Best in show: The 21 top superhero pets
Dogs and cats and capes, oh my—a look at faithful and powerful companions across DC, Marvel, and more
Most casual superhero fans know about Superman’s faithful dog Krypto, whether or not they’ve seen the super pooch save the day or leap a particularly tall fire hydrant in a single bound. But those fans may not know that superheroes, just like the rest of us, often need a smart, loyal companion. The difference with superhero pets, of course, is that occasionally possess super powers and can help save the day.
To mark the release of DC League Of Super-Pets, The A.V. Club has assembled an extensive (but by no means comprehensive) kennel of superhero animals. Some have shown up in live-action adventures, while others have remained on the printed page (so far). Not all are necessarily good boys or girls, but unlike the heroes and villains they work with, most can be subdued with a well-placed scratch or two behind the ears (or wings or … ).
Ace the Bat Hound may not be a well known super-pet, but the Kevin Hart-voiced version of the pooch in could boost his profile. Ace first arrived on the scene back in 1955—right around the time that Krypto the Superdog first joined forces with Superman—as a loyal companion for the comic book version of Batman. Maybe Batman’s creators figured Bruce Wayne would enjoy the company of a dog, which makes sense because he’s a pretty lonely guy (although, why not a bat?).Like his human owner, Ace doesn’t have any superpowers, but it’s a pretty cool idea to have a protective German Shepard accompany Batman and Robin on their travels. Ace didn’t appear with any of the more vigilante-styled Batmans, which is kind of a shame since he could really do some damage on Gotham’s bad guys (though the comparisons to police attack dogs would probably not be especially flattering). Ace has come and gone in various Batman comics, and he was also reimagined as a Bull Mastiff and a Great Dane, though one instead named Titus. [Don Lewis]
What pet could possibly be worthy of a Valkyrie, one of the mythological Norse shield maidens? Well, Aragorn. Dane Whitman, aka The Black Knight, genetically enhanced a normal horse, granting it large fully feathered wings, and he rode his trusty steed into battle against the Masters Of Evil, Le Sabre, the Asgardian fire giant Surtur, and the Olympian war god Ares, to name a few. When Dane decided to travel back to 12th century AD, he entrusted Aragorn to the Valkyrie Brunnhilde. During the War of the Realms, Odin recruited the Valkyries against Malekith the Accursed. The conflict resulted in the death of all the Valkyries and their horses, including Aragorn. The Marvel Cinematic Universe recently introduced Aragorn in Avengers: Endgame, in the scene in which the big-screen iteration of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) charged Thanos and his minions. [Bryan Cairns]
Considering he began life as a toy tiger from Mattel’s Big Jim line that got repainted green to look more fantastical, Battle Cat has evolved into a rich and iconic character. Multiple Masters Of The Universe continuities over the years have produced different details in each telling, but common to all of them is the fact that Battle Cat is a giant warrior tiger who easily carries a massive, muscular, loincloth-clad blond man on his back.Since Filmation’s He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe cartoon, Battle Cat has been a superhero as well, complete with a secret identity. The cowering, teeth-chattering Cringer didn’t just talk, he complained, and whined, and didn’t want to undergo transformations into He-Man’s combat partner and ride. The 2002 Mike Young Productions cartoon arguably overcompensated by taking his voice away entirely. But recent iterations on Netflix—including the wildly different Masters of the Universe: Revelation and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2021)—gave Cringer a significant upgrade, making him into a wise mentor figure who made up in brains what he lacked in stature. Then, when he transforms into Battle Cat, he has it all. [Luke Y. Thompson]
Some—well, most—super-pets are kind of dumb, either in conception or execution. But DC Comics deserves a lot of credit for throwing a hyena named Bruce (after Bruce Wayne) into the mix as Harley Quinn’s scrappy, lovable pet. Bought at an exotic pet auction by Harley, who falls in love at first sight, Bruce is a spotted hyena—more commonly known as a laughing hyena—which pairs perfectly with Harley Quinn’s whackadoodle personality and her sometime-relationship with The Joker. Who doesn’t love the image of these two loving on each other? Bruce is a domesticated hyena who lives in Harley Quinn’s bathtub and adores her. They enjoy sharing a piece of licorice, a la Lady And The Tramp, and he isn’t afraid to chow down on problematic dudes who say the wrong thing to her. While not particularly “super,” Bruce is still pretty cool. [Don Lewis]
Watchmen icon Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias was a lonely dude, confined to his off-the-grid lifestyle in an Antarctic fortress after committing a variety of unsavory acts against humanity. He needed a pal, and what could be a better than a really large, red, genetically mutated lynx? Sadly, the first incarnation of Bubastis was vaporized and hardly got to have any fun, at least in terms of what readers saw. However Ozymandias later recreates Bubastis and imbues her with the ability to locate Dr. Manhattan anywhere in the universe. She also gains the ability to absorb other people’s powers. Bubastis appeared frequently in the Watchmen Doomsday Clock books, but other than that, she mostly hangs around with Veidt. She was also approved for a toy replica by Adrian Veidt’s PR team, but there’s no word on whether the action figure hit its sales goals. [Don Lewis]
DC Comics’ Comet The Super-Horse has had multiple incarnations during his rather pointless existence in the DC Universe. He was introduced in a 1962 Superboy story, and later went on to be featured in Supergirl comics because apparently every Supergirl wants a pony. Comet v1 had the same powers as his human counterparts—faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive (no matter the horsepower?), and so on. But why do people who already have super strength, speed, and the power of flight need a horse that can do the exact same things? That they don’t probably explains why Comet did little more than fly off into the sunset. Comet v2 trotted onto the scene in a 1997 Supergirl comic, this time as more of a centaur who could fly and generate cold. The next Comet was a gender fluid, reincarnated combination of a gay female stand-up comic and a male jockey. Regardless of which iteration, however, Comet The Wonder-Horse is a letdown as a Super Pet. [Don Lewis]
Described as “the most sadistic and malicious of the Red Lanterns” by creator Geoff Johns, Dex-Starr started off as a cute and cuddly housecat named Dexter. One tragic day, an intruder brutally murdered his beloved owner. After he was thrown out on the street, two hoodlums attempted to toss Dexter into the river. Filled with anger and sorrow, Dexter gained the attention of the supervillain Atrocitus, who transformed him into Sector 2814’s Red Lantern, Dex-Starr. The newly enhanced feline’s first order of business? Exact revenge on those who wronged him. Wielding a weapon of vast power, Dex-Starr’s ring converted his fury into energy blasts, impenetrable force fields, and shapes made of solid light. He’s tangled with Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan, and easily trounced Lobo’s extraterrestrial mutt, Dawg. Despite his vicious nature, Dex-Starr did contribute in defending Earth against an onslaught of Black Lanterns and the Anti-Monitor.
Some pets are indelibly tied to just one hero. But in the case of Devil Dinosaur, the fiery (in color and temperament) prehistoric creature, we have to talk about his two most famous partners: Moon-Boy and Moon Girl. You may be tempted to think there’s some relation, given their monikers, but the two belong to different dimensions—though they clearly share an affection for this mutated dino, who’s as loyal as a companion gets. Originally from “Dinosaur World,” a reality that very much lives up to its name, Devil Dinosaur first got his enhanced powers from a mutation caused by a fire from which Moon-Boy rescued him. It was alongside that young member of the Small-Folk tribe that this Devil Beast first came to take part in adventures that eventually brought him to Earth 616 where, after hoping to avenge the death of his longtime companion, he found yet another brave young vigilante (Lunella Lafayette, aka Moon Girl) with whom to bond and fend off attacks from the likes of the Killer-Folk in his newfound environment in the Lower East Side. [Manuel Betancourt]
As pet names go, “Eagly The Eagle” is cartoonishly straightforward. And possibly also the most absurd. The kind of name a kid would come up with. Indeed, Peacemaker (John Cena) gets plenty of flak for giving his bird such an obvious moniker. But that’s the tonal sensibility that characterizes James Gunn’s take on this DC property. Of course Peacemaker would have a trained bald eagle as his handy sidekick; what else would conjure up the very things Peacemaker fights for than this most American of icons. And while Eagly can be as ruthless and aggressive as his owner, this loyal bird also manages to bring out a tender side you wouldn’t expect from the eponymous jingoistic bulked up villain-cum-hero who is, in Gunn’s words, a “piece of shit.” Just, you know, don’t mess with it or expect it to be house trained. This eagle still has its soul. [Manuel Betancourt]
Zan and Jayna might have famously fist bumped to activate their Wonder Twin powers, but it was their Exxorian space monkey Gleek who stole their thunder. Introduced in the 1977 animated series The All-New Super Friends Hour—and inspired by the monkey Blip in Hanna-Barbara’s Space Ghost—the blue simian possessed a stretchable, prehensile tail that often saved their asses. More intelligent than the average monkey, Gleek can communicate via a type of animal chatter, sign language or acting out scenes. Mischievous in nature, he frequently found himself in plenty of trouble and, consequently, often served as comic relief. One Super Friends episode, however, featured an invasion of evil members of his species. Most recently, a comic book version of the Twins’ beloved pet popped up in the New 52 DC Universe in Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye #1. In addition, during the Arrowverse’s Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover, Gleek was never shown, but can be heard, with a quick shot of an empty cage … suggesting he exists in the TV universe. [Bryan Cairns]
At first glance, Captain Marvel’s Goose is as adorable a kitty as you’re likely to find, a fluffy tabby who looks like she’d be perfectly content sitting on Carol Danvers’ lap for days on end (and perhaps growl and scowl at everybody else who’d cross her). But this unassuming pet is, as you can imagine, not what she seems. Unintentionally, the character’s original name in the comics (Chewie, after a certain Millennium Falcon co-pilot) gave away an important part of her identity—namely, the fact that she’s an alien. Goose/Chewie is a Flerken, a fact that fans of Captain Marvel got to see firsthand when she opened her mouth and plenty of tentacles reached out to help Carol (Brie Larson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) protect the Tesseract. And if that wasn’t enough, Goose made even more of an impression on the big screen by offering up an answer to what had, for more than a decade of MCU films, been a curious mystery: it was Goose who wounded Fury, requiring him to wear his signature eye patch! [Manuel Betancourt]
You have to imagine it would be difficult for Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, to choose a favorite kitty among the many she fosters. And yet Isis is truly at the top of her list, with a name that evokes her goddess-like sensibility. Mostly a character in DC’s animated properties, especially Batman The Animated Series, Isis is often depicted as a black cat who slinks her way through Selina’s apartment and can be counted on to help her in any given heist. But for those who have encountered her in Krypto The Superdog, Isis is no black cat. In fact, in that animated series, she is a Siamese villainess who lives up to her owner’s wily ways, bickering and fighting with Krypto (aka Superman’s dog), as well as Ace the Bat-Hound (Batman’s beloved pet hound) and even Streaky the Super-cat (Supergirl’s pet kitty). [Manuel Betancourt]
Wolverines—with their big claws and even bigger attitudes—shouldn’t make suitable pets. Tell that to Laura and Gabby. After Squirrel Girl rescues Jonathan, an actual four-legged wolverine, from a lab where he was being experimented on, the two female clones of Logan adopt him. After being shot by a burglar, but not killed, Jonathan was nicknamed Jonathan the Unstoppable.Further proving he wasn’t all bark and no bite, Jonathan began wearing a mask and throwing himself into the heat of battle whenever the two girls found themselves in danger. Jonathan pitched in to help Wolverine, Gabby, Laura and the Guardians of the Galaxy fight the Brood Queen, but was injured in the scuffle. Jonathan recovered and thanks to a universal translator, Laura and Gabby can now understand their furry friend whenever he speaks. [Bryan Cairns]
Superman’s best friend, Krypto, debuted in Adventure Comics #210, when toddler Kal-El’s pooch was used as a test subject for the rocket that would eventually transport his master to Earth. Under Earth’s yellow sun and lower gravity, the white canine possessed the same enhanced super-abilities as Kal-El—super strength, flight, invulnerability, heat vision—and even more acute senses of smell and hearing.Different iterations of the DC Universe timeline have altered Krypto’s origin story. The DC Rebirth established Krypto as the family dog of Superman, Lois and their son Jon. Besides comic books, Krypto has ruffed it up in animated shows including Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series. Live-action versions of the superdog have appeared in Smallville and currently in Titans. Now Dwayne Johnson voices Krypto in the animated feature film DC League Of Super-Pets. [Bryan Cairns]
Dragons don’t just exist in the realm of fantasy. Take Lockheed, the longtime companion of the X-Men’s Kitty Pryde. The pint-sized, purple alien dragon first flew into action in The Uncanny X-Men #166, where he encountered Kitty on another planet and saved her from The Brood, a batch of parasitic creatures. The feisty Lockheed consequently stowed away on the X-Men’s spaceship and, shortly after landing on Earth, solidified his loyalty and connection to his mutant friend. Ever since, the two have been inseparable.Over the decades, Lockheed has joined the superhero teams the X-Men and Excalibur on numerous missions. A fierce and resilient combatant, he can breathe intense fire and notably once consumed a nest of predatory Sidrian hatchlings. A member of a highly advanced dragon-like race, capable of traveling through the universe in special spacecraft which transport their essences, Lockheed has run into other kin and alternate versions of himself during his adventures. [Bryan Cairns]
With bulldogs (both French and English) being all the rage at the moment, it’s a bit upsetting that no comic book nerd has dressed their adorable pooch up as Lockjaw, the enormous house pet of Marvel’s Inhumans. Looking like a slobbering English Bulldog whose forehead is adorned with the same weird tuning fork thing that appears on Black Bolt’s forehead, Lockjaw was the only living result of Surgeon Supreme’s experimentation on animals. Lest we go down an extremely problematic (and rarely discussed) Marvel rabbit hole, maybe focusing on Lockjaw’s powers would be best. He possesses the ability to teleport, which he uses to help BFF Black Bolt get around the universe. Later, Lockjaw became the house pet of Ben Grimm/The Thing. Although he is indeed a very good boy, he often suffers from simple canine distractions like chewing on things and chasing animals that wander into his periphery. [Don Lewis]
Many of the pets owned by superheroes or their friends and families are just regular critters—until some editor gets a wild hair and decides to make them super. Such is the case with Ms. Lion, the (male) dog of Peter Parker’s pal Angelica Jones, better known as Firestar. During a storyline involving Mr. Fantastic searching for infinity gems, he forms a team of Pet Avengers to help sniff them out. The inclusion of Ms. Lion seems odd given he has no super powers, but Reed Richards is the smartest man alive, so perhaps he had his reasons. Other than that brief adventurous excursion, Ms. Lion leads a normal life as a lap dog for Firestar, Iceman, and of course Spider-Man. [Don Lewis]
When you first see a super pet dinosaur named “Old Lace,” it definitely makes you wonder, “Why the hell would you name a dinosaur Old Lace?” Then you find out Old Lace is a genetically created dinosaur (a Deinonychus, technically) designed to protect Gert Yorkes, aka Arsenic of The Runaways. Get it—Arsenic and Old Lace? Yeah. Good one, Marvel. Imbued with a psychic connection to Gert, it seems like Old Lace didn’t really serve her purpose, because Arsenic (seemingly) dies, leaving the dino in the care of Chase Stein, who proceeds to use her for violent acts of retribution. I mean, if you have a dinosaur who will listen to you and it has razor sharp teeth, is there really any other use than violent retribution? Anyway, Old Lace kind of comes and goes, and is eventually reunited with Gert—and all is well between a girl and her pet dinosaur. [Don Lewis]
If you’re only familiar with Marvel characters through their MCU iterations—from just their live-action adaptations, that is—you will likely find some welcome surprises in certain comic book backstories. Take Redwing. In the MCU, Redwing is Sam Wilson’s drone, part of the Falcon wingsuit that the former U.S. Air Force para-rescue airman can remotely control from his left bracer. And if you get the sense that Sam treats Redwing like he would a pet (he does ask Black Widow to pet him, after all), that’s because in the comics Redwing referred to an actual falcon—not just any falcon (obviously) but one with whom Wilson had a telepathic connection as a result of Red Skull’s manipulation of the Cosmic Cube. This allows the two to be a perfect fighting duo, with Wilson being handily able to communicate with this trusted fellow, and to even see through the bird’s eyes whenever needed. [Manuel Betancourt]
Not all pets of super-powered beings have special powers of their own. Some, like the cheekily named Tippy Toe, are just a regular ol’ squirrel. And while Tippy’s skills mostly include the ability to talk to other squirrels and be fed by strangers (you know, the very skills any other squirrel living in a big city may have), there’s no denying that Squirrel Girl’s pet-cum-sidekick is an integral part of that lovable Marvel superheroine’s lore. Don’t be fooled by the pink bow that often adorns her neck, because Tippy is one brave rodent, always ready to defend not only Squirrel Girl but other squirrels, and humankind as well. Like her owner, Tippy believes there’s harmony to be found across species—also, any squirrel who can survive attacks from the likes of Leather Boy, M.O.D.O.K., Deathurge, and the Chtty, is perhaps not as ordinary as she first appears. [Manuel Betancourt]
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