Mighty Mutts Courageous Canines: Swifty and Elmo

Krypto the Super-Dog and Thor the Thunder Dog were the more famous superhuman dogs were the most famous of the mighty mutts (while the non-super Krypto of Earth-Two and the robotic Krypto of Earth-One were the one-hit-wonders aiding Superman and Superboy on occasion), there were other courageous canines. Among these were Swifty and Elmo.

Swiftly was a greyhound saved by Superboy from the pooch’s murderous fox-hunting owner. Tracking the young hero back to his Smallville home with the Kent Family, Superboy gifts Swifty with a serum created by Kryptonian criminal Roz-Em that previously gave Clark’s adopted parents Jonathan and Martha with superpowers. Now possessing temporary powers like those of Superboy and his pet Krypto, Swifty is trained to be a friend and protector of Clark’s Super-Dog. However, Krypto becomes jealous of Swifty causing a one-sided rivalry, resolved when the greyhound losses his powers.

However, the Phantom Zone criminals mentally manipulate Swifty into recreating his superpowers through a chemical concoction.  Seeking to use the dog to lure Superboy into a trap, the criminals’ scheme is delayed when their young foe devises a couple tests to see whether Krypto or Swifty should have the honor of the former’s invulnerable cape, and we dwindled the lad’s pooch partner. Swiftly is victorious both times, and after he and his new master encouraged a warring human and beast population on another world to seek peace, the boy and his dogs journey to his planetary museum. There, Superboy nearly dies from Green Kryptonite radiation, until Krypto creates a bizarro Swifty that battles the original. Superboy then mixes more chemicals to restore Swifty’s sanity and normalcy.

Doll Man based his strength ray off the Miraclo black light ray hypothesized by his fellow Freedom Fighters teammate Rex Tyler. Right after developing it in 1950, Darrel Dane used it on a stray dog he adopted named Elmo, which both healed him and give him super-canine strength. It also increased his intelligence, allowing him to understand human communication. 

For the next several months, Elmo assisted Dane’s alter ego Doll Man. Eventually, the dog became acquainted with Darrel's fiancee Martha Roberts, and soon assisted her as well when she adopted the Doll Girl alter ego after gaining powers similar to her boyfriend's. From December 1950 until February 1952, Elmo faithfully followed his master into a wide array of adventures, helping the pair.

Eventually, Elmo retired from crimefighting, although Darrel and Martha carried on in their costumes crusade. Given the nature of Dane’s ray devise, the superhuman strength “of ten men” (like that which Hourman possessed after exposure to the Miraclo black light) would have amplified his already proportionally strong physique when he was a Mighty Mite. As Doll Man, Darrel could be considered on par with Superman of Earth-Two when he began his career, before his Kryptonian genes developed to full potential and maturity.