that Marvel should get Alex Ross to design the new look.

Desires and wishes have become reality, apparently. And yes - this Cap has a knife and a gun. And a chest emblem that's reminiscent of Cap's original triangular shield. As for who's in it...well, that one secret's not being revealed. Until January.

One interesting aspect of this new design will be the public's reaction to this iconic symbol of America - a character who in the past fought symbolically armed only with a shield and his fists and who famously was depicted punching out Adolph Hitler with his bare knuckles - now arming himself with a handgun and hunting knife. The gun is a throwback to the movie serial days of Cap, when he did pack heat to take out bad guys, but in regards to the weapons - will they be regarded as a sign of the times or just another superhero story?

Looking for more on the outfit and where it came from - and why it's shiny? Check back at Newsarama tomorrow at 10:00 am EST for an in-depth interview with both Ed Brubaker and Alex Ross.