The Best Super Hero Pets of the Marvel Universe

The Marvel Universe is so full of heroes that even the pets are super! In fact, Earth's Mightiest Heroes have some extraordinary animal companions who are heroes in their own right. 

In MARVEL UNLEASHED (2023) #1 by Kyle Starks, Jesus Hervas, Yen Nitro, and VC's Joe Caramagna, an elite crew of Earth's Mightiest Pets band together to rescue one of their own from Kraven the Hunter—but they're not the only Marvel animals that pack a punch. Let's take a look at a few of the strongest pets on Earth, including some who could give the Avengers a run for their money.

Bats

When Stephen Strange "retired" from his role as Sorcerer Supreme and became a veterinarian, he didn't let a career change stop his magic-making. To circumvent his lack of vet training, the good doctor cast a spell that translated his patients' animal noises into English. 

Among the enchanted was his adopted dog Bats, a basset hound with a weak heart, which gave out after he mistook an argument with then-Sorcerer Supreme Loki for a fight. Thankfully, when Strange later reclaimed his title, Bats returned to him as a ghost dog. 

Since then, the hound has been a regular in Strange's circle and a frequent ally of Throg and their fellow pet heroes. Beyond Strange's spell that lets him speak to humans, Bats' main ability is ghostly possession. He was even strong enough to overtake Strange's body when it was claimed as one of Mephisto's Ghost Riders in DOCTOR STRANGE: DAMNATION (2018)!

Chewie

Chewie looks like a cat, but most definitely is not. Once she opens her mouth and reveals a seemingly endless mass of writhing, fanged tentacles, it becomes obvious what she truly is: a Flerken. 

Chewbacca Sassy Danvers is a fittingly alien pet for the "Boss of Space" Captain Marvel and has gone on a number of far-out adventures with her person. From traversing the Multiverse to traveling with the Guardians of the Galaxy to bonding with the Carnage symbiote, Chewie has earned her place among the most experienced pet heroes, although her sweet and supportive—if a bit sassy—personality keeps her humble. 

With Flerken abilities including teleportation, gnashing tentacles, and access to a mini-Multiverse of pocket dimensions, C.S. Danvers packs plenty of power. Her only weakness might be the one thing about her that's 100% cat: a fickle tendency to take naps when and where she really shouldn't.

Old Lace

A member of the Runaways, Old Lace is a dinosaur from the far future who was genetically engineered to protect Gertrude Yorkes. Commissioned by Gert's time-travelling parents and only meant to activate should something happen to them, Gert awakened Old Lace early and the pair formed a telepathic link before fleeing home and joining the Runaways. 

Thanks to this link, Gert can communicate with Old Lace mentally, and they also share physical injuries. Of course, Old Lace's main strength is the fact she is a fully-fledged dinosaur, complete with razor-sharp claws and teeth. Although she makes a fiercely loyal pet, her propensity for munching cats has kept her fairly far from any would-be pet hero allies.

Redwing

As the faithful companion of two Captains America, Redwing is the most experienced pet hero there is… or so he believes. His hero career began when he was just a normal falcon that Sam Wilson bought in Rio De Janeiro. He later became a bit more extraordinary when some Hydra-Cosmic Cube shenanigans created a telepathic link between him and Wilson, allowing his person to psychically gain a bird's-eye view. It was likely here that Redwing's high opinion of himself began, as he went on to fight Hydra, A.I.M., Kang the Conqueror, demons straight out of hell, and just about anything else heroes like the Captains would let him fight. 

With all that time spent working alongside him, Captain America definitely rubbed off on Redwing. As a result, Redwing is knowledgeable in all manner of superheroic things, from battle strategy and intelligence to leadership—although knowledge doesn't necessarily equate to skill in Redwing's case. But he can't help his smugness; according to Chewie, that's just how most birds of prey are.

Lockjaw

Lockjaw is easily one of the most accomplished pet heroes in the Marvel Universe. Born from Inhuman experimentation on dogs, Lockjaw is the loyal pet of the Royal Family of Attilan, though he has spent plenty of time with other heroes like the Thing and Ms. Marvel. 

Whether it's the Fantastic Four or the Royal Family, Lockjaw's Super Hero experience and powerful ability to warp through time and space has made him a fully-fledged member of any team he joins. In addition to his ability to teleport, Lockjaw also possesses super-strength and can track things throughout the Multiverse with his superior senses. He doesn't say much, but off the battlefield, that's usually because he's snoozing.

Lucky the Pizza Dog

Lucky is just a dog—albeit in the same way that his people, the Hawkeyes, are just people. He once belonged to a gang known as the Tracksuit Mafia, who abused him, but he was ultimately rescued by Clint Barton. 

Unfortunately, this first encounter cost Lucky his left eye after a tracksuit mafioso threw him into traffic. His survival earned him the name Lucky, and the pup has since risen above his circumstances. Now, he enjoys being a dog, eating New York pizza, and helping out the Hawkeyes however he can, even when it means moving to Los Angeles with Kate Bishop to restart the West Coast Avengers. 

Lucky wound up back in NYC, though, where he eventually helped take down the villain Taskmaster. Lucky has no powers or skills; he's just a very good boy who's always ready to help.

Throg

Throg was originally a human named Simon Walterson, who was turned into a frog after stiffing a witch on her séance bill. From there, Simon took up residence in Central Park, where he became embroiled in a frog-rat war and took on the name "Puddlegulp." 

One day, Puddlegulp witnessed a new frog beat back all the enemy rats—only to discover this frog was none other than Thor himself. When Frog Thor finally returned to Asgard, a small chip broke off of Mjolnir. Using all of his might, Puddlegulp lifted the sliver and became Throg: Frog of Thunder, worthy of Frogjolnir. 

Throg joined the Asgardians of the Galaxy during the WAR OF THE REALMS (2019), served as Master of Spies for King Thor when Mjolnir went missing, and—among his many other accolades—led the Pet Avengers. His seat of power lies in the Foreverglade of Midgard, where he rules over the swamp creatures and regales them with tales of his adventures.

Tippy-Toe

Tippy-Toe is Squirrel Girl's faithful rodent companion—but she wasn't the first. After Squirrel Girl's original partner Monkey Joe was senselessly murdered, Tippy-Toe took his place as the lone survivor of a squirrel army summoned by Doreen to fight the Maelstrom. 

From defeating M.O.D.O.K. to confronting Galactus himself, Squirrel Girl and Tippy-Toe have gone on to greatness as an inseparable duo. What's Squirrel Girl without her squirrel, after all? But Tippy-Toe has also had adventures of her own. She even teamed up with the likes of Howard the Duck and once led a squirrel army of her own to help Rocket Raccoon defeat the villainous Plantman. 

The hero squirrel even gained a (tiny) portion of the power cosmic, becoming the amazing Silver Squirrel—one of two, actually. In the world of Peter Porker, there exists another, but he's no pet, so it's not quite the same.

D-Dog

D-Dog is new to the pet hero scene, but what she lacks in experience, she more than makes up for with enthusiasm. The main strike against her, however, is that she isn't technically a pet. D-Dog was abandoned by her family at a city dump, where she vowed to bring justice to a cruel world. 

When she dug up an old D-Man-style mask, this pup was convinced that it was a sign. From then on, she fully dedicated herself to becoming the stray crusader D-Dog, the justice that barks! Operating from her "secret headquarters" under a park bridge, D-Dog serves and protects local animals, although she doesn't have any special powers or skills. 

Her ultimate goals: to become the greatest hero who ever lived, to save everyone who needs help, and to one day be told she is a good dog—which she absolutely, undeniably is.

Go on a rescue mission with a few of these Super Hero pets in MARVEL UNLEASHED #1, now on sale!

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