Action Comics #261
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeAction Comics #261 is the debut of Streaky the Supercat — the first Earth-born animal to join Supergirl's supporting cast and a key building block of the Silver Age 'Super-Pets' concept that would eventually coalesce into the Legion of Super-Pets. The issue also introduces X-Kryptonite, a new variety of the radioactive mineral that, unlike green Kryptonite, cannot harm Kryptonians but can bestow Kryptonian-level powers on ordinary Earth creatures — a world-building addition that recurred across dozens of Superman-family stories for the rest of the decade. Coming only nine issues after Supergirl's own debut in Action Comics #252, the issue signals the deliberate construction of a solo mythology for Kara Zor-El, complete with a pet, a secret identity at Midvale Orphanage, and emotional stakes distinct from her cousin Superman's. Its letters page also announced that the Congorilla backup was vacating the title to make room for an expanded Supergirl feature, a formal editorial handoff that underscored how quickly Kara had grown from a supporting curiosity into a franchise in her own right.
In "Superman's Fortresses of Solitude!", Supergirl grapples with a dangerous piece of Kryptonite, unaware that its influence will soon spark an unexpected adventure. When Linda takes in a stray orange cat named Streaky, the feline stumbles upon the hidden meteor—and gains superpowers of his own, leading to a whirlwind of mischief and mayhem that even Supergirl can't resist. Written by Jerry Siegel and brought to life with dynamic art by Jim Mooney, this 1960 classic features a memorable cover by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye.
In "Congorilla's Last Stand!" from Action Comics #261, Congo Bill is drawn into a deadly trap at the dedication of a new electrical power dam—where a failed assassination attempt sends him tumbling into a shocking twist: his magic ring swaps his mind with that of the golden ape, Congorilla. Now, with Congo Bill's body running wild and the real Congorilla trapped in a human form, the jungle hero must defend the dam and its people from assassins while racing to reclaim his own body before it's too late.
In a charming 1960 tale from Action Comics #261, Supergirl faces a rare challenge when a piece of Kryptonite she tries to neutralize accidentally leads to an unexpected companion: a stray orange cat named Streaky, whom Linda Lee adopts after saving him from a dog. With a dash of whimsy and a touch of superhero flair, Streaky’s brief burst of powers—sparked by the Kryptonite—turn him into a feline hero, tipping over a milk truck to feed other strays and standing up to a bully, all before his powers fade.
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The issue was published on December 31, 1959, carrying a February 1960 cover date, under the editorship of Mort Weisinger — the architect of the entire expanded Silver Age Superman mythology. The lead Supergirl story, 'Supergirl's Super Pet!', was scripted by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Jim Mooney, who handled the Supergirl backup strip with regularity during this period; Mooney later recalled in a 2006 TwoMorrows interview (The Krypton Companion) that the character concept came from the writer but that he personally designed Streaky to look 'a little bit more like an animated cat,' drawing on his own affection for felines. The issue's cover was penciled by Curt Swan with inks by Stan Kaye, while the Superman lead story ('Superman's Fortresses of Solitude!') was scripted by Siegel with interior pencils by Wayne Boring, and the Congorilla backup ('Congorilla's Last Stand') was written by Robert Bernstein with art by Howard Sherman.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance and origin of Streaky the Supercat (also called the Super-Cat), Supergirl's pet who gains Kryptonian-level powers — flight, super-strength, super-speed, heat vision, and enhanced senses — through accidental exposure to X-Kryptonite; story titled 'Supergirl's Super Pet!'
- First appearance of X-Kryptonite, a new variant of the mineral created inadvertently by Supergirl during failed experiments to neutralize green Kryptonite's lethal effects on Kryptonians; unlike green Kryptonite, X-Kryptonite has no effect on Kryptonians but can grant Kryptonian-type powers to Earth animals
- Streaky scripted by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Jim Mooney; cover penciled by Curt Swan, inked by Stan Kaye; lead Superman story penciled by Wayne Boring; edited by Mort Weisinger
- Final Congo Bill / Congorilla backup story in Action Comics — the title's letters page announced the feature was moving to Adventure Comics (where it continued from #270) to make room for an expanded Supergirl series
- The issue contains five stories/features: 'Superman's Fortresses of Solitude!', a Varsity Vic one-pager, 'Congorilla's Last Stand,' an Ollie gag strip by Henry Boltinoff, and 'Supergirl's Super Pet!'
- Cover-dated February 1960, but actually placed on sale December 31, 1959; 36 pages, cover price 10 cents
- The Superman lead story ('Superman's Fortresses of Solitude!') was later reprinted in Superman #187 and Showcase Presents: Superman Vol. 2; the Congorilla story was reprinted in World's Finest #151; the Supergirl story was collected in The Supergirl Archives Vol. 1 and Showcase Presents: Supergirl Vol. 1
- Streaky went on to appear in roughly 20 stories through the 1960s and became a founding member of the Legion of Super-Pets alongside Krypto, Beppo the Super-Monkey, and Comet the Super-Horse; his pre-Crisis run ended in Adventure Comics #394 (June 1970) when all Kryptonite on Earth was transmuted to iron in Superman #233 (January 1971), stripping him of his power source
Cast · 9 characters
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↩ Reprints Action Comics #207 (1955)
Reprinted in World's Finest Comics #151 (1965), Action Comics #334 (1966), Superman #187 (1966), Supermann #1/1967 (1967), Superman in Action Comics #1 (1993), The Silver Age of Superman The Greatest Covers of Action Comics from the '50s to the '70s #[nn] (1995), Supergirl Archives #1 (2001), Showcase Presents: Superman #2 (2006), Showcase Presents: Supergirl #1 (2008), Superman: The Secrets of the Fortress of Solitude #[nn] (2012), Superman: The Man of Tomorrow Archives #3 (2014), Supergirl: The Silver Age Omnibus #1 (2016), Supergirl: The Silver Age #1 (2017), Tails of the Super-Pets #[nn] (2022), DC Finest: Supergirl: The Girl of Steel #[nn] (2025)
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