After that, I was talking to friends about how back in the day, the super-pets were beloved colleagues in family adventures. And that has led me to do a couple of posts about Supergirl's cat Streaky. First, I reviewed the original Streaky's first story in Action Comics #261.And then I covered the appearance of the second Streaky in Daring New Adventures of Supergirl.
That review made me wonder what actually happened to the first Streaky?
Well, luckily, by some cosmic karma, the answer was given to me on Twitter. There, @PCabezuelo posted a letter he had read in 1972's Supergirl #2.
It pains me that I have this issue in my collection and didn't remember this.
In the letter column, Maryann Farrell from Wolcott, Connecticut asked what happened to the original Streaky. Why didn't Linda bring him to San Francisco (where Supergirl's Adventure Comics stories were set)?
Well, legendary Superman editor and aficionado, E. Nelson Bridwell has a legitimate answer. Streaky is no longer super and is living out his normal feline life with the Danvers. The X-Kryptonite, which was based on a green Kryptonite nugget, was turned into iron. This is a continuity riff based on the 'Kryptonite Nevermore'/Sand Superman arc which started in Superman #233.
To put this in context, according to Mike's Amazing World of Comics, Superman #233 hit the stands on November 5,1970. Supergirl #2 came out almost exactly two years later on November 21, 1972. Now, by then, many Superman writers had simply forgotten about the Kryptonite ban and the weaker Superman. But others held to it.
Now I suppose you could say that Streaky could have still moved to San Franscisco and been a normal cat loved by Kara. I mean, why does he need powers? My guess is that comics were getting 'mature' and a flying cat with a cape may have fallen out of favor.
At least this is some Streaky I closure. And I am not surprised that Bridwell with his encyclopedic knowledge would think of this.
the hell with that-what the story behind this comic ?
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Comics > DC > Supergirl (1972-1974) > Supergirl (1972-1974) #2
Supergirl (1972-1974) #2
Supergirl (1972-1974) #2
Supergirl takes one of her professors to Kandor to try and cure him of an obscure brain malady.
I remember that letter. Am so old.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the Streaky love!
Ghod they had great covers in those days, the stories though.....yipes.
ReplyDeleteYeah DC was shedding some of the ephemera of the silver age but embracing little else in this period save a brief heavy handed self conscious flirtation with "relevance".
As if a stunning blonde beauty fighting crime in crimson hot pants could ever be anything BUT relevant!
:)
JF
In TDNAOS, Kupperburg mentions that he was never that comfortable with "thinking" animals. When Kara responds as to why the name Streaky, Kara said "she reminds me of a cat I used to own," which made me think he had died.
ReplyDeleteIf Streaky had lost his powers, I suppose that means that Whizzy never existed. In the Encyclopedia of Super-Pets, we see a cartoon Whizzy at least.
Also of note, maybe, lol, is that in Adventure Comics, Toymaster made an evil toy Streaky which was incorrectly written as female (and this had the fans writing in and complaining), the DC Direct 12" Supergirl figure incorrectly references Streaky as female, and Amanda Conner's Streaky *is* female, however here on Earth-Prime, orange cats are almost always male - I suppose that makes the female ones even more super.
Other Streaky's in no particular order:
*PAD's Supergirl series had Chakat, who was a nod to Streaky but also had a non-powered actual cat named Streaky,
*Superman: TAS had a Streaky who Supergirl befriended,
*Pre-Flashpoint Streaky,
*Krypto: TAS Streaky the Super-Cat,
*(ugh, can't remember), it was JLU(?) in Kandor or one where everyone received powers and they showed a cat and a dog rise up and fly in the forefront,
*"Kingdom Come" had an orange cat as a nod to Streaky,
*"Super-Pets" books and DC nation animated shorts Streaky,
*Supergirl's Crucible had Tsavo,
*and of course, Kara Zor-L's Stinky.
*Oh yeah, and Cosmic Adventures Streaky! :)
*the Bishoujo statues with both good and Dark Super-Cats
Any I missed?