Streaky the Supercat

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caption=
comic_color=background:#8080ff
character_name=Streaky the Supercat
real_name=Streaky
publisher=DC Comics
debut="Action Comics" #261 (February 1960)
creators=Otto Binder
Jim Mooney.
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=Legion of Super-Pets
aliases=
supports=Supergirl
powers=depowered
originally flight, super-strength, super-vision, and super-speed.

Streaky the Supercat is a fictional character published by DC Comics. Streaky first appeared in "Action Comics" #261 (February 1960), and was created by Otto Binder and Jim Mooney.

Fictional character biography

One of a series of super-powered animals (which also included 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.

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 as) 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, and super-speed.

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 superpowered animals mentioned above.

Streaky had a 30th century descendant named Whizzy (who also had superpowers).

Streaky's last pre-"Crisis on Infinite Earths" appearance was in June 1970's "Adventure Comics" #394. Presumably, when all of Earth's kryptonite was transformed into iron in "Superman" #233 in 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 again.

During Grant Morrison's run in "Animal Man", an alternate, grey-furred Streaky (which, however, left an orange contrail with the telltale lightning bolt marking) made a brief appearance 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" series, a particular cat named Streaky, whose 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 isn't "ready for a flying kitten." The cat appeared in issues 25 and 42.

At the 2007 New York Comic Con, when asked if Streaky would be returning, Paul Dini said that the “cat’s out of the bag”. [http://www.newsarama.com/NYCC/2007/DC/DCU.html]

In "Supergirl" #10, it is revealed Kara has a female pet cat. In #14, it's revealed that the cat's name is Streaky because "she doesn't get the concept of the litter box."

In other media

and one of the toys resembled Streaky.

In "" and "Justice League", Streaky has made a few appearances as an ordinary housecat of the Kents. As an injoke in the episode "Mxyzpixilated", Mr. Mxyzptlk demonstrated his powers by making Streaky fly around the room.

In "Justice League" episode "Comfort and Joy" J'onn J'onzz does not feel the Christmas spirit until he wanders around Smallville. He meets Streaky near the beginning of the episode, beckoning him to come over by saying "Kitty", at which Streaky hisses and runs away. At the end of the episode he is seen in true Martian form, petting Streaky while singing.

In 2005, Streaky became a supporting character on Cartoon Network's animated series "Krypto the Superdog". In this series, Streaky once again has superpowers, and is the pampered pet of Krypto's owner's next-door neighbor, Andrea. In the series Streaky goes into a lab, where he crashes into a duplicator laser. The laser shoots Krypto, which bounces off him and into Streaky, giving the cat a portion of Krypto's powers. Unlike the original comics version, who was immune to the effects of kryptonite radiation, this Streaky does share Krypto's vulnerability to green and red kryptonite (perhaps not as much). Streaky's voice is provided by Brian Drummond.

Streaky also appears in the "Legion of Super Heroes" animated series. He appears in the episode "Message in a Bottle." This version of the character is a native to the shrunken city of Kandor. When Brainiac 5 turned the Kandorian sun from red to yellow, Streaky gets his superpowers.

External links

* [http://superman.nu/wiki/index.php/Streaky Streaky] Supermanica entry on the Pre-Crisis Streaky
* [http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/krypto/ "Krypto the Superdog" Cartoon Network website]