'Superman': A Brief History Of Krypto The Superdog

Jun 2

If you've taken a look at James Gunn's newest Superman trailer, you may have had one of two reactions to a certain element of it:

“Krypto's back!” Or alternatively, “Superman has a dog?”

Don't be ashamed if the latter question was your own. At some point it seemed like every superhero from the 50s through the 80s had an animal sidekick, especially in DC comics. Batman alone has had a good half dozen.

As storylines have gotten longer, darker, and less cheesy, the animal companions largely disappeared from the narrative, mostly popping up in the form of cameos or background appearances but very rarely being integral to the narrative. Krypto was no exception, though in recent decades he's had better luck surviving on the screen than his compatriots.

So with that in mind, let's take a quick look at Krypto: his history, his retcons, and his triumphant return to the mainstream.

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A Pup From The Stars

The original iteration of Krypto was that of a dog from Krypton itself. Not only had the planet produced beings that looked like humans, but those same beings had raised dogs and cats that wouldn't be out of place on Earth.

Krypto had been sent before his young master in his own special pod as the planet was beginning to implode, but was knocked off course, only managing to arrive on Earth a decade or so later, as the then Superboy was starting his first inroads into heroism. This version of Krypto was almost a human in a dog's fur, showing incredible intelligence, critical thinking, and having his own secret identity as the Kent family pet, Skip.

Krypto would later be revamped (along with most things) following Crisis on Infinite Earths, first being a Kryptonian before losing his abilities and being erased. When the universe was restored, he also returned, albeit depicted as a normal Earth dog.

Krypto's appearances would be sporadic until 2006, in which Superman would accidentally dream up his beloved pooch in a powerful illusion, only to drag him into reality. This Krypto was a true canine—no longer sporting human-level intelligence, Krypto proved himself a handful, having been reduced to all the base instincts and desires of a normal dog but with superpowers to boot. This Krypto even briefly joined Kon-El as he became a member of the Teen Titans.

The canine's background would be reworked a scant year later in an Action Comics Superman origin reboot. Here, Krypto was once again a true alien mutt, once again lacking the increased intelligence, though very loyal to the El family, having been launched into space as a test flight by the family patriarch Jor-El and becoming lost among the stars until rescued by Superman. And once more, he was largely sidelined, eventually settling down largely out of sight with Jimmy Olson.

Krypto had sporadic appearances before his origin was revamped yet again in the early 2010s with The New 52, having been trapped in the Phantom Zone for decades until rescued by Superman. This Krypto had a few more frequent appearances, this time rotating between various members of the Super-family on a variety of adventures, and even teaming up with Batman on occasion.

The more modern version, featured in the DC Rebirth (2016-2017), continued this trend, featuring him as a loyal family pet to Superman, Lois Lane, and their son Jon. The pup would also be spotlighted in more titles with Supergirl, proving himself a loyal companion beyond his master.

From there, Krypto's origins would remain largely unchanged and his appearances rare and sporadic, largely as very minor background placements, brief cameos, and easter eggs. At least in the comics. Luckily for the cosmic canine, there was success to be found on the home and silver screens.

Flying High

Krypto the Superdog premiered on Cartoon Network on March 25, 2005, exactly fifty years after his original debut. The series followed the titular dog as he, rather than staying with an ever-busy Superman, lives with a young boy by the name of Kevin Whitney, under the guise of a normal suburban family pet. When danger arises (usually in the form of villainous animals), Krypto dons his cape and becomes his city's unusual savior.

The series ran from 2005 to 2006, with a total of two seasons and thirty-nine episodes. Despite its relatively short runtime, Krypto the Superdog was chock-full of entertaining small stories and references, from his occasional team-ups with Ace the Bat-Hound to his best friend being Streaky the Supercat (often a close companion of Supergirl in various comics), to his inclusion in the Dog Star Patrol, a deep-cut reference to a Superboy side-story from 1966 featuring a group of extraterrestrial canines called the Space Canine Patrol Agents.

Krypto would have minor cameos in various other DC media (including a direct-to-video Scooby-Doo crossover movie), but his next, and most recent, major role would be in DC League of Super-Pets, voiced by Dwayne Johnson and released in 2022. The movie also featured the voice talents of Kevin Hart, Kart McKinnon, Vanessa Bayer, and John Krasinski. Here, Krypto is a long-time friend of Superman, only to find himself sidelined by the Man of Steel's courting of Lois Lane. In the midst of this, his owner is kidnapped, he briefly loses his powers, and finds himself forced to rely on a group of unexpectedly powered, inexperienced shelter pets.

As of now, there are no officially released plans for a sequel, but given that the film proved to be a box office success, it's likely to receive a second installment.

And for now, until we get to see him on the silver screen come July 11, 2025, that's likely all we'll get to see of him. At least on video, avid fans will be pleased to hear that the first of a five-part miniseries, Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton, is set for June 18, 2025. Promised to be a “heartfelt and moving view of humanity”, the series will no doubt serve to remind us that it's not just people who are impacted by tragedy and trauma, but our most faithful historical companions as well.