Even a Man of Steel like Superman needs a best friend so it's lucky he has one Crypto. The Superman Family is one of the most captivating aspects of DC Comics. For Superman, his love for family can be a weakness, sometimes his Achilles heel, but more than anything, they give him strength when he needs it most. And like so many other iconic American families, the Superman Family, of course, has a pet dog.
No Superman family is complete without Krypto the Superdog. Thanks to its appearance in the new Superman movie trailer, fans' interest in the character began to awaken, especially for audiences who don't know that Superman always had a pet superhero dog in the comics.
Before the audience storms the theater, it's worth taking some time to understand what Krypto is capable of in terms of his power level, the dog's origins in the comics, and how he came into Superman's life.
Superman's pet dog Krypto played a pivotal role in Kal-El's life for decades
First appearance: Adventure comics #210 by Otto Binder, Curt Swan, Seymour Barry and Mort Weisinger
Krypto enters Clark Kent's life not as Superman, but during his early adventures as Superboy. The then-mysterious white dog runs loose through Metropolis. He blows a hole in a dog catcher's armored truck, bullets bounce off him when the gangsters shoot at him, and when Superboy chases the dog, he goes flying. The dog can't speak, but he uses his superintelligence to take Superboy to his space rocket. The rocket features a letter written in the Kryptonian language. The letter mentions that animals were used as guinea pigs before Kryptonian scientists sent people away in their rockets.
Kal-El discovers that this dog, named Krypto in the letter, was a pet that lived at Casa de El. As a baby, Clark was too young to remember Krypto. As a puppy, Jor-El sent Krypto into space before Krypton's destruction, where he floated, becoming a Superdog before landing on Earth. Elated to have been reunited with another reminder of the home planet he lost, the Boy of Steel treasures Krypto and, as an adult, still cares for him lovingly, especially as Krypto continues to appear in DC comics to this day.
Where is Krypto now in the world of DC Comics?
Not as active in Superman's life, but still alive
In the comics, Krypto didn't play as active a role in Superman's life as he used to when he was Superboy, but he is still alive at the Kent Farm. Like Krypto the Superdog, this dog has proven to be just as capable (and powerful) of superherodom as Superman, as he shares all of the same superpowers as his master. Krypto has always helped Superman on his adventures and has often gone so far as to save his life. This life-saving work is on display at Superman teaser trailer, so wait Crypto continue to have Superman back on the screen and dashboard.
Adventure comics #210 is now available from DC Comics.