In "When We First Met", we spotlight the various characters, phrases, objects or events that eventually became notable parts of comic lore, like the first time someone said, "Avengers Assemble!" or the first appearance of Batman's giant penny or the first appearance of Alfred Pennyworth or the first time Spider-Man's face was shown half-Spidey/half-Peter. Stuff like that.
Reader Cy T. wrote in to ask, "A recent story about "Aquaman's music-loving octopus sidekick does appear in his solo movie," got me wondering about other Justice League 'Super Pet's besides Krypto and Ace, the Bat-Hound.
I never knew about Wonder Woman's pet kangaroo, Jumpa nor Aquaman's Octopus sidekick.
Will you cover this in the future?"
Yes, yes, I will. RIGHT NOW!
The Legion of Super-Pets was a concept introduced in the actual Legion of Super-Heroes, but has since become a name for a team of animal superheroes based on pets of various DC superheroes. So it doesn't have anything to do with the Legion itself anymore.
However, I'll add in a little bit to the first two of them. I showed when we first met Krypto, but that was in the tales of SUPERBOY. He didn't meet SUPERMAN until Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #29 in 1958, when an old Krypto shows up on Earth again after going for a long journey around the universe...
At the end of the story, Superman restores Krypto's youth but then temporarily writes Krypto out again...
He came back soon enough.
After debuting in Batman #92, Ace the Bathound became an official part of Batman and Robin's team in Batman #103, when his owner went away to Europe and left Ace in the care of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson...
Since his owner was a Batman supporting character, I assume he was brutally murdered at some point in Europe.
Okay, let's do some more first appearances!
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Wonder Woman had the FIRST super-pet, as her kanga, Jumpa, debuted in Sensation Comics #6 (by William Marston and H.G. Peter)...
Oddly enough, when Topo the Octopus was introduced in 1956's Adventure Comics #229 (by Ramona Fradon and a mystery writer), he was just called "Octopus"...
But he showed up in a bunch of issues in a row, with Aquaman even calling him his "pet Octopus."
Beppo the Superm-Monkey made his bow in Superboy #76 (by Otto Binder and George Papp), where he tormented Superman when he was a Superbaby...
He copied Superbaby once too many, though, as Superbaby tricked Beppo into being chased by a comet and Beppo just flew off and got lost in outer space (kind of cruel, right?)...
There ya go, Cy!
If anyone has a comic book first that they were wondering about, please drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!