Marvel Unveils a New Captain America

One of the biggest heroes within the tapestry of Marvel Comics might be Captain America, as the star-spangled hero has been a fixture of the publisher’s comics for decades. While the mantle was originally carried by Steve Rogers, it has since been upheld by a wide array of other characters, either within the main Earth-616 continuity or in various alternate universes. A recent Marvel comic added another character to that list — and it’s one who is definitely a surprise. Spoilers for The Variants #1 from Gail Simone, Phil Noto, and Cory Petit below! Only look if you want to know!

The Variants follows Jessica Jones in an unexpected new status quo, as potential new ties to Kilgrave make Jessica begin to question her own mental health and sanity. This takes a turn when Jessica returns to her home to find a woman who looks identical to her, who she assumes might not have good intentions. They begin to fight, until that fight is broken up by a third Jessica, who refers to herself as Captain America. She’s also clad in a version of Captain America’s 1940s costume, but with Jessica’s signature black leather jacket as well.

While Jessica is far from the first established female Marvel character to take on the role of Captain America (or some geographical equivalent), the significance of her taking on the mantle in The Variants is definitely compelling, as it further showcases the narrative possibility she could have in other corners of the multiverse. As series writer Gail Simone recently took to Twitter to tease, other variants of Jessica as established Marvel characters are seemingly on the way.

“You can expect several versions of Jessica that have been shown or hinted at, but even more excitingly, I think, we have several WHAT IF versions that are really going to stretch the concept of what a Marvel character can be,” Simone told ComicBook.com when the series was first announced. “I’m going to leave it to your imaginations to figure out what THAT might mean. Or maybe they aren’t Marvel characters at all…?”

The Variants #1 is now available wherever comics are sold.