Krypto #69: Space Canine Patrol Agent

From: Superboy #131 (July 1966)

This one is so loopy, you'll suspect it to be Krypto's dream, or at least his flying to Earth-C. It starts when Superboy is called to the 30th Century by the Legion and tells his dog, fully anticipating he'd come along and eat that delicious 30C dog food, to stay in the 20th and go on patrol. Krypto flies to space and encounters another super-powered dog!
Warning, dog lovers, Mammoth Mutt DIES ON-PANEL - it's very sad - but not before he pulls an Abin Sur on Krypto and gives him his telepathic collar and full membership in the Space Canine Patrol Agents so he can rescue the rest of the super-powered dogs from the murderous Canine Caper Gang. So off Krypto flies to the next planet, which is inhabited by humanoid canines, and...
Lots to unpack here, but essentially, while everyone on this planet is a humanoid dog, the superheroes are super-powered quadruped - it's Goofy v Pluto all over again - and the candy-striped dinosaur bones are apparently to kill for. But as Mammoth Mutt told Krypto each member only had one power, Krypto decides to pose as Air Daile, whose only power is flight, and who is apparently near-sighted because he needs to wear glasses. Why he can't just be Krypto, with his full suite of powers, is one of those things where the Silver Age takes human form and puts its finger on your lips with a comforting "shhhhh" sound. And though Krypto is famous enough to be recognized by Mammoth Mutt on sight, no one ever notices the trademark cape--shhhhhhh. Okay Silver Age. Okay.
So Krypto defeats a Doggysaur with flight alone, but lets himself get beaten up by the Gang so he can be thrown into the same jail cell. You've already met the super-hot Hot Dog, the horned Bull Dog, the stretchy Tail Terrier and the long-toothed Tusky Husky in the splash panel, but they aren't the only members. There's also... Chameleon Collie!
Also, Paw Pooch, but we'll have to wait a couple pages to discover his talents. The friendly dogs give Krypto a piece of chewing gum, they don't have any real food to offer him, and he discovers his powers are waning. Does the Gang have some secret weapon he doesn't know about? Still, it doesn't stop him from coming up with a plan using the other dogs' powers.
It works! The Agents run out of the sewer pipes, but are seen by the Gang who try to lure their foes into a cave full of explosive bones. Time for Chameleon Collie to show her stuff.
Saved from their own gluttony by... well, their own gluttony, the S.C.P.A. takes on the Gang doggo a doggo.
Paw Pooch, ladies and gentlemen. May your dreams be free of him tonight. While Krypto marvels at their handiwork, one Gang member comes up from behind and knocks the gum right out of his mouth!
Kryptonite gum. Of course. So obvious. So he kicks their butts, at least until they aim a gun at the Patrol, at which point everyone forgets they have super-powers and Krypto surrenders. He makes a deal with the Gang to take them and their fortress to a planet where there aren't any Canine Agents. But be careful how you phrase your wish, dawgs. This is Silver Age Krypto we're talkin' about.
That's right, there's a planet patrolled by giant super-powered cats, ALSO called the S.C.P.A. because acronyms are fun. And this is where Krypto wakes up, right? Nope. He goes home. Superboy wonders what that collar is all about. The end.

The S.C.P.A. will be back in... Krypto's Cat-Crook Caper!

Comments

In some ways, this is probably THE definitive Silver Age story. Great overview!
Anonymous said…
I've read this story many many times and it grows more delightful with every read. If I may invoke the oath of the Space Canine Patrol Agency to mourn the untimely passing of Mammoth Mutt...

Big dog! Big dog! Bow wow wow!

We'll stop evil now now now!

--De
Anonymous said…
For any fans of Krypto and the S.C.P.A., a Scooby-Doo Team-Up storyline had Scooby joining a task force of canine superheroes -- including Krypto, Ace the Bat-Hound, Wonder Dog, and a surprisingly competent G'Nort -- in journeying to Sirus, the Dog Star (natch) and teaming up with the S.C.P.A. Other guest-pooches included Rex the Wonder Dog, Yankee Poodle (The only semi-humanoid canine, go fig), Bulletdog, the long forgotten Robbie the Robot Dog (Companion to the original Robotman), and even Nightwing and Flamebird's faithful telepathic puppy Nighthound. Their enemy? The time-traveling menace of Dogaton! Gotta love SDTU, too bad they ended it with issue #100, but at least it had a long, silver-age influenced run.