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Revision as of 23:10, 25 June 2014
History
Metropolis is one of the largest and most well-known cities in the United States, owing largely to the fact that it is the adopted home town of Metropolis' favorite son, Superman.
The history of Metropolis stretches back to the year 1542 when Italian navigator Vincenzo Gnanatti discovered the region while in the employ of the Dutch. Prior to European colonization, the region was occupied by the Algonquin Native American tribe. It wasn't until 1634 however that the first settlement was established by Dutchman Paul De Vries. The settlement was named De Vries Village and occupies the neighborhood now known as "Old City" in the Eastern section of Queensland Park. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, De Vries Village prospered as a thriving seaport and it became an integral strategic location for General George Washington's army during the Revolutionary War.
In 1775, it established itself as a host to many book and newspaper publishing houses, the most successful of which would eventually become known as the Daily Planet. [1] During the "Devil's Winter Siege", the city was defended by Tomahawk's rangers, most notably Dan Hunter, in whose honor the settlement was renamed as Fort Hunter, later Hunterville and later still Hunter City. In 1783, P. Randall Jeffries opened the First Metropolitan Bank, which still exists today, though the corporate headquarters has since moved to the Central Business District in New Troy. [2]
In 1847, the borough known as Hob's Bay became a bustling merchant center, as well as a hotbed for bigotry and intolerance, particularly against the rising influx of Irish immigrants. Mission worker Edna Luthor became a strong voice among the struggling workers, and she publicly preached a message of tolerance and love. Like many in the Luthor bloodline, Edna was a visionary whose convictions and strong sense of morality would help pave the way for Metropolis' future. These values were passed along to her grandson, Wallace Luthor who operated the Luthor Steel Works during the turn of the century. [3]
In 1905 Hunter City became home to noted adventurer, inventor and science hero Waldo Glenmorgan. Glenmorgan began a trend of scientific prowess which culminated in the city changing its name to "Metropolis". This name change propelled the city towards its current position as the City of Tomorrow.[4]
Points of Interest
The Six Boroughs
Neighborhoods
- Hell's Gate
- Hypersector
- Lafayette
- Little Africa
- Midvale (Pre-Crisis only)
- Mount Royal
- New Town
- Oak Town
- St. Martin's Island
Waterways
- Hobb's River
- Metropolis Bay
- West River
Parks and Recreational areas
- Centennial Park
- Metropolis Park
- Outlook Park
- Shuster Arena
Businesses
- Blaze Comics
- Goldstar, Inc.
- Lexcorp
- Chaney's
- Riverview Funeral Chapel
Museums
- Jules Verne Extra-Terrestrial Museum
- Lena Luthor Science Explorarium
- Metropolis Museum of Art
- Superman Museum (30th century)
Laboratories
- Hamilton Technologies
- Project Cadmus
- Stagg Enterprises
- S.T.A.R. Labs
- WayneTech
Media
News, television and radio
- Bridwell Communications
- Action Bulletin News
- Black Beacon
- Daily Planet
- Daily Star
- Galaxy Communications
- Metropolis Daily News
- Metropolis Today
- Newstime Magazine
- Metropolitan.com
- Whisper, The
- WJAB-TV
- WLEX-TV
- WMET-TV
- WGBS-TV
Other Locations
- 1938 Sullivan Place
- 344 Clinton Street
- 8th Precinct (Metropolis Special Crimes Unit)
- Avenue of Tomorrow
- Constitution Plaza
- Ellsworth Memorial Hospital
- Hobb's Ferry Naval Base
- Metro Square
- Metropolis City Hospital
- Metropolis International Airport
- Metropolis University
- Midvale Orphanage (Pre-Crisis only)
- S.A.I. Dam
- Shuster Hall
- Solar Tower
- Steelworks
- Stryker's Island Penitentiary
- Sullivan Place
- Superboy Memorial Statue
- Superman Memorial Statue
- Topaz Lane
- Union Station
- Weisinger Square
- Werner Building
Sports Teams
Metropolis has had many pro and amateur sports teams, treated with little continuity.
Baseball
- Metropolis Blue Stockings
- Metropolis Meteors (National League)
- Metropolis Metros
- Metropolis Mets
- Metropolis Monarchs
- Metropolis Twins
Basketball
Football
- Metropolis Comets
- Metropolis Spartans
- Metropolis Monarchs
- Metropolis Meteors (National Conference)
- Metropolis Metros
- Metropolis Sharks
- Metropolis Tigers
- Metropolis University Bulldogs
Hockey
- Metropolis Mammoths - Hockey (Wales Conference)
Residents
Heroes
The following is a list of super-heroes known to have either lived and/or operated out of Metropolis at some point in their lives. This list includes characters who are germain to both Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis versions of Metropolis.
- Agent Liberty
- Argent
- Atom (w/the Teen Titans)
- Black Lightning
- Booster Gold
- Gangbuster
- Guardian (Jim Harper)
- Joto
- Legion of Super-Heroes (30th-31st century)
- Prysm
- Risk
- Superboy (Earth-One) (30th century only)
- Superboy (Kon-El)
- Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
- Supergirl (Matrix)
- Supergirl (Earth-One) (20th and 30th century)
- Superman
- Superman (Earth-One)
- Superman (Earth-Two)
- Thorn (Earth-One)
- Thorn (New Earth)
Villains
The following is a list of super-villains known to have either lived and/or operated out of Metropolis at some point in their lives. This list includes characters who are germain to both Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis versions of Metropolis.
- Bizarro
- Brainiac
- Brainiac 13
- Director, The
- Doomsday
- Kryptonite Man
- Lex Luthor
- Metallo
- Prankster
- Rampage
- Talia Head
- Toyman (Winslow Schott)
Other People
The following is a list of civilians known to have either lived and/or operated out of Metropolis at some point in their lives. This list includes characters who are germain to both Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis versions of Metropolis.
- Anthony Gallo
- Big Words I (Anthony Rodriguez)
- Big Words II (Anthony Rodriguez)
- Bill Henderson
- Bobby "The Don" Gazzo
- Dirk Davis
- Dan Turpin
- Flip (Walter Johnson)
- Gabby I (John Gabrielli)
- Gabby II (John Gabrielli)
- Gretchen Kelley
- Henry Ballard
- Hope
- Jimmy Olsen
- Jimmy Olsen (Earth-One)
- Lana Lang
- Lana Lang (Earth-One)
- Lois Lane
- Loren Jupiter
- Lucy Lane
- Maggie Sawyer
- Mercy
- Morgan Edge
- Neil Richards
- Omen
- Perry White
- Ron Troupe
- Scrapper I (Patrick MacGuire)
- Scrapper II (Patrick MacGuire)
- Skeets
- Sydney Happersen
- Toby Raynes
- Tommy Thompkins I
- Tommy Thompkins II
- Trixie Collins
- Vincent Edge
- Walter Johnson I
Sports Teams
Baseball
- Metropolis Blue Stockings
- Metropolis Meteors
- Metropolis Metros
- Metropolis Mets
- Metropolis Monarchs
- Metropolis Ravens
- Metropolis Twins
Basketball
Football
- Metropolis Meteors
- Metropolis Metros
- Metropolis Sharks
- Metropolis Tigers
- Metropolis University Bulldogs
Hockey
Notes
Location
For a long time, the exact location of Metropolis in the United States was not canonically established. In the Golden Age era, Superman was first based out of Cleveland, Ohio and worked for a Cleveland newspaper. In subsequent appearances, this locale was retroactively established as Metropolis. During the Silver Age era, Metropolis was depicted as a coastal city on the Eastern seaboard, though sometimes it was shown to be further inland.[5]
On January 21, 1972, DC Comics declared Metropolis, Illinois as the "Hometown of Superman". The Illinois State Legislature passed Resolution 572 declaring Metropolis as the Hometown of Superman on June 9th, but this was cited as an honorarium and was not intended to reflect Metropolis' location within DC continuity. In the Atlas of the DC Universe, writer Paul Kupperberg chose the state of Delaware, but this book was part of Mayfair Games' role playing games, and not necessarily in continuity. In Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Metropolis was listed as in New York, but the exact location has not been established.
In the WB/CW television series Smallville, Metropolis is located in or near the state of Kansas, within driving distance of Smallville. This was likely established so that characters from the show could travel back and forth between the two cities in a timely manner and with little difficulty.
Superman co-creator Joe Shuster modeled the look of Metropolis after his home town of Toronto, Ontario, Canada (though Metropolis was never depicted as a Canadian city).
See Also
- ↑ Zero Hour #0 (timeline)
- ↑ Atlas of the DC Universe; pp 41
- ↑ Superman Y2K #1
- ↑ Superman: Secret Files 2009
- ↑ Action Comics #544