Krypto the Super-Dog
	Name: Krypto 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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After Jor-El discovered that Krypton would one day explode, he experimented with small model rockets, sending his infant son Kal-El's puppy, Krypto, for a test flight in one of them. By a cosmic mischance, a meteor struck the trial rocket out of orbit to drift in space for years until he landed on Earth and was reunited with his master, Superboy (Adventure Comics No. 210). Since Krypto is from Krypton, he gained all the same super-powers as Superboy under Earth's lesser gravity and hotter yellow sun (Superman No. 146).

First Appearance: Adventure Comics No. 210 (written by Otto Binder, drawn by Curt Swan). Although this story is cover-dated March 1955, pre-dating the Silver Age, the first meeting of Krypto and Superboy was not re-told during that era. Thus, it can be assumed that editor Mort Weisinger considered this story to be the official origin of Krypto.

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See the Superboy entry for details, though being a dog his bite is stronger and his hearing and sense of smell is even keener than the Boy of Steel's.

Limitations and Weaknesses: The same as Superboy's.

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Physical Description: Krypto is a white, short-haired dog. He has no Earth-equivalent breed, although one could generally liken him to spotless dalmation.

Personality: Krypto is a smart and sensitive dog who is very protective of Superboy. He loves Superboy so much, in fact, that he would not want to live without his master's love (Adventure Comics No. 293).

Skills: Kypto is an excellent actor and has worn various costumes to play special parts to help Superboy and Superman. He often subs for Superboy, flying by overhead to fool people and protect his master's secret identity. He has also dressed as Mr. Mxyzptlk, with Superman providing the voice via super-ventriloquism (Superman No.155/2), and even operated a hollow mock-up of a dinosaur (Adventure Comics No. 380).

Interests: Hunting and burying bones (especially dinosaur ones), chasing cats.

Previous Occupations: Worked as part of an acrobatic animal act in a circus (Superman No. 176/1).

Nicknames: The Dog of Steel

Relationships: Krypto is also a member of the S.C.P.A. - the Space Canine Patrol Agents (Superboy No. 131/3, 132/1, 136). He gets along really well with all his teammates in the Legion of Super-Pets.

Known Relatives: Zypto (father, deceased), mother (name not known, deceased), Nypto (grandfather, deceased), Vypto (great grandfather, deceased)

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Induction: The Brain Globes of Rambat mentally controlled the Legionnaires into ambushing Superboy with Kryptonite in order to carry out their plot to move the Earth into orbit around their doomed planet's purple sun. When Krypto the Super-Dog arrived and scattered the four aliens, showing that they had no powers over the minds of animals, Saturn Girl had the idea to recruit other Super-Pets throughout history. Bringing Streaky the Super-Cat, Beppo the Super-Monkey and Comet the Super-Horse together with Krypto, the four defeated the Brain Globes. In thanks, the Legionnaires officially named them the Legion of Super-Pets, an animal branch of their Super-Hero Club (Adventure Comics No. 293).

Comments: This is the only story in which the Superboy-era Krypto takes place in adventures with the Super-Pets. In all subsequent adventures, Krypto travels to the future from Superman's time with the other twentieth-century-based Super-Pets (Adventure Comics No. 313/1).

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.

After Proty had successfully passed each mission assigned to him, Krypto gave him one final test: to track him down, no matter where he hid on earth, within two hours. With the aid of a flying belt, Proty pursued the super-dog using his power and his wits, eventually saving Krypto from green kryptonite and an attacking shark. Finally, the Super-Pets were proud to welcome him into their Legion.

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. Krypto took a dip in a trough of quick-drying cement in order to pose as a concrete statue of a dog. He still looked lifelike enough to fool Atwill into thinking he was a real dog, and when the cruel man tried to kick the dog out of his way, he nearly broke his foot on Krypto's invulnerable body.

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

After noticing that the Super-Pets had all touched the jinx-stone that seemed to be causing the Legion bad luck, yet were not affected by it, the Legionnaires took them along to investigate the unlucky world of Thaun. When the Luck Lords overcame the super-heroes with their jinxes, the captive Saturn Girl called the super-animals from the cruiser with her thought-casting power, and they came to the rescue.

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

Supergirl, with a kryptonite capsule in her brain affecting her memory and personality, called the Super-Pets to attack the Legion of Substitute Heroes in the 20th century.

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

After an argument with the Legionnaires over a mission, theSuper-Pets walked out on them and were soon picked up by a Thanlian whose people idolized the super-animals. They were taken to Thanl and given a headquarters of their own. The Legionnaires followed them to Thanl and pleaded with them to return home, after which a brawl ensued and the Legion were forced away. But after learning that the Thanlians were really space-pirates using them for protection, both the animal and human Legions lit into the Thanlians, overthrowing their corrupt high council.

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.

On a barren world, Krypto operated a hollow mockup of a monster with fake kryptonite teeth and pretended to devour Superboy, in order to leave the Boy of Steel free to deal with the threat to the Legionnaire's safety back at headquarters.

For more information about Krypto the Super-Dog, click here.

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