Superman #130
Published on May 7, 1959, Superman #130 marks the first time Krypto the Superdog appeared in the Superman title itself — all of his prior adventures had been confined to Superboy strips in Adventure Comics and other Superboy-centric books. The issue also features what the Grand Comics Database notes as a cameo appearance by Kara Zor-El (Supergirl), who had debuted only two issues earlier in Action Comics #252; her fleeting presence here began the slow, deliberate process of seeding her into the broader Superman line. Taken together, these appearances made #130 a quiet but meaningful expansion of the emerging Silver Age Superman family, demonstrating DC's editorial strategy of introducing new characters in Action Comics and then cross-pollinating them into the flagship Superman title.
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The issue's three stories were written by two of the most prolific Superman scribes of the era: Otto Binder, who had also created Supergirl and Krypto, penned both 'The Curse of Kryptonite!' and 'The Town That Hated Superman!', while Robert Bernstein wrote the comedic middle story 'The Super-Servant of Crime!' Art duties were spread across the title's regular Silver Age stable — Al Plastino penciled and inked 'The Curse of Kryptonite!', Curt Swan penciled 'The Super-Servant of Crime!' (with inks by John Giunta or John Sikela, sources vary slightly), and Wayne Boring with Stan Kaye handled 'The Town That Hated Superman!'. Swan and Kaye also produced the cover. Bernstein's 'Super-Servant of Crime' story later crossed media when it was adapted as an episode of the Superman newspaper daily comic strip.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: July 1959; on-sale date: May 7, 1959 (confirmed via ad in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #10 and copyright registration).
- First appearance of Krypto in the Superman title (Vol. 1); all previous Krypto appearances had been in Superboy-related strips, beginning with Adventure Comics #210 (March 1955).
- Kara Zor-El / Supergirl appears in cameo — recalled by Superman as an ally against Kryptonite — marking her first appearance in the Superman title, just months after her debut in Action Comics #252 (May 1959).
- The issue contains three Superman stories: 'The Curse of Kryptonite!' (script: Otto Binder, art: Al Plastino), 'The Super-Servant of Crime!' (script: Robert Bernstein, pencils: Curt Swan), and 'The Town That Hated Superman!' (script: Otto Binder, pencils: Wayne Boring, inks: Stan Kaye).
- Cover penciled by Curt Swan, inked by Stan Kaye, lettered by Ira Schnapp.
- In 'The Curse of Kryptonite!', Krypto saves Superman from a Kryptonite exposure by blowing the meteorite away through a pipeline — functioning as both a Kryptonite lore recap and Krypto's dramatic Superman-title debut.
- Reprinted multiple times: in Superman #208–209 (1968), The Best of DC #36 (May 1983), Showcase Presents: Superman Vol. 1 (November 2005), and Superman: The Man of Tomorrow Archives Vol. 2 (April 2006).
- 'The Super-Servant of Crime!' was adapted as an episode of the Superman newspaper daily comic strip (episode #113, running May 30 – July 2, in the syndicated Silver Age dailies collected by IDW).
Cast · 8 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
When Mark Mulloy, the owner of property from which Superman has been mining gold, returns to claim his rights, Superman agrees to perform six tasks for him as compensation. But Superman interprets Mulloy's requests so literally that Mulloy can't benefit from the deal.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).