Warning: contains spoilers for Fantastic Four: Life Story #6!
Once more, Captain America has come out of retirement with a new costume to prove it. His latest, debuting in Fantastic Four: Life Story #6, has nods to his original iconic costume, but it does have some alterations. Nonetheless, it is every bit as awesome as the hero himself - no matter his age.
Throughout his comic history, Captain America has had numerous costumes. Most of them throwback to his debut look with various adjustments being made. Some suits are specialty one-time use, while others (often from hypothetical What If...? stories) mirror the decades of America's past. Others mark new eras in his own heroic life. Having lost, regained, and lost his powers again, Captain America has had a few post-retirement looks, but his newest may well be the best.
Fantastic Four: Life Story #6 has the creative team of Mark Russell, Sean Izaakse, Zé Carlos, Angel Unzueta, Nolan Woodard, and Joe Caramagna. Within the issue, Sue Storm goes to see Steve Rogers at the Stark Retirement Haven for Heroes, to ask him for help against Doctor Doom. While Steve is reluctant, his shield still hangs on his wall and he steps in to dramatically save the day - rocking a great new suit to take on the dictator alongside his former Avengers allies.
Compared to his other retirement looks, this is definitely one of the best Captain America has had. Avengers (2012) #44 placed the hero in an armored suit designed by Tony Stark, which he wore to take down his old friend. The mechanized suit is bulky, but it provides him with additional strength he needs for fighting Tony. Steve Rogers has also been known to sport civilian clothing in his retirement years, such as in House of M (2005), which echoed the colors of his costume. Steve has also used his Secret Avengers suit during his retirement, which was a look he used to reinvent himself as an American hero outside of the public eye.
Steve's new post-retirement costume mirrors his original suit in many ways. He still has the star and stripes on his chest, as well as the "A" on his helmet. He also bears his signature shield, red gloves, and red boots. However, there are also some great new elements incorporated into it. It adds a small cut-out at his collar with a hint of red, while also adding some red straps along his left leg and extra padding to his shoulders and knees. His helmet keeps most of his lower face open this time, while adjusting his side-wings. They are printed on the side of Captain America's helmet, instead of protruding. This element could reflect his aging and the shift he has undergone from a full-fledged, eager young hero to an older hero who jumps in when he's most needed.
This suit does not provide extra power-ups, showing that Cap doesn't need additional help being his best, despite his age. He is and always will be Captain America, making it perfect to bring back the main aspects of his classic costume instead of going for a wildly different look.