Krypto the Superdog on Television
Superman's Dog Fetches Great Ratings Whenever he Appears
Dec 16, 2008
Superman's pet dog, Krypto, has been a staple figure in the comic books since his debut in 1955. Most of the time, he exhibits powers analogous to those of Superman himself, but sometimes he's just a normal dog. Both versions have showed up on television.
The Adventures of Superboy
Krypto made his first few appearances in the six minute Superboy segments that were broadcast as part of The New Adventures of Superman in 1966-67, The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure in 1967-68 and finally in The Batman/Superman Hour in 1968-69.
Superman - The Animated Series
Although a toy that looks suspiciously like the comic book version of Krypto the Superdog appears in the background of an episode of Batman - The Animated Series, Krypto doesn't officially make his modern television debut until 1996 in the premiere episode of Superman - The Animated Series.
Krypto appears as Kal-El's pet on Krypton, and as such does not exhibit any super powers.
The failed clone of Superman, Bizarro, finds the Fortress of Solitude in one episode. While inside he releases a number of alien creatures, including a ferocious creature with a mouth full of teeth who he names Krypto. Superman lets him keep the dog sized alien as a pet.
Justice League Unlimited
In the second episode of season one of Justice League Unlimited, Superman is trapped in a hyper-realistic dream by the villain Mongul. He dreams of a life on a Krypton that never exploded, where he is married to a woman who seems to be an amalgam of Lana Lang and Lois Lane. Their son, Van-El has a pet dog, Krypto, but his only power is the ability to wet the floor when no one is looking.
Krypto the Superdog
The first version of Krypto to exhibit superpowers (in the modern era) shows up in his very own series. Accompanied by Ace the Bathound and Streaky the Supercat, Krypto fights various animal villains and helps his human friend, Kevin. The show ran from 2005 to 2006, and Krypto was voiced by Samuel Vincent.
Live Action
In the fourth season episode of Smallville, Krypto, Clark finds a Golden Retriever with powers similar to his own. He temporarily names the dog "Krypto" (explaining to Lex Luthor that he chose the name for the dog's cryptic nature) but once the dog's kryptonite induced powers fade, he renames the dog "Shelby" after one of the dogs Martha Kent once owned.
The name "Shelby" is also then name of Martha Kent's dog in the movie Superman Returns, which might have been a sly nod to fans.
Legion of Super Heroes
In the first season of The Legion of Super Heroes, the villain Drax returns to the real world from the Phantom Zone and brings with him two super dogs that bear a striking resemblance to Bizarro's Krypto from Superman - The Animated Series.
In the second season of the show, a dog that looks remarkably like Krypto shows up in the episode "Message in a Bottle". The shrunken city of Kandor exists under a faux red sun inside a bottle. The Krypto-esque dog licks Superman awake after a run in with Imperiex and when Brainiac 5 manages to turn the sun from red to yellow, the dog and all the city's inhabitants gain superpowers thanks to their Kryptonian heritage.
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