DC Comics' Biggest Super-Pets Ranked
Who doesn't love their pet? There's no doubt that owning a wide variety of animals — from cats and dogs to snakes and sea-critters — is an important part of life for many of us, and for good reason. But did you know that many DC Comics superheroes have their own pets too? During the Silver Age of Comics (approximately 1956-1969), heroic super-pets were actually pretty common — Superman had four himself — and many of them have remained in the DC canon since. These super-pets have made their way into the collective pop culture consciousness over the years, between animated cartoons like "Krypto the Superdog" and "Super Friends" to the 2022 animated feature film "DC's League of Super-Pets," reminding us that a superhero's best friend is often their most trusted furry (or feathered or scaly) friend.
What's a bit more surprising is that the superheroes weren't the only one with animal allies. Plenty of supervillains and anti-heroes had their own super-pets as well. Of course, not every hero or villain had a furry sidekick that actually stuck around, but the big guns like Batman and Superman have always had a four-legged ally by their side. Though you'll no doubt have heard of some of these super-pets, there's bound to be a few that are new to you too.
15. Super Canine Patrol Agents
Since Superboy had the Legion of Superheroes, it's only fair that his dog had his own otherworldly animal superhero team, the Super Canine Patrol Agents. This group of space dogs have helped Krypto save the world on countless occasions, though most of their heroics have been left in the Silver Age. First appearing in "Superboy" #131, each member of the SCPA has a powerset that directly matches their hero name. Hot Dog is a pyrokinetic wiener dog (go figure), while Bull Dog can simply grow massive horns. Tail Terrier can rope up villains with his tail (as the name suggests), and Mammoth Mutt could inflate himself like a balloon — though he tragically died in his first appearance. But, after the famed "Crisis on Infinite Earths" event that rewrote the entire DC Universe in the mid-1980s, the SCPA were (sadly) removed from continuity.
But comic book characters rarely stay dead for too long. The Super Canine Patrol Agents (once called the "Space Canine Patrol Corps") would return to the DC Universe, though not exactly the comic books. These characters, as well as the original Brainy Barker, would unite on the cartoon series "Krypto the Superdog," and would join Superman's best friend on various missions across the stars. It's worth noting that the name of their organization was changed in the cartoon to "The Dog Star Patrol," and included a few other dogs on their roster, including Tusky Husky, Paw Pooch, Stretch-o-Mutt, and Drooly.
14. Beppo the Supermonkey
It seems like most of the strangest super-pets come from Superman's own history, and based on how strange Superman stories were back during the Silver Age, it's no wonder many of them have been expunged from canon. One of the oddest super-pets out there was a monkey by the name of Beppo. Beppo was the test subject for Jor-El's initial launches into space to be sure that the rocket carrying his own son, Kal-El, would make it to Earth in the event of Krypton's doom. Having snuck aboard Kal-El's rocket, Beppo also survived Krypton's destruction and eventually caused havoc in the teenage Superboy's life.
Along with other Superman Family pets such as Krypto, Streaky, and Comet, Beppo was a part of the Legion of Super-Pets that often came to the aid of the Man of Steel in his times of need. Since the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" event in the mid-1980s, Beppo has been effectively removed from the current DC continuity, though he occasionally returns in one-off stories or animated cameos to remind audiences of Superman's colorful comic book history. Of course, Beppo hasn't completely been forgotten by modern productions, with the CW's "Superman & Lois" introducing the character of Chrissy Beppo, a reporter and ally of Lois Lane's with a direct call back to the Silver Age super-monkey.
13. Wonder Dog
No, Wonder Dog does not bear any relation to Wonder Woman (though that probably would've made a bit more sense), Nor is this the iconic Rex the Wonder Dog, who has been around in DC Comics since the 1950s. Rather, Wonder Dog was a member of the original "Super Friends" cartoon from the early 1970s. A pal of Marvin and Wendy, the human sidekicks of the Justice League of America, Wonder Dog initially provided all the comic relief in this superhero cartoon. Modeled after Hanna-Barbera mascots like Scooby-Doo (and voiced by Scooby's Frank Welker), this wild mutt didn't make it past the inaugural season before he and his companions written out in favor of the Wonder Twins and Gleek (more on him in a minute).
Wonder Dog didn't return to the mainstream for a long time — not until the third volume of the "Teen Titans" comic book series where Marvin and Wendy would be reintroduced into the DC Universe as the children of the supervillain Calculator and the caretakers of the Titans Tower. With them came Wonder Dog, though they probably wish he hadn't. As it turned out, Wonder Dog was actually an otherworldly monster who would end up eating Marvin and mauling Wendy before being defeated by the Teen Titans. Since then, the more comedic and lovable version of Wonder Dog has returned, appearing most recently in the HBO Max series "Jellystone!"
12. Dawg, Lobo's best friend
Of all the characters in the DC Universe canon not to trust with a pooch of his own, it would be the anti-hero bounty hunter known as Lobo. For those who don't know, Lobo wiped out his entire race — an alien species who had truly achieved utopia — and now rides around the galaxy hoping to collect a reward for bringing in stiffs. At some point during his travels — the "Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special" to be exact — the alien mutt Dawg began following the crass bounty hunter across the stars, and while Lobo didn't exactly love the idea, he tolerated the space canine for quite a while before ultimately stomping him out of existence. That's right, Lobo murdered his own dog.
But don't worry — much like Lobo himself, Dawg didn't stay dead. Whether it was a new dog who looked a lot like Lobo's original mutt or he just managed to resurrect on his own like his master, Dawg returned to help Lobo face off against Atrocitus and the Red Lanterns ... though he ran away with his tail between his legs. Since then, Dawg's only made a few more appearances in continuity (namely alongside Harley Quinn), but there's no doubt that he's still out there following Lobo around as he brings both good guys and bad guys alike to his next employer.
11. Gleek, the Wonder-Twins' space monkey
Made famous by his time on the Saturday morning "Super Friends" cartoon (and just about every incarnation of the series that followed), Gleek the space monkey is the rambunctious pet of Zan and Jayna, otherwise known as the Wonder Twins. While the Wonder Twins weren't exactly the most popular cartoon sidekicks, they became a cultural phenomenon and landed future animated appearances on "Justice League Unlimited" and "Teen Titans Go!" as well as a live action appearance on "Smallville." While Gleek didn't appear with the alien heroes on "Smallville," he was referenced by Jayna and later managed to make a vocal cameo at the end of the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" Arrowverse crossover.
In 2019, Gleek returned to the DC Universe in "The Wonder Twins" comic series to join Zan and Jayna on some universe-shifting adventures. While some may find the blue monkey a bit annoying, and it's obvious that these sorts of Hanna-Barbara sidekicks have gone out of style, there's no denying Gleek's lasting impact or the demand to see the space monkey in new projects going forward. Although the HBO Max "Wonder Twins" movie has reportedly been canceled (per Variety), there's always a possibility we could see Gleek again in the near future — be it live-action, animation, or in another comic book.
10. Titus, Robin's pet Great Dane
The most recent addition to the DC Universe's ever-growing list of super-pets, Titus is Damian Wayne's Great Dane, and a fine one at that. Don't let the breed fool you — Titus is no Scooby-Doo. In fact, he's a tough-as-nails pooch with a heart of gold, much like the young Boy Wonder himself. First appearing in 2011's "Batman & Robin" #2, Batman gifts Titus to his son as a test in responsibility and attachment, hoping that by caring for another living being, Damian would care more about the lives of the criminals they fight each night. Thankfully, the young Robin grows to genuinely care for the dog, naming him after one of his favorite Shakespeare characters, Titus Andronicus.
Although Titus hasn't been around nearly as long as the rest of the super-pets on this list, he has become a fan-favorite addition to the Batman mythos in his short time with the Bat-Family. Even appearing at the end of the animated adaptation of "Teen Titans: The Judas Contract," Titus has made himself a staple of Robin's own character development and his attachment to his humanity. Plus, it's nice to see Titus and Batman's dog Ace — both known as "the Bat-Hound" — hang out together around Wayne Manor. It's just great that each of them has their own Bat-buddy.
9. Koko, Brainiac's evil space monkey
Even supervillains can have their own pets, and the Collector of Worlds is no exception. Hailing from the planet Colu, Brainiac travels the galaxy hoping to collect cities from every planet to make his knowledge of the universe unparalleled. Sometimes a machine, sometimes a man, oftentimes a mix of both, Brainiac has no need for companionship — at least not the traditional kind. Yet Koko, a space-monkey worthy of the Brainiac mantle and a constant foil to Superman's own super-pets, has managed to find the softest place in Brainiac's heart. Koko first appeared alongside Brainiac in his master's debut in "Action Comics" #242, where he helped try and steal a bunch of cities from Earth. Talk about a bad monkey.
Since then, Koko has appeared sparingly, and was most recently reinvented as a space-ape creature that Brainiac could sic on whoever infiltrated his signature Skull Ship. But if you were worried this super-pet would only hang around supervillains, don't be alarmed. Eventually, the Legion of Superheroes member (and descendant of Brainiac) called Brainiac 5 would find a version of the space-monkey and adopt him as his own. Koko hasn't shown up too much outside of the comic books (save for an appearance on "Batman: The Brave and the Bold"), but this space-monkey has managed to hold out longer than most super-pets, earning him a place here.
8. Comet the Superhorse
Okay, so Comet the Super-Horse is probably the strangest of all the super-pets, and it won't take long for readers to understand why. Originally a centaur named Biron, Comet was supposed to be made fully man by the witch Circe, but instead was accidently made into a full-on horse. This curse was sadly irreversible, but as a consolation prize Circe also granted Comet with superpowers, including flight, immortality, super strength, speed, and telepathy, among others. Biron is eventually found by the original Kara Zor-El incarnation of Supergirl, who renames him Comet before conscripting him into various superheroics.
But here's where it gets even weirder. Comet ends up falling in love with Supergirl. Eventually, he's turned into a human named "Bronco" Bill Star, and attempts to date the Maiden of Might. It's a whole thing. After the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" reboot (and Supergirl's death), Comet was wiped from the DC canon, only to be replaced by a centaur version of the character who was actually two beings merged into one, and who would go on to team up with the Linda Danvers version of Supergirl. This version of Comet would also be erased, and eventually the original Comet — and the original Supergirl — would return to the DC Universe, roaming the stars together in the pages of "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," at least for a little while.
7. Streaky the Supercat
With a trademark lightning bolt on his side, Streaky the Supercat was Supergirl's very own, completely normal feline friend until he was given superpowers by a strange form of Kryptonite. Unlike Superman and Supergirl, Streaky's powers only include flight, super-strength, speed, super-vision, heat vision, and a human-level intellect, forgoing some of the other classic Kryptonian superpowers like super-hearing, super-breath, and ice breath. There have been a bunch of different versions of Streaky over the years, some super-powered allies and others simply domesticated house cats, but his legacy in the Superman mythos has never been ignored.
Most recently, a female version of Streaky was introduced in the DC Rebirth continuity, one who seemingly had a bizarre romantic relationship with Krypto the Superdog. How that works is beyond us, but we do know that Streaky is still a member of the "Legion of Super-Pets," an animal version of the Justice League that originally just consisted of Superman-related super-pets but has since expanded to include the likes of Ace and Titus the Bat-Hounds, Bat-Cow, and Plastic Man's bird Flexi the Plastic-Bird. Both powered and non-powered versions of Streaky have appeared on "Superman: The Animated Series," "Krypto the Superdog," "Justice League Action," and the live-action "Supergirl" series.
6. Storm, Aquaman's favorite seahorse
Okay, so admittedly, Storm the seahorse doesn't have too much of a personality, but that doesn't make him useless. As Aquaman's trusted steed, Storm has been a part of some of the greatest battles in the history of the DC Universe, always there to charge head-first with the King of Atlantis into battle. An over-sized seahorse, Storm has been around since the late 1960s, an ever-constant in the constantly changing Aquaman mythos. He's even appeared in various animated and live-action productions such as the original Hanna-Barbara cartoon "Super Friends," "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," and the Jason Momoa-led "Aquaman" movie.
Storm is fiercely loyal to Atlantis, and refuses to abandon his King Arthur even in the bloodiest of battles. Unlike Aquaman, Storm is relegated to the sea, but that doesn't mean he misses out on superheroic adventures. In the New 52 era, Storm gained four appendages, making him a more mutated version of a giant seahorse, which is actually kind of unsettling. Like many of the other DC Super-Pets, Storm (back to having no legs at all, as it should be) has found new life in children's books, particularly in "Storm! The Origin of Aquaman's Seahorse," which explores the underwater steed's relationship with the King of Atlantis, as well as his career in superheroics.
5. Bat-Cow
Okay, this one is admittedly very weird, and a bit stranger than Superman having his own pet monkey. First appearing in official continuity in 2012's "Batman Incorporated" #1 by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham, Bat-Cow was originally meant for meat production until Robin encountered the beast in captivity. After saving the cow from his captors, Damian declares him "Bat-Cow" while declaring himself a vegetarian hoping to save other cows from the injustices of the meat-packing industry. Although Bat-Cow is a part of the mainstream DC Comics continuity, her first true appearance was in the made-for-kids comic "Tiny Titans" #17, in which Bat-Cow is adopted by Robin and brought to the Batcave.
With a star-shaped brand on her rear and a bat-shaped patch on her face — you know, to hide her secret identity as Damian Wayne's pet cow — there's no doubt that Bat-Cow is here to stay, and fans couldn't be more here for it. Although the character has very little to do (and isn't too much of a help in crime fighting), Robin's love for his Bat-Cow is enough to keep her around for as long as DC can shoe-horn her into the Bat-books. Plus, she has a few great interactions with Batman in the process.
4. Jumpa, Wonder Woman's pet Kanga
Did you know that Wonder Woman had a giant pet kangaroo? Well, technically it's a Kanga — a species of giant kangaroos that live on Paradise Island — but yeah, it's a real thing. Wonder Woman's favorite Kanga, Jumpa, has been around since the early 1940s, first appearing in "Sensation Comics" #6, in which she helps the Amazonian Princess take flight. Not only is Jumpa immortal, but she can also fly, which is something that Wonder Woman originally couldn't do in the comics. Of course, Jumpa was phased out of the DC Universe by the time Diana could fly on her own, but the temperamental Kanga has managed to reappear whenever she's needed.
More recently, Jumpa has become a consistent part of Wonder Woman's mythos, returning to the modern continuity in a backup feature of "Wonder Woman" #770 following young Diana's adventures on her homeland of Themyscira. As young Diana tries to train her temperamental Kanga, she learns valuable lessons that will help her in her future career as a superhero. But don't think that Wonder Woman just left Jumpa on the island when she ran off to help found the Justice League of America — the Kanga still helps her Princess whenever she can, especially against giant robots.
3. Tawky Tawny
Out of all the DC Comics characters to go through a complete overhaul in the past few decades, Captain Marvel, err... Shazam has had the roughest go. Not only did the "Big Red Cheese" get a complete history rewrite and a sudden change in personality, but so did his supporting cast. While he isn't technically Billy Batson's pet per se, Tawky Tawny is certainly a furry friend who's made his rounds across the Captain Marvel/Shazam chronology. An anthropomorphic tiger who wishes to live like a man, Tawny has joined the Marvel Family on countless adventures and would often serve as the voice of reason in young Billy Batson's life.
After the New 52 relaunch, Tawny was turned back into a normal Bengal tiger, one who Billy constantly visits at the zoo and talks to about all his problems. Tawny even comes to Billy's aid when Black Adam attacks the young boy, powered by Billy's Shazam magic. In the DC Rebirth rebrand, the anthropomorphic version returned once more as an ally of the Shazam Family who began adventuring with these young kids-turned-adult heroes. Besides being able to speak like a normal human, Tawny also has some limited shapeshifting abilities — including turning into a human as well as a giant smilodon — and a dashing wardrobe that makes him stand out among the rest of his brightly-colored friends.
2. Ace the Bat-Hound
Joining Batman and Robin in "Batman" #92 way back in 1955, Ace the Bat-Hound has remained a constant throughout the Dark Knight's decades-spanning career. Although the canon of the DC Universe always seems to be in flux, Ace manages to reemerge throughout every timeline reboot and continuity shift. Most recently, Ace was reintroduced as a guard dog for the Joker who, after being taken in and re-trained by Alfred, becomes incredibly loyal to Bruce Wayne and the rest of the Bat-Family, even going so far as to turn on his former master and help defeat the Clown Prince of Crime. His loyalty to the Guardian of Gotham knows no bounds, and he'll even get more violent than the Dark Knight if need be.
But Ace has lived far beyond his time in the Batman comic books. On the animated series "Batman Beyond" and "Krypto the Superdog," Ace is seen as a loyal pet to Bruce Wayne, trained to help Batman under any circumstances. Actually, Ace helps futuristic Batman Terry McGuiness defeat the Joker too. On "Krypto," Ace takes a Batman-like role in the Dog of Steel's life, often tracking down Harley Quinn's hyenas Bud and Lou, Penguin's Bad News Birds, and Catwoman's cat Isis. Just like his master, the Bat-Hound doesn't slouch on crime, and takes protecting the innocent very seriously.
1. Krypto the Superdog
Certainly the most iconic super-pet on this list, Krypto has been Superman's four-legged best friend since his first appearance in "Adventure Comics" #210, where he joined Superboy on patrol. Unlike many of the other super-pets out there, Krypto has remained a faithful part of the Superman mythos since the dog's first appearance, and while he occasionally looks different (looking at you, New 52), he's always around to get his best friend out of trouble. No wonder "DC's League of Super-Pets" would follow the superdog as he tries to save Superman and the Justice League.
Originally another test subject for Jor-El, Krypto made his way to Earth and reunited with the Man of Steel while he was still a boy. From there, Krypto has helped Superman against his most fearsome enemies while spending most of his days guarding the Fortress of Solitude. A version of the dog named Shelby appears in the "Smallville" episode "Krypto," but don't let the title fool you — they have very little in common. Krypto did get his own animated series, however, titled "Krypto the Superdog," which followed his adventures with a young boy named Kevin, who takes care of Krypto when Superman is too busy for the responsibility of a dog. But hey, if any super-canine would understand the Man of Steel's dilemma, it would be Krypto.