Super Pet

"Clouds"
Color pencil on copier paper
20.34 cm x 27.94 cm (8.50" x 11.00")

This is another drawing of Supergirl that I came upon going through a pile of papers. This one done in 2003, in a not so animation friendly style - look at the hair detail. The forced perspective on her hand is a little outrageous, and the huge red "S" on blue top is a thing for fashion ridulcule, but on a whole, I think, a nice drawing. Cataloging my drawings is a bit haphazard - trying to hold to a chronological sequence with the occassional un-catalogued find tempting that very system. And if that find is un-dated? Forget about it.

This one features Streaky, Supergirl's distinctly lightning bolt marked super-pet. Streaky first appeared in the February issue of Action Comics #261 in 1960, nine months after Supergirl's own first appearance in comics. Naturally, if Superman had a super dog in Krypto, then his female cousin should have her own super sidekick/pet.

Streaky's origin, as told in that first issue, differs from that of the other aforementioned super's in that rather than being an immigrant from the planet Krypton, the Earth cat gains power from exposure to X-Kryptonite. Kryptonite is well-known as being radioactive elements originating from the exploded planet Krypton harmful to Kryptonians. X-Kryptonite was created through Supergirl's experiment on a chunk of the meteor in her attempts to counteract its harmful effects. Failing, she super-tosses the sample into the woods.

Ha! That's classic sci-fi storytelling. You've got super-powered girls and cats, mysterious radiation and its incredible side-effects, and not least of all, a young heroine with enough scientific competence to boldly experiment on the hazardous stuff (in a small chemical laboratory in an American mid-west orphanage!) who turns around and carelessly disposes of the still radioactive rock to conveniently become the catalyst for comedic adventure. My enjoyment of this science-fantasy to-day is slightly marred by my annoyance to Streaky's thought bubbles.

Supergirl, Streaky © DC Comics.