Captain Underpants
“Your worth isn't based on what you're made of. You could be cotton, polyester, modal, or nylon- doesn't matter. Be yourself and you'll find people who prefer you. Because what is you minus you? Nothing much at all.”
Lord Captain Underpants is most known for his work as a superhero, both physically stopping and debating politics with important political figures, but his career also extends to being a American president runner-up and an elementary school principal. He has won the John Muir Lifetime Achievement Award, the Internet Hall of Fame, and the Nobel Peace Prize, among others.
Early Life[edit | edit source]
Captain Underpants was born Benjamin Krupp on April 1, 1963, in Piqua, Ohio. He is of American Jewish ancestry. His parents, Bernice and John Krupp, were cattle ranchers at the Krupp Cow Ranch. He has a younger brother named Jasper and a nephew named Kipper.
Krupp's family was exceedingly poor and their possessions extended to a single car, the ranch property, and the livestock inside. John Krupp was a gambling addict throughout the entirety of Benjamin's life, and constantly was losing and regaining the family's money. Despite this, he was able to attend a public school due to their cheap price during that time and, eventually, obtaining a scholarship to the University of Cincinatti with a major in Sociology and minors in Law and Psychology.
Career[edit | edit source]
Elementary school principal[edit | edit source]
Shortly after graduating college, Benjamin Krupp became a teacher of social sciences at his old elementary school, Jerome Horwitz Elementary, for four years before being promoted to principal, which he would stick to until the age of 34.
During this time, Krupp developed anger issues due to his childhood conditions and the chaotic nature of the children in his school. He was reported yelling at staff, students, parents, and even passerby for small inconveniences. Eventually, his mother recommended a therapist named Dr. Marcus L. Queen Jr. and later, a spiritual leader named Jonathan Crashe. Crashe worked with meditation and helped to lead Krupp to a series of realizations which would lead to the creation of his alter ego, Captain Underpants.
Captain Underpants[edit | edit source]
“He's not me. That's for sure. He's not *not* me, though. He's some extension of the type of person I wish I knew in my childhood.”
On September 1, 1997, Jerome Horwitz Elementary was attacked by aliens. In an attempt to stop them, Krupp infiltrated the space ship and came across a bottle labeled 'Extra-Strength Super Power Juice'. Desperate from being in a spaceship and his students being the targets of alien brainwashing, he consumed the substance and developed superpowers, including flight, super strength, super agility, and extreme durability.
“I didn't want people to know it was me. That would be silly. But I also didn't really have anything to disguise me. So, I thought- why not remove instead?” – Benjamin Krupp on the Captain's costumery
Removing his toupee and clothes except for underwear and cloaking himself in a nearby curtain, Krupp managed to defeat the aliens. Students who saw the fight would call him 'Captain Underpants'. He would later also fight figures such as Prof. Pippy Poopypants, Tara Ribble, Melvin 'Booger Boy' Sneedly, the Turbo Toilet 2000, and Kenneth Meaner under this alias. On April 9, 2000, Benjamin Krupp legally changed his name to Captain Underpants and left the elementary school. During this time, he would also make large donations from advertising to charities such as the John Muir Foundation and Covenant House.
POTUS candidacy[edit | edit source]
On July 5, 2004, Captain Underpants was announced as the third-party candidate to run against George W. Bush and John Kerry. His humble beginnings made him a favorite among voters in the Midwest and his actions made him a favorite among voters near the Pacific. He nearly was elected before the final debate, when a point was made by George W. Bush that perhaps it was not a great idea to have the nation's second most prominent superhero as the president, which would force him to be either less heroic or less presidential. This turned the tides in favor of Bush and would end with Captain Underpants as the runner-up. John Kerry got the participation award.
Legacy[edit | edit source]
Comic series[edit | edit source]
Cartoonist Dav Pilkey began cataloging the Captain's major escapades in January of 1998, beginning with two then-recent events concerning Dr. F. Diper and the Talking Toilets, followed by his origin story, and afterwards the occurring events in chronological order. This series skyrocketed Pilkey's career and would inspire him to create a series called 'Dog Man' in later years. Despite the well-crafted plot lines and beautiful storytelling by Pilkey, the book was banned in many school libraries due to 'under-depicting the Captain's chiseled jawline and suave look', but would also be claimed as by multiple superhero cults as absolute canon.
"Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie"[edit | edit source]
In 2017, Dreamworks Animation released a movie based on the style of the comics titled 'Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie'. It starred Ed Helms as Captain Underpants, Nick Kroll as Prof. Poopypants, and Jordan Peele as Melvin 'Booger Boy' Sneedly.
Awards[edit | edit source]
-Internet Hall of Fame
-Nobel Peace Prize
-Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service
-Jefferson Awards for Public Service
-John Muir Lifetime Achievement Award