Krypto the Superdog (thing)

Loosely based on Krypto of DC Comics fame, Krypto the Superdog was an animated series that aired on the Cartoon Network back in 2005.

The premise is pretty much the same as the comic however there are some differences.

With the imminent destruction of the planet Krypton at hand, Superman’s father, Jor-El builds a spaceship designed as a test flight to determine if it would be safe enough to travel through the galaxy. He decides that in order for the test to be accurate, he needs a living being to occupy the ship. He decides that a cute little puppy that goes by the name of Krypto fits the bill and off into space he goes.

Unlike the comic book, the spaceship is not hit by a meteor. Instead, Krypto, the inquisitive puppy that he is, chews on some wires which eventually throws the ship off course.

By the time the craft lands on Earth, Krypto has matured into a full grown dog and since he’s from Krypton has inherited all of the superpowers associated that the natives get from being exposed to a yellow sun. Eventually he is discovered by Superman himself who gets a nine year old boy by then name of Kevin Whitney to adopt him.

At first, Krypto is reluctant to display his superpowers but eventually Kevin discovers his secret and a career of saving the planet Earth from various dastardly villains ensues.

There are a host of other animals, some super, some not, that made appearances during the shows run. They were all able to communicate with other but not with humans. Of course, nine year old Kevin exception to the rule because he somehow manages to get his hands on a universal translator that enables him to understand what they are saying.

Besides Krypto and Kevin, there’s a host of other minor characters that were used on the show to help them save the day. Here’s a short list.

Streaky the Supercat

The cat that lives next door to Kevin. Streaky got powers after being hit by a “duplicating ray” that aimed at Krypto but hit him instead.

Ace the Bat-Hound

This is Batman’s pet dog. He’s a German Sheperd and sticking to the Batman theme, he uses a bunch of gadgets built into his collar to ward off the evil villains.

The Dog Star Patrol

A group of intergalactic canines dedicated to fighting crime throughout the galaxy. Each one has a special power. Here’s just a few of them and what they can do:

Brainy Barker – Leader of the Dog Star Patrol, uses telepathic as well as telekinesis in order to read minds, generate force fields and levitate items.

Mammoth Mutt - Naturally this is a Chihuahua who is able to inflate itself into massive proportions.

Hot Dog - Predictably, a Dachshund and just as the name implies, Hot Dog’s claim to fame is that he can generate intense heat.

For any superhero to be worth his salt, they have to contend with super villains. Here’s a few that Krytpo and his cohorts had to contend with during their brief run.

Mechanikat - What could be more evil than a cyborg cat intent on conquering the planet Earth?

Ignatius - There had to be a Lex Luthor angle in here somewhere and Ignatius fits the bill. He’s Lex’s pet iguana.

The Joker’s Hyenas - Might as well throw The Joker in there too. They act as his henchmen in various episodes.

Isis - Mustn’t forget Catwoman, Isis is her animal doppelganger.

Dogwood - Half plant, half dog who can turn any type of tree or plant into something evil.

Super Flea - A stowaway aboard Krypto’s spaceship with super flea powers.

Besides the television series, there was a short lived run of comic books that lasted a grand total of six issues and ran from 2005 through 2006 before both the show and the books were cancelled.

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