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You know the tale, a hopeful young kid is brought in to test the military’s super solider serum. The kid becomes the near perfect being but oh no! The creator of the serum is killed and now our hero is the only super soldier and must go on to save the day time and time again. That’s right, we’re talking about Rex the Wonder Dog! Who did you think I was talking about? Anyway, let’s get to it!

Rex is a young German Shepard who is brought into the Army’s super soldier testing facility and is it’s first success. Unfortunately the scientist responsible with knowing how to make the serum is killed, leaving Rex as our only super soldier. He is taken in by human, Major Dennis, and the two go on to fight the Nazis and pretty much everyone on the Axis side during World War 2. Rex would get the Silver Star during the war for rescuing POWs, including Dennis himself.

With the war over, Rex would go to live with Major Dennis and his family. Dennis’ eldest son, Phillip, would be accused of a crime he did not commit and it was Rex who proved his innocence. Dennis’ youngest son, Danny became Rex’s new sidekick and the two would go on to have many adventures.

Rex would become an honorary Fire Chief among many other careers and titles such as forest ranger, chief of a Native American tribe, film actor, and bullfighter. Rex has often gone up against all kinds of creatures larger than himself, some mundane and others rather fantastic. In one such case, while witnessing an atomic bomb testing the resulting blast would unleash a T-Rex and Pterodactyl that Rex would have to face off against. Rex has had to fight at least two octopi in his life.

Before their was the shrinking hero the Atom, Rex was having his own subatomic adventures. He would face off against Wooly Mammoths, befriend aliens from outer space, and fight off evil Martians with the Justice League of America. Rex had lived quite a long life, the super soldier serum kept him alive and well longer than the average dog but time was slowly catching up with him over the years, that is until he met a chimp. Detective Chimp and Rex would team up for an adventure and over the course of it they would discover the legendary Fountain of Youth. Not only did the fountain grant them eternal youth, but granted them both the ability to speak to all creatures and Rex had some extra undefined abilities that would crop up on occasion.

In 1991, Rex would be the first dog on the Moon. He would work with other animal superheroes and take on Gorrilla Grodd and lead a team of newly sentient zoo animals to stop Grodd. His new power set put him in line with DC’s magical community along with his friend Detective Chimp. Danny had not partaken in the Fountain of Youth and retired from adventuring leaving Rex to make his own path. He’d find himself working with Hero, who wielded the dial that granted powers. He would work on a team with Superboy in Metropolis for a short time. The magical Shadowpact would need Rex’s help when Gotham is under attack by the Seven Deadly Sins, which would end up with Rex temporarily possessed by Sloth until Detective Chimp could save him.

When Detective Chimp and the rest of Shadowpact go missing for a year within a strange city-covering bubble, he would watch over it, waiting for any sign of his friends. His faith was rewarded when the team along with the townspeople came out safe. In another case, when The Huntsman of legend was roaming  around running the Wild Hunt, Rex would join in and become a Hellhound eventually leading them and aiding the Shadowpact with stopping the Huntsman.

There you have it, folks! Rex the Wonder Dog has many fun and strange adventures over the years and I hope to see him again soon. When you’re best friends with Detective Chimp, you got a special place in my heart. If you want a fun time go and image search “Rex the Wonder Dog” on Google and look at the amazing covers you’ll find. This dog has had some wild times.

Suggested Reading
Rex the Wonder Dog
Shadowpact

Dr. Bustos

drbustos@comicattack.net