Super-Monkey
	Name: Beppo Home Planet: 20th c. Earth (born on Krypton) Super-Powers: Super-strength, speed, invulnerability, flight, super-senses, etc. Member Since: 2963

Origin | Super-Powers | Personal Data | Membership Record

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Beppo was originally an unnamed experimental monkey that Jor-El used to determine whether his son, Kal-El, could survive certain space conditions - placing him in a cosmic ray chamber, etc. (Adventure Comics No. 364). The monkey stowed away in Superbaby's rocket and, upon reaching Earth, he too gained super-powers under the yellow sun, as Superboy and Krypto did. After befriending an organ-grinder's monkey named Beppo, Super-Monkey eventually adopted the name himself (Superboy No. 76/1).

First Appearance: Superboy No. 76/1 (written by Otto Binder, drawn by George Papp)

Note: Super-Monkey's creation was most-likely inspired by the organ-grinder's monkey, Pepe, who - while non-powered - wore a Superman costume on the Adventures of Superman episode "The Monkey Mystery" (1952).

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See the Superboy entry for details of Kryptonian powers and weaknesses.

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Physical Description: Beppo closely resembles a large Capuchin monkey of Earth, which is the most intelligent New World monkey and thus often employed in laboratory research or as street organ-grinder assistants.

Personality: Beppo is inquisitive, mischievous, and often mimics others (Adventure Comics No. 293).

Skills: Super-Monkey is agile and acrobatic and can mimic the actions of others well (Adventure Comics No. 293).

Interests: Beppo enjoys performing in front of crowds, particularly if it is for a good cause (Action Comics No. 318/2).

Previous Occupations: Super-Monkey, in disguise, was the star of Dacy's Department Store's Charity Show (Action Comics No. 318/2). Worked as part of an acrobatic animal act in a circus (Superman No. 176/1).

Nicknames: None

Relationships: Although Streaky and Krypto originally disliked the friendly Beppo out of jealousy for Supergirl's affections (Action Comics No. 277/2), all the Super-Pets have since become good friends. Beppo likes Superboy, Supergirl, and Saturn Girl the best of all the Legionnaires.

Known Relatives: None

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Induction: Super-Monkey was on Phobos, a moon of Mars, when the Legionnaires came to get him in order to join Comet the Super-Horse, Krypto, and Streaky in combating the Brain-Globes of Rambat. Super-Monkey immitated Krypto by running super-fast atop of one of the Brain-Globes. Super-Monkey was reunited with the unconscious Superboy, who he hadn't seen since he was Superbaby. In thanks for their assistance, the Legionnaires officially named the four the Legion of Super-Pets, an animal branch of their Super-Hero Club (Adventure Comics No. 293).

Positions Held: Co-manager of the Henry Bergh Shelter for Homeless Animals in 20th century Metropolis (Superman No. 176/1).

Aliases Used: None

Career Highlights:

Adventure Comics No. 313 (Oct. 1963) "The Condemned Legionnaires"

When the female Legionnaires were inflicted with Satan Girl's "crimson virus", Supergirl discovered that the villain was powerless to harm animals. She instructed Lightning Lad to take a time-bubble to rally the super-animals from the past, and the Super-Pets attacked and defeated the Supergirl duplicate.

Adventure Comics No. 322 (July 1964) "The Super-Tests of the Super-Pets"

With all Legionnaires being kept busy in the effort to defeat the Time-Trapper, the Super-Pets were enlisted to stand guard in the clubhouse. Saturn Girl made the Super-Pets temporarily telepathic so they could communicate with each other while on duty. Seeing them at the special table Superboy had made for them, Chameleon Boy's friend Proty II decided that he, also being a super-pet, would like to join their Legion. The other animals were doubtful as, compared to their super-strength he was "just a blob", but pledged that he could join if he passed a series of tests given to him by each of them in turn.

Beppo's test for Proty II was to keep the Legionnaires out of their clubhouse for one hour, which the Protean accomplished by building a strange-looking machine and playing dead beside it, making it seem that incomprehensible scientific traps were set in the clubhouse.

Superman No. 176 (Apr. 1965) "The Revenge of the Super-Pets"

After 20th century millionaire Mark Dane's will left two million dollars to build a shelter for homeless animals to be run by the Legion of Super-Pets, "to atone for the wrongs of [his] uncle, Cyrus Atwill," Superman and the Super-Pets travelled to 1860 to investiate. While posing as a circus act, Superman and the Super-Pets learned that Atwill was an animal abuser. Together, the super-beings decided to teach him a lesson. When Beppo posed as an organ-grinder's monkey, the evil Atwill tossed a coconut filled with red pepper at him. Superman replaced the coconut with a hornet's nest and sent it back Atwill's way.

Adventure Comics No. 343 (Apr. 1966) "The Evil Hand of the Luck Lords"

Beppo was the only super-animal who didn't touch Proty II while he was disguised as a Durlan jinx-stone. When the Legionnaires took him and the rest of the apparently jinx-resistant Super-Pets with them to investigate the luck-ruled world of Thaun, the super-animals were instrumental in rescuing Saturn Girl and the other Legionnaires from the evil Luck Lords.

Adventure Comics No. 351 (Dec. 1966) "The Forgotten Legion"

Supergirl, with a Kryptonite capsule in her brain affecting her memory and personality, called upon the trusting Super-Pets to attack the Legion of Substitute Heroes in the 20th century. Beppo knocked down Stone Boy, but retreated when Color Kid used his power to turn Stone Boy the color of kryptonite.

Adventure Comics No. 364 (Jan. 1968) "The Revolt of the Super-Pets"

Beppo and Comet were the leaders of the others when they decided to leave the Legionnaires and move to the planet Thanl. Beppo later gave the command to attack the Legionnaires when Chameleon Boy angrily grabbed Proty II, who called out for help. In the battle, Beppo used Ultra Boy for a human punching bag.

Adventure Comics No. 380 (May 1969) "The Legion's Space Odyssey"

When Dream Girl foresaw several Legionnaires being killed by a ray-blast directed at the headquarters, Superboy and Mon-El enlisted the Super-Pets aid in keeping then away from Earth until the ray had destroyed robot doubles of them instead.

When Duo Damsel and Bouncing Boy were trapped, far from the other Legionnaires, on a tiny island in the center of a fierce storm, Beppo swam at super-speed around them, creating a whirlpool to protect them from the waves.

For more information about Beppo the Super-Monkey, click here.

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