There’s no question that Krypto is the goodest boy in the DC Universe and he’s having a bit of a resurgence in popularity lately, thanks to James Gunn’s Superman. Now in theaters, the beloved superpowered pup has a pretty significant role in the film, playing a crucial role in the Man of Steel’s conflict with Lex Luthor. However, while Krypto is a hero in his own right int he movie, no good deed seems to go unpunished — at least on the pages of the comics.
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Warning: Spoilers for James Gunn’s Superman beyond this point!
In the movie, after Superman tears apart Lex Luthor’s plan, the evil genius attempts to launch into a grand speech against the Man of Steel. That is immediately interrupted by Krypto the Superdog ragdolling Lex around the room like a bald chew toy, hurting his face about as much as the villain’s ego. After all, what could be more embarrassing than not only losing to Superman, but to Superman’s dog? While the movie megalomaniac will have to wait a while before he can make any attempts at revenge, in the comics, Lex might have already gotten revenge for his cinema counterpart. The worst part is that he wasn’t even trying, he’s just naturally a cruel person. A young Lex Luthor adopted Krypto the Superdog, and he gives the readers a crash course in how not to take care of your pet.
Lex Luthor Is a Terrible Pet Owner
Lex first found Krypto at the end of Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #1. Krypto had been the family pet of the El family, and was used as the test subject for a prototype of the rocket that would launch Superman away from the exploding Krypton. Unfortunately, Krypto’s ship was caught in a wormhole and he disappeared, though he eventually landed on Earth. Still too new to the planet to develop any powers, Krypto wandered around the new world, but was chased around by the dangers of the city after finding his way to Metropolis. Eventually, a young, still red-haired Lex Luthor found the dog and decided to take him in. Fair warning, the second issue began with a warning about animal abuse, telling everyone to always be kind to your good boys and gals, so this story might not be for the faint of heart.
Lex, having yet to build his fortune, was living with his distant relatives Kathryn and Peter in the slums of Metropolis. He brought Krypto home and quickly made himself an expert on dog care, but instead of actually listening to the advice about positive reinforcement, decided that force and fear were the ways to go. He would smack Krypto when the dog did something he didn’t like, locking him in a cage and telling the poor pup that he had to earn everything, from food to affection. Lex doesn’t even give Krypto a name, only calling him dog. He sees him as a beast he must teach respect to, and everything that isn’t perfect obedience and following Lex’s thoughts is punishable by the cage and smacks. The movie Lex Luthor tortured Krypto because he hated Superman, but his comic counterpart did so out of a warped love, which might be even worse.
Of course, Lex Luthor is never one to be content with where he is. Speaking out loud, he told Krypto that he planned to use a custom bomb he designed to kill Kathryn and Peter, which would allow him to collect the life insurance he took out on both of them. He said that he should include Krypto in that fire to help sell it, but he couldn’t bring himself to kill the dog he grew so attached to, even if the way he showed his affection was entirely incorrect. One day, Lex left Krypto in his cage and went off to study the humanities to find a fix for his moral conundrum, but slammed the door so hard it set the bomb off. He came home later to find it in flames. In a rare moment of humanity, Lex braved the flames to rescue Krypto, and started to go back in for his relatives, but hesitated, realizing he could use this. Krypto, of course, barked that something was wrong. Lex tried to shut him up, but Krypto’s cries were heard, and the neighbors arrived to save Lex’s family. As Lex took credit for trying to save them, Krypto had been pushed past his last straw, and growled at Lex before taking off, ignoring the megalomaniac’s cry that he was a bad dog. The issue ended with Krypto outside Metropolis, alone, as winter came.
Krypto utterly humiliated Lex Luthor in the movie, but this Lex made sure that whatever embarrassment the superdog dealt him, he dished back a hundredfold in pain. It goes without saying that Lex Luthor is a terrible dog owner, and should never be allowed near anyone he would have power over. Our pets deserve love and care, not punishment and pain. Still, although it looks like there’s more pain in Krypto’s future, we know one thing for sure. Eventually, he’ll make his way back to his family with Superman, and his best friend couldn’t be more excited than when they eventually reconnect.
Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #2 is on sale now!
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