Streaky the Supercat

Publication history

Streaky the Supercat first appeared in Action Comics #261 and was created by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney.

Fictional character biography

One of a series of super-powered animals including Krypto the Superdog, Comet the Superhorse, and Beppo the Supermonkey that was popular in DC's comics of the 1960s, Streaky was Supergirl's pet cat that was given super-powers by an unusual form of kryptonite.

In Action Comics #261 (February 1960), Supergirl was experimenting on a piece of green kryptonite in an attempt to find a way to neutralize its deadly effects. When her experiment failed, she tossed the kryptonite (or "X-Kryptonite", as it became known) out the window. Though her experiment failed, her pet Streaky came across the X-Kryptonite and was exposed to its radiation. As the comics described it, "Due to the unique combination of chemicals in X-Kryptonite, it has given Streaky superpowers!" Streaky's powers consisted of a smaller subset of those of Superman and Supergirl, including flight, super-strength, super-vision, super-speed, and human-level or better intelligence.

Streaky made sporadic appearances in comic stories through the 1960s, and even became a member of the Legion of Super-Pets, a group consisting of the aforementioned super-powered animals.

Streaky's last pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths appearance was in Adventure Comics #394 (June 1970). When all of Earth's kryptonite was transformed into iron in Superman #233 (January 1971), Streaky's X-Kryptonite power source was eliminated as well, ending his super-career and returning him to the life of a normal housecat. In an answer to a reader's letter in Supergirl #2 (January 1973), editor E. Nelson Bridwell confirmed the elimination of X-Kryptonite and that the now-powerless Streaky had gone to live with Linda (Supergirl) Danvers' foster parents in Midvale.

During Grant Morrison's run in Animal Man, an alternate, grey-furred Streaky (which left an orange contrail with the telltale lightning bolt marking) made a brief appearance in issues #23-24 (May–June 1990) as one of the pre-Crisis characters that were returned to reality by the Psycho-Pirate's Medusa Mask. This alternate Streaky attacked "Overman," an evil parallel universe Superman with his heat vision before being hurled out of the asylum. Presumably, this Streaky vanished from existence when the Psycho-Pirate's episode of madness ended, along with his human counterparts.

Various cats inspired by and sometimes named Streaky have made appearances in the post-Crisis DC Universe, but none so far have acquired superpowers. In Peter David's Supergirl vol. 4 series, a particular cat named Streaky, identical to the pre-Crisis version, jumps from a tree as if trying to fly before being saved by Supergirl and returned to its owner, saying the town of Leesburg is not "ready for a flying kitten." The cat appeared in issues #25 (September 1998) and #42 (March 2000). At the 2007 New York Comic Con, when asked if Streaky would be returning, writer Paul Dini said that the "cat’s out of the bag."

In Supergirl vol. 5 #10 (November 2006), it is revealed Kara has a female pet cat. In issue #14 (April 2007), it is revealed that the cat's name is Streaky because "she doesn't get the concept of the litter box." During the Final Crisis, Streaky is first seen in Supergirl's apartment as Supergirl urges her not to pee in the laundry. After the escape of the Anti-Life Equation, Supergirl takes Streaky to the Fortress of Solitude. Supergirl #38 (April 2009) establishes that, when Supergirl began sharing an apartment with Lana Lang as "Linda Lang", she took Streaky with her. When Supergirl moved to New Krypton, Lana looked after the cat.

Descendant

Streaky has a 30th-century descendant named "Whizzy" who first appeared in Action Comics #287 (April 1962), and was created by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney. A lookalike for Streaky, Whizzy is an orange cat with white lightning-bolt markings on either side of his body.

Supergirl first encounters Whizzy, who wears a red cape like his ancestor, when she answers a summons from the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century. After defeating the Positive Man, Supergirl is addressed telepathically by a flying cat she assumes is her pet Streaky. She observes, "You have a 'W' insignia on your cape instead of an 'S'! The engraving on your collar explains everything!" True enough, emblazoned on the cat's collar is the following legend: "Whizzy, descendant of famed supercat Streaky."

The effects of the battle with the Positive Man, (defeated by use of a Negative Bird) have caused the Legionnaires to seemingly lose their powers. Supergirl covers for the team, but they betray her. She and Whizzy are tossed into the Phantom Zone.

While in the Zone, Supergirl learns the de-powered Legionnaires are really an invading race of "Chameleon Men". Whizzy assists in the escape from the Zone. The invaders are defeated and the heroes are rescued from their asteroid prison.

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