Krypto #77: Sidelines

From: Superman #215 (April 1969), Adventure Comics #380 (May 1969), and Superboy #161 (December 1969)

The year is 1969 and it's not a good year for Krypto stories. His star is waning, perhaps as the Silver Age prepares to tarnish to Bronze. Having last appeared cover-date December 1968, he only gets three appearance in the next year, cover dates April, May and then December! And they're all pretty low-key.

In Superman #215, for example, an imaginary story's Krypto helps a widowed Superman raise his daughter. He's a faithful pet, but hardly does anything heroic.

The in Adventure Comics #380, he is forced to wear a dinosaur costume to help Superboy and the other Super-Pets carry out a life-saving hoax on the Legion.

And that's his biggest role, because in Superboy #161 - 7 months later as the cover dates fly - Krypto is merely mentioned in a discussion of Superboy's hideaways.

Oh Krypto... are you now a has-been?