Sure, your cat may be cute and can do that thing with the string, but can she autopsy a corpse or become a periscope for you to look through, on demand? Those are just two of the talents of the supercat in Brandon Graham's graphic novel King City — and that's not the only science fiction pet that can put yours to shame. Click through for our roundup of super-pets who would make Toula, America's official Most Talented Pet growl with envy.
Earthling: Futuristic burglar Joe may be the official star of King City, but it's his pet cat Earthling that steals all of the scenes that he appears in. Joe, having trained years to become a "Cat Master", has the skills and medications to repurpose Earthling into whatever he needs in any given situation - whether it's as a screwdriver, skateboard or just plain cat burglar.
Bandit, Tinker and Pirate: We've gone on about We3 before (and we'll continue to do so until everyone has accepted it as the greatest funny animal comic ever made), but there's no avoiding the fact that these cyborg animals aren't the type to perform stupid pet tricks. With laser-sighted guns and enhanced reflexes, you'd have to be a pretty bad stink boss if you expected them to roll over or play dead.
Rex The Wonder Dog: Ever wondered what would've happened if Captain America was a dog? The answer comes in the form of Rex, a patriotic dog injected with a super-soldier serum in World War II before the creator of a serum was killed by a Nazi spy. Suddenly blessed with increased stamina, strength and intelligence, Rex dedicated the rest of his life to solving crimes, battling injustice and fighting T-Rexes. Because, really, what else would a super-powered dog do?
Jake, The Cat From Outer Space: Move over, Star Ka'at - There's only room for one extra-terrestrial feline in my heart, and it's the star of this 1978 Disney movie who can not only talk via his special collar, but also influence the outcome of sporting events to benefit his gambling addiction. Sure, he said that he needed the gold to repair his spaceship, but who hasn't come up with a ridiculous story like that at some point?
The Legion of Super-Pets: Easily the greatest collection of crime-fighting house-broken animals in existence, and that's including Captain Carrot and His Zoo Crew. Also, proof that creators of Superman comics in the 1950s were beginning to get desperate. This particular Legion was made up of past and present pets belonging to Superman and Supergirl - there was Beppo the Super-Monkey, Krypto the Super-Dog, Streaky the Super-Cat and Comet the Super-Horse, all of whom traveled through time to team up and defeat the evil Brain-Globes of Rambat. Yes, you read that right: the evil Brain-Globes of Rambat.
Things got worse when, years later, Comet turned into a human lesbian stand-up comedian who was in love with Supergirl, and also a personification of the Angel of Love, who had once been a male jockey, and... Oh, never mind. We'll just pretend that never happened and think of Comet as a horse with super-powers. That's much better.
So there you have it: Some of fiction's greatest super-powered pets. Because I hate all Hanna-Barbera cartoons, I've missed out Scooby Doo, Dynamutt and Gleek, but who else should be added to the list?