All About Krypto the Superdog

Krypto, also called Krypto the Superdog, has enjoyed many different incarnations since his comic book debut in 1955. A white, mid-sized dog, he is easily recognizable as Superman’s, given his red cape and familiar “S” logo on his collar. Most versions of Krypto have a dog’s equivalent of Superman’s powers, such as flight, super speed, strength, and heat vision. The character has been featured in comics, television, and even his own animated series.

Krypto’s first appearance was in Adventure Comics #210. Originally described as young Superman’s dog as a boy on Krypton, Krypto was sent away in a spaceship by Jor-El, Superman’s birth father. This was a trial run for Jor-El, who was preparing to save his son from their dying homeworld by sending him to earth. Krypto was knocked off course, so he was unable to reunite with Superman until he was a teenager. The earth’s sun affected Krypto the same way as Superman, giving him super powers.

The character of Krypto has seen many changes over the years. In the 1980’s, much of DC’s mythology was rewritten and streamlined with the Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series. From then, Krypto was no longer Superman’s boyhood dog. He was introduced at one point as Superboy’s dog, although he lacked super powers or alien origin. In more recent years, a superpowered Krypto has again entered the Superman mythos. Recently, Krypto has served as guardian of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude (a fact that Batman endlessly teases Superman about).

As of 2003, Superman has given Krypto to the modern incarnation of Superboy to look after. In the newest Infinite Crisis series that began in 2005, Krypto has been seen in a rough tangle between two Superboy characters. Fans everywhere were shocked to see Superboy Prime attack Krypto during this heated battle. He proceeds to brutally kick the dog down the street, calling him a “bad dog”.

Krypto has also been seen in television. An episode of the popular series “Smallville” involves a superpowered mutt that Clark wants to name Krypto. Although not the real Krypto, it is a nice foreshadowing/homage to the character. There has also been a Krypto cartoon that has begun airing on Cartoon Network. Although it holds no resemblance to the comic stories involving Krypto, he is seen teaming up with Batman’s dog and facing supervillains’ various pets. It seems that over fifty years after his birth, Krypto has no intentions of slowing down.