If you’re familiar with the DC Comics character, Krypto, then you will know he is a super-powered dog. But Krypto isn’t just any super-powered dog, he’s Superman’s super-powered dog.
Krypto has been part of the Superman mythology since he made his debut in DC Comics back in 1955. The magnificent mutt first appeared in the pages of Adventure Comics issue #210, and he’s remained a mainstay of Superman stories ever since.
Over the years, Krypto has become a fan-favourite character, who has not only appeared on the printed page, he’s also appeared on the small screen and the big screen too. Heck, in 2005 Krypto even fronted his own animated show on Cartoon Network – the appropriately titled, Krypto the Superdog.
But the question people often ask is, if Krypto is a dog, how is he super? Being a canine doesn’t suddenly make you super powered does it, so what’s Krypto’s secret?
Well, there is a fairly simple reason why Krypto has super powers and if you keep on reading, I’ll explain. To understand why Krypto is super powered, it is important to understand Superman and how his super powers work.
Superman was born on the planet Krypton, as Kal-El. On Krypton, Kal-el, along with all the planet’s inhabitants, was essentially a regular, non-powered being.
When Kal-el came to Earth as a baby, he began to manifest super powers. These super powers emerged during his youth, and came about after prolonged exposure to the sun.
On Krypton, the planet has a red sun. Under a red sun, Kryptonians remain as regular beings. But Earth has a yellow sun. Whenever a Kryptonian is in the vicinity of a yellow sun, they gain super abilities.
Due to his exposure to the yellow sun whilst on Earth, Kal-el is able to become the super hero, Superman! And this is similar to what happens with Krypto.
On the planet Krypton, Krypto is a regular Kryptonian dog. Krypto is Kal-El’s pet, and he doesn’t have any super abilities.
But when Krypto comes to Earth, he gets similar powers to Superman. The sun grants Krypto amazing abilities, transforming him from a regular dog into a powerful pooch!
It might seem a little silly, but the concept of a dog becoming ‘super’ is only following the established mythology set out for Superman. Kryptonian beings acquire powers when they are on Earth, and as Krypto is from Krypton, he gets powers too.
Now, you might wonder why Krypto sometimes speaks. Is this a result of his powers?
No. Krypto only speaks if the story calls for it.
If Krypto appears in a story which is aimed at young readers, or a light-hearted movie or TV show aimed at young audiences, then he will probably speak. If Krypto appears in a contemporary Superman comic, aimed at older readers, then he will act just like a dog, with barks, sniffs, and grunts being his default form of communication.
And now you know.
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