As we head towards the next round of solicitations, Marvel is again offering one word teases for upcoming Marvel NOW! launches. With the majority of the known quantities -- Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk -- already taken, though, these new teasers are a little more difficult to guess. For example, what is to be made of the bloodspattered "Survive"?Even the creators' names sound like additional pessimism considering the starkness of the promo image, released today. "Hopeless Walker: Survive"? Really, though, it's Dennis Hopeless -- whose work you may be familiar with from his X-Men: Season One graphic novel or Legion of Monsters mini-series -- and former Thunderbolts artist Kev Walker teaming for this mysterious new title.

The two creators had been rumored to be working on a relaunch for Secret Avengers, according to Rich Johnston, and it's not impossible that the sneaky incarnation of Marvel's Mightiest Heroes could take a black ops approach, but I'm also wondering if there's a Punisher connection to this tease. After all, with Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto's Punisher War Zone due to wrap up soon, the character will be available for other creators.

If last month's timing was a guide, we should expect the announcement of the title connected to this tease next week. Until then, feel free to make as many guesses as possible. Maybe it's a new blood-themed hero based upon a Spider-Man villain: The HemoGoblin, anyone? Okay, maybe not.

More From ComicsAlliance