If you’re a comic book aficionado, then you’ll know the Silver Age of Comic Books was the epitome of weird. DC Comics, in a wild frenzy to outsell their competitors, started to implement various gimmicks and outrageous covers. This is why in Action Comics 292, 336, 293, and 294, you’ll find . . .
Comet the Superhorse!
Now, it’s important to remember that Superhorse’s timeline spans thousands of years in the past AND the future. Imagine, if you will, various dimensions and timelines, and be prepared for none of it to make any sense to you whatsoever. Now, buckle up!
Circe and Biron The Centaur
Comet the Superhorse was born as a centaur called Biron in ancient Greece, and in one way or another helped to save the life of the witch Circe (maybe you’ve heard of her?) from an ancient Sorcerer. As thanks, she said she’d do absolutely anything for him, so he asked her to cast a spell so that he could fulfill his wish of becoming fully human. Of course, it went wrong.
Rather than making just one potion designed to turn him into a man, she made two (for no clear reason whatsoever). One potion would turn him into a man, and one would turn him into a full horse. She mixed up the potions by mistake and gave him the wrong one, and he immediately transformed into a full horse.
Circe understandably felt pretty terrible about the whole mishap, so she tried to make it better by giving him a plethora of superpowers matching various Greek Gods, including immortality. Why she couldn’t just give him the other potion, well, that’s anyone’s guess. Not content to let the poor horse live in peace, DC then have him sprinkled with evil wizard dust by a naughty sorcerer to send him into outer space for thousands of years – until Supergirl’s rocket uses laser beams to destroy some kind of magic field. Still with me?
Supergirl Becomes Obsessed With Horses
At some point in Supergirl’s timeline, our heroine sees a movie about a very smart horse and begins having dreams about having her own horse (we’ve all been there, right?). The thoughts consume her and distract her from her day to day superhero duties. Her parents, having absolutely none of this, take her away to a ranch. Low and behold, they find Superhorse! There is another version, however, in which future Supergirl gifts Superhorse to a past, much younger Supergirl. How’s that headache coming along?
Supergirl and Superhorse Unite
At some point on Earth, before the two Supers become besties, Biron uses his telepathic powers to contact Supergirl in her dreams and warn her of an alien invasion. The dreamscape is also the place Supergirl renames Biron, ‘Comet’. They deal with the invasion together and Superhorse proceeds to go on a number of adventures both with Supergirl and alone. The critical moment for both Comet and Supergirl would come when they save the alien planet Zerox. The planet’s emperor grants Comet’s wish to be human, but, because nothing can be straightforward for poor Superhorse, he includes a catch. He can only turn into a full man when a comet passes through the solar system. Of course.
The Legion of Superpets
Superhorse also moonlights in the legion of SuperPets on the side, along with Krypto the Superdog, Beppo the Supermonkey, and Streaky the Supercat. Complicated enough? Yes. Gross enough? Not yet. This is where there are some questionable moments.
Bronco Bill Starr
In Action Comics #311, we see Comet turn full human. After a generic bout of amnesia, he takes on the identity of rodeo star ‘Bronco’ Bill Starr – with Supergirl totally oblivious to his third alter ego. She really digs Bronco, and they begin dating. That’s right – Supergirl dates a horse. Her pet horse. Yup.
More Superhorse Conquests
Before we call the cops on Supergirl it’s also worth mentioning that Superhorse is somewhat of a stallion and had a short lived romance with Lois Lane. As you do. Well, it was the 60s after all!
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