As a lifelong DC comics enthusiast, I’ve always been fascinated by the unique abilities of Superman and his canine counterpart, Krypto. Now, having grown up with a couple of border collies myself, I must say that Krypto’s natural agility and speed would undoubtedly give him an edge in a race, even against the Flash!
Currently, Krypto the Superdog is experiencing a surge in popularity. Initially, he made an appearance on HBO/Max’s “Titans” television series as a significant character. Later, he graced the screens in the animated film “DC League of Super-Pets,” with Dwayne Johnson lending his voice to Krypto. Now, Krypto is gearing up for his most prominent cinematic role yet, as it has been confirmed that he will feature in the 2025 movie titled “Superman,” directed by James Gunn.
It’s indisputable that Krypto possesses immense power, yet because he is Superman’s dog and Superman is undeniably… well, Superman, some individuals may perceive the super-dog as less powerful. However, this assumption might be unjustified. In reality, there are compelling reasons to believe that Krypto could potentially outmatch DC’s Man of Steel in strength. Let’s examine the evidence that supports this idea and also discuss the significant challenge that may prevent Krypto from becoming the most powerful Kryptonian superhero.
Krypto’s bite may be stronger than Superman’s grip
In contrast to Superman, who boasts incredible strength as a superhero in the DC Universe, it’s plausible that Krypto surpasses him in one crucial area. Without the influence of the sun, Superman essentially loses his powers and becomes an ordinary man. He might appear muscular, but he doesn’t need to work out to maintain his abilities. Therefore, when it comes to physical strength not enhanced by superpowers, Superman’s grip strength could be comparable to a typical well-built man in his thirties, averaging about 216.6 lbs.
In various depictions, Krypto appears as a crossbreed between a white Labrador and another breed, which gives us an idea about his potential bite strength if he were not powered. Although the version of Krypto created by James Gunn is smaller and shaggier than the original character, it’s still reasonable to consider him as having the bite force of a Labrador. This would equate to a bite force ranging between 230 and 250 pounds per square inch for an unpowered Krypto.
It’s important to mention that although bite force and grip strength aren’t directly comparable, it can be inferred that Krypto’s bite would likely be stronger than Superman’s grip, as a human’s average bite force doesn’t surpass 140 pounds per square inch. In other words, even without his superpowers, Krypto’s bite could be much more powerful than the grip of Superman.
Krypto can theoretically see, hear, and smell better than Superman
Superman possesses an impressive array of supernatural abilities, such as extraordinary hearing that lets him hear even the faintest whisper from any corner of the world and vision capable of perceiving the electromagnetic spectrum at will. These heightened senses are crucial for his role in protecting Earth since without them he wouldn’t be able to find emergencies of all sizes. Interestingly, it’s yet another area where Superman falls short compared to Superdog (Krypto).
If we consider that Superman’s power contrast with Krypto is similar to a human versus a dog, it becomes apparent who has more advanced senses. Dogs possess significantly superior hearing compared to humans, they can voluntarily close their inner ear for better control over background noise. Their remarkable sense of smell outperforms human olfactory systems greatly. While the clarity of dogs’ eyesight varies by breed, Krypto might have excellent natural vision, and his potential color perception disadvantage could be irrelevant due to his ability to see the entire electromagnetic spectrum thanks to a yellow sun. Overall, dogs have a broader field of view and better night vision than humans.
Granted, Superman’s senses are so overpowered that Krypto’s superiority on any of these fields may be purely nitpicking. Still, when push comes to shove, it’s entirely possible that Krypto’s canine senses would give him an advantage over his master.
Krypto might have a ‘sixth sense’ that Superman can’t match
As someone who adores canines, I’ve often marveled at their extraordinary abilities. Their senses are finely tuned, making them seem almost psychic at times. This unique aptitude allows them to perceive things that might elude a typical human eye. For instance, they can sense emotions like fear, sadness, and even detect signs of illness in us humans. They do this by noticing subtle physical cues that we may overlook and respond accordingly. Remarkably, even untrained dogs have been observed attempting to alert their owners to an oncoming seizure due to their heightened sensitivity towards small changes in a familiar human.
Given his enhanced abilities, Superman wouldn’t find it difficult to perform similar tasks if the situation required it. However, being a super-dog with naturally superior senses, Krypto would hold an advantage and would likely excel significantly in these “sixth sense” activities.
Krypto is arguably much faster than Superman
One of the great points of debate among DC superheroes is who’s really faster, Superman or the Flash. The two have been known to race each other with various results, at least until Barry Allen demonstrates in Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver’s “The Flash: Rebirth” #3 that he can easily outrun Superman when charity races aren’t involved. Still, it would be interesting to see how the Flash would fare against Krypto.
The fastest speed ever achieved by a normal human, without superpowers, is approximately 27.78 miles per hour. This record was set by Usain Bolt, but he could only reach this speed for a short duration. Interestingly, many dogs can surpass this speed – greyhounds can run up to 45 mph while border collies can dash at around 30 mph. Even if Clark Kent isn’t superpowered, it’s unlikely that he would be able to match these speeds. Therefore, a regular dog like Krypto could outrun him easily, and this remains true even when they are both at their maximum potential.
It’s true that it’s uncertain how this would apply to flying, but in the comics, Superman’s ability to fly is attributed to his alien physique being resistant to gravity, which is amplified by Earth’s sun. Since this suggests it’s a physical trait, it’s reasonable to assume that Krypto, with his canine body designed for speed, could be a faster flyer as well.
The one thing that stops Krypto from being stronger than Superman
It’s worth noting that while Kryptonians derive their extraordinary abilities from the sun, there’s one area where Superman might outshine Krypto. Unlike humans, dogs possess a distinct type of skin that doesn’t enable them to absorb sunlight’s benefits as efficiently. This is particularly noticeable in their vitamin D intake. Unlike humans who can obtain vitamin D by direct exposure to sunlight, dogs must acquire it through their diet since their skin isn’t capable of providing the same benefit.
Having a healthy amount of Vitamin D in your system is not comparable to possessing the most powerful superpowers like Superman and his dog Krypto, who are both solar-powered aliens. While humans and Earth dogs may share similarities with them, there are significant differences in their ability to absorb sunlight. Given that Krypto still has canine-like fur and skin, it could potentially limit his ability to gain strength from the sun, keeping his power levels lower than Superman’s. As for how James Gunn’s “Superman” will manage the duo’s powers, that remains to be seen. However, if Krypto were to perceive Superman as a foe or just get too energetic, Superman would definitely have his work cut out for him.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-10-22 00:00