When Vertigo Comics started publishing Sweet Tooth back in 2009, I honestly doubt that they expected the series to become such a cult work. Jeff Lemire’s comic was strange and queer from the very start, and that was absolutely part of its appeal, but the legacy that Sweet Tooth left behind, as well as the fact that it has since become a popular Netflix television series, is something that no one expected. Although Gus is the protagonist of the show, Sweet Tooth introduced a series of other hybrids in the storyline and I have decided to deal with these additional characters in today’s article.
Sweet Tooth has introduced a lot of different characters over its decade-long run. Some of these characters were human, but these are not of interest to this article. What interests us are the hybrids, special creatures that combine human and animal characteristics. And while Gus, a deer hybrid, is absolutely the most famous among them, Jeff Lemire has introduced a lot of other hybrids, which I am going to talk about in this article.
You are going to find out about their powers and their abilities in this article, as well as about Gus’, a character I have already talked about recently.
What are Gus’ powers and abilities?
Gus is the protagonist of the Sweet Tooth comic book and its central character. We see him as a young boy with deer-like traits and follow him as he grows up on his own in a very menacing world. As a hybrid, Gus had some special powers that made him more special when compared to regular humans. These powers are:
- Antlers, as a human/deer hybrid, Gus has antlers on his head like those of an actual deer; the antlers can have different purposes.
- Heightened Senses, which also an animal trait that allows Gus to perceive his surroundings much better than a regular human.
- Night Vision, also an animal trait that allows Gus to survive in nocturnal conditions.
- Speed and Agility, just like a normal deer, Gus is much faster and more agile than regular humans.
- Talking to animals, a trait he received because he himself is partially an animal; this power also has various uses.
What are Bobby’s powers and abilities?
I continue this article with Bobby, one of the more animal-like hybrids that have appeared in the Sweet Tooth comic book. He is a human-groundhog hybrid that looks a lot more like an animal than a human. Still, he is very caring and is a good guy. Bobby’s traits are:
- Specific voice, due to being very animal-like, Bobby shares more traits with a groundhog than other hybrids with their animals. He can only speak in fragmented, chittering speech and has a chittering cadence in his voice.
- Hibernation, like actual groundhogs, Bobby hibernates during the winter.
- Burrowing, due to being a groundhog, he has excellent digging abilities and is able to dig very fast and deep. He uses the holes to hide and travel around.
What are Wendy’s powers and abilities?
Wendy, also known as Pig Girl, is Bobby’s friend and another very animal-like hybrid. She is a human-pig hybrid and is a very cynical and stubborn character, which is a result of her upbringing. Still, she cares a lot about Bobby, who is her close friend. Wendy’s traits are:
- Heightened sense of smell, as she is a cross between a human and a pig, Wendy has an exceptional smell, much better than regular humans.
What are Buddy’s powers and abilities?
Buddy was originally envisioned as a sheep by Jeff Lemire, but ended up being a human-donkey hybrid. He is also very animal-like and thus exhibits more animalistic traits than humans. He is the biological son of Tommy Jepperd; his father believed him dead. These are his traits:
- Limited speech, due to looking more like a donkey than a human, Buddy has limited speech abilities and has a speech impairment.
- Endurance, like all donkeys, Buddy has heightened endurance when compared to regular humans.
What are the Dog Boys’ powers and abilities?
The Dog Boys were a group of five feral dog-animal hybrid children who were raised to become weapons by their father, Glebhelm, who was the leader of a cult that captured hybrids to feed the Boys, turning them into cannibals. The Dog Boys are monsters, but not because they’re hybrids, but because they have been turned into monsters by their twisted father. They all died during the course of the story. These are their traits:
- Ferocity, like all dogs raised in inhumane conditions, the Dog Boys became extremely ferocious and bloodthirsty, even resorting to cannibalism under the influence of their father.
- Loyalty, like a true dog, the Dog Boys remained loyal to their father despite the fact that he has mistreated them and turned them into proper monsters.
- Obedience, due to their rigorous training, the Dog Boys are, unfortunately, extremely obedient. This combines with their loyalty to make them an almost perfect, bloodthirsty army in the hands of their father.
- Aggressiveness, a trait taught to them by their monstrous father. Dogs aren’t naturally aggressive, but the Dog Boys are more than aggressive, they are bloodthirsty and have even been taught to become cannibals by their father.
- Heightened sense of smell, like all dogs, the Dog Boys also have a heightened sense of smell, which allows them to hunt for their prey with more ease.
What are Junior’s powers and abilities?
Junior is not a comic book character but he does appear in Netflix’s television series, which is why I decided to include him on the list. Junior is an owl-human hybrid that is very reclusive and hides in his treehouse. He is shy and is easily frightened, although he can be approached by others. These are his traits:
- Enhanced hearing, like all owls, Junior has great hearing and is able to use it for its own protection.
- Night vision, like all owls, his eyes are adapted to seeing better in darkness and during nighttime.