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Yes, you read that right. Superman kisses his cousin passionately on the lips. Kal-El kisses Kara Zor-El. Any way you spin it, it’s gross. Well, kind of gross. Okay, it’s pretty boss, considering who they are. A hunky guy and a sexy babe lock lips. But a question lingers: why did Superman and Supergirl kiss?
It all takes place in Action Comics 260. Superman comes up with one of his schemes to trick Lois (Oh no Superman, not another one of your “schemes”). He convinces Kara, aka Supergirl, to act like Superman’s love interest Mighty Maid (and I don’t think that name is sexist at all..wait, do you?). In order to portray a convincing act, Superman and Supergirl kiss.
Now let’s cut the bull for a minute here and recognize this situation for what it really is. Superman is attracted to his cousin, aka jail bait, and was willing to come up with any kind of hoax just to get his mouth all over her 15-year-old lips. Yeah, you heard me. 15! Oh Superman, shame on you! First you trick me into buying a Radio Shack pocket computer, and now you pull a stunt like this?
So in essence, there are many reasons to track down Action Comics 260. First of all… Superman and Supergirl kiss! Second of all…. Superman and Supergirl kiss! Do you really need another reason? They are even kissing on the cover (Affiliate Link), believe it or not. Man, I wish my cousin had a body like that. Wait, no I don’t! I didn’t mean it like that! I mean… uh… umm… I’m going to hell, aren’t I?
Silver Age Shenanigans: When Comics Forgot Boundaries Were a Thing
Let’s not pretend this was a one-off. The Silver Age of comics was a fever dream where logic took a backseat to shock value and Superman’s moral compass spun like a broken weather vane. This was the same era where Lois Lane turned herself Black for a day, Jimmy Olsen became a giant turtle, and Batman wore rainbow-colored suits to throw off criminals (because that makes sense).
So when Action Comics #260 dropped in 1960, readers didn’t blink—at least not until they saw the cover. Superman locking lips with “Mighty Maid” (aka his teenage cousin in drag) was just another Tuesday in Metropolis. The Comics Code Authority? Asleep at the wheel. Editorial oversight? Probably too busy greenlighting “Superbaby” stories to notice the incest vibes.
But here’s the kicker: this wasn’t even the weirdest thing Superman did that year. He also gaslit Supergirl into living in an orphanage and forbade her from using her powers publicly. Why? Because “the world isn’t ready.” Translation: “I’m Superman, and I make the rules, even if they’re creepy.”
So yeah, Superman kissing Supergirl was gross. But it was also peak Silver Age—where the plots were bonkers, the ethics were optional, and the only rule was “make it weirder.”