Krypto the Superdog – The comic history of Superman’s best friend
Jimmy Olsen may be Superman’s pal, but the Man of Steel’s best friend is Krypto, a dog from Krypton who shares most of Superman’s powers. The idea of Superman’s super-dog may seem a bit silly, but Krypto is one of the most beloved aspects of Superman’s mythos, with noted animal lover James Gunn even bringing the world’s most powerful pup into his upcoming Superman reboot film.
Krypto and the Super-Pets
Krypto has been part of the DC Universe since 1955’s Adventure Comics #210 by writer Otto Binder and artists Curt Swan and Sy Barry, which introduced the dog as a one-off character, though his popularity quickly led Krypto to become part of the ongoing cast of the comic.
Krypto’s backstory is explained as being an animal test subject launched into space as part of Superman’s father Jor-El’s attempts to save the people of Krypton from the planet’s destruction.
Making his way to Earth, Krypto meets up with Superboy, forging an instant bond lasting into Superman’s adulthood.
Funnily enough, Krypto is just one of several so-called Super-Pets, who, like Krypto, are possessed of powers similar to Superman. Alongside Krypto, there’s also Streaky the Supercat, Comet the Super-Horse, and Beppo the Super-Monkey, though Krypto is the most commonly seen member of the menagerie.
Krypto in the new Superman movie
It’s no secret that James Gunn is an animal lover – he even based Krypto in his Superman movie on his own dog Ozu (who apparently happens to have a very excited reaction to seeing himself on screen).
Gunn has also put animal heroes front-and-center in many of his superhero projects, from Rocket and Cosmo (who is an astronaut dog like Krypto) in Guardians of the Galaxy, to Weasel in The Suicide Squad and Creature Commandos. Krypto is no exception, taking center stage in some of the most memorable scenes from the trailers for Superman.
There’s even a clip out there of Superman confronting Lex Luthor over Lex’s apparent kidnapping of Krypto, which spurs the first official meeting between the two arch-enemies in the film, indicating that Krypto’s story will involve more than just being Superman’s pet.
In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and shows for everything else the DCU has on the way.
