Editing Metropolis (comics)

{{Short description|Fictional city in the DC Universe, best known as the home of Superman}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox fictional location
| name = Metropolis
| image = Met Skyline.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = 
| blank_label = Publisher
| blank_data = [[DC Comics]]
| first = ''[[Action Comics]]'' #16<br/>(September 1939)
| source = 
| creator = [[Jerry Siegel]]<br/>[[Joe Shuster]]
| genre = 
| people =
| races = 
| locations = Ace o' Clubs<br/>''[[Daily Planet]]''<br/>''[[Daily Star (DC Comics)|Daily Star]]''<br/>[[Galaxy Communications (comics)|Galaxy Communications]]<br/>[[LexCorp]]<br/>[[Project Cadmus]]<br/>[[S.T.A.R. Labs]]
}}

'''Metropolis''' is a [[fictional city]] appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[DC Comics]], best known as the home of [[Superman]] and his [[List of Superman supporting characters|closest allies]] and some of his [[List of Superman enemies|foes]]. First appearing by name in ''[[Action Comics]]'' #16 (Sept. 1939), Metropolis is depicted as a prosperous and massive city in the [[Northeastern United States]], in close proximity to [[Gotham City]]. In recent years, it has been stated to be located in [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/dc-comics-metropolis-new-york-state/ | title=DC Finally Confirms Metropolis is Located in New York | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=December 4, 2019 }}</ref>

The co-creator and original artist of Superman, [[Joe Shuster]], modeled the Metropolis skyline after [[Toronto]], where he was born and lived until he was ten.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.supermansupersite.com/metropolis2.html |title=Fictional City of Metropolis |access-date=July 7, 2015 |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213122132/https://www.supermansupersite.com/metropolis2.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since then, however, the look and feel of Metropolis has been greatly influenced by [[New York City]].<ref name="Fleisher"/><ref name="Heidi" /><ref name="Bridwell, E. Nelson 1976">Bridwell, E. Nelson. "Metropolis Mailbag," ''Superman'' #306 (Dec. 1976).</ref>

Within the [[DC Universe]], Metropolis is depicted as being one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world, having a population of 11 million citizens.<ref>''Action Comics Weekly'' #601 (May 1988)</ref><ref>''Who's Who in the DC Universe'' (vol. 2) #11 (July 1991)</ref><ref name="Comic Vine">{{cite web|url=http://www.comicvine.com/metropolis/ |title=Metropolis |publisher=Comic Vine |access-date=April 10, 2013 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In addition to Superman, the city has also been home to other superheroes, such as [[Booster Gold]] and [[Black Lightning]].

==Creation==
[[File:1 Manhattan, New York City.jpg|thumb|250px|[[New York City]] is often cited as a real-life equivalent of Metropolis,<ref name="Heidi" /> and the landmarks in Metropolis are based on real places in [[Manhattan]].<ref name="Fleisher" />]]

Like many other fictional cities in DC Comics, the location of Metropolis has varied over the years but is usually portrayed as a major city in the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]], sharing various qualities with [[New York City]].<ref name="Bridwell, E. Nelson 1976"/> [[Superman]] co-creator [[Joe Shuster]] moved to [[Cleveland]] at age ten, where he met co-creator and [[Ohio]] native [[Jerry Siegel]].

Originally intending to sell the Superman strips to a Cleveland newspaper, they decided to set the stories there, but when the strips were re-used for the comic books, they changed the location to the fictional Metropolis. Shuster was quoted as having modeled his Metropolis cityscape on that of his hometown, [[Toronto]],<ref name="web.archive.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20060628/superman_returns_cdn_060628/ |title=Superman co-creator has humble Canadian roots - CTV News |date=June 4, 2011 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604145745/http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20060628/superman_returns_cdn_060628/ |archive-date=June 4, 2011 }}</ref> and in the early versions of Superman, Clark Kent worked for a newspaper called the ''[[Daily Star (DC Comics)|Daily Star]]'', modeled after the real-life ''[[Toronto Star]]''.<ref name="web.archive.org"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/joe-shuster|title=Joe Shuster|first=Alan|last=Hustak}}</ref> ''Action Comics'' #2, however, mistakenly portrays Clark Kent as a reporter for the ''Cleveland Evening News''.

==Geography==

In ''Superman'' #2 (Fall 1939), Metropolis was actually placed in the [[U.S. state]] of [[New York (state)|New York]], making it the earliest specific reference to the location of Metropolis.<ref name="Bridwell, E. Nelson 1976"/> In that issue, Clark Kent (Superman) sends a telegram to [[George Taylor (DC Comics)|George Taylor]], the editor of the ''Daily Star'' (the antecedent to the ''[[Daily Planet]]''), addressed to "Metropolis, N.Y."<ref name="Bridwell, E. Nelson 1976"/>

In the [[Superman (1940s animated film series)|1940s ''Superman'' cartoons]], produced by [[Paramount Pictures]], [[Fleischer Studios]] and [[Famous Studios]], Superman is said to live on the island of [[Manhattan]]. In the seventh cartoon of the series, ''[[Electric Earthquake]]'' (1942), a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] [[mad scientist]] claims that his people are the rightful owners of Manhattan, thus placing these cartoons on the island.  In the fifth cartoon in the series, ''[[The Bulleteers]]'' (1942), the name of the city is identified as Metropolis, as the Bulleteers address in that cartoon the population of Superman's city as "citizens of Metropolis"; and in the thirteenth cartoon ''[[Destruction, Inc.]]'' (1942), Metropolis is even seen spelled out twice on the Metropolis Munition Works.

In a 1970s edition of "Ask the [[Answer Man]]", a column that ran occasionally in DC publications, it was stated that Metropolis and [[Gotham City]] were adjacent to [[New York City]]; across the harbor from each other.<ref name="AnswerMan">"Daily Planet," ''Detective Comics'' #470 (June 1977).</ref> That same column stated that Green Arrow's home, [[Star City (comics)|Star City]], was in Connecticut, Flash's [[Central City (DC Comics)|Central City]] was in Ohio, and Hawkman's Midway City was in Michigan.<ref name="AnswerMan" /> An earlier issue of DC's fanzine ''[[Amazing World of DC Comics]]'', however, stated that Metropolis was located in [[Delaware]], while Gotham was placed in [[New Jersey]].<ref>''Amazing World of DC Comics'' #14 (March 1977).</ref> The 1990 ''Atlas of the DC Universe'' [[role playing game]] supplement, published by [[Mayfair Games]], states that Metropolis is in Delaware.<ref name="Atlas">''Atlas of the DC Universe'' (Mayfair Games, 1990).</ref>

In June 1976, ''Superman'' #300 featured an out-of-canon story about the infant [[Kal-El]] arriving on Earth in that year, triggering an increase in [[Cold War]] tensions between the United States and the [[Soviet Union]]. In that story's version of the year 2001, passing reference is made to the merging of the eastern seaboard cities from Boston to Washington, D.C., into a "newly incorporated urban center" called "Metropolis".

In his 1978 work, ''The Great Superman Book'', an encyclopedia of the first forty years of the Superman comics, author [[Michael Fleisher]] cites many examples which demonstrate that Metropolis equates with [[New York City]]. The most blatant of these might be the statement he cites from ''Action Comics'' #143 (April 1950), which states that the [[Statue of Liberty]] stands in "Metropolis Harbor".<ref name="Fleisher">Fleisher, Michael and Lincoln, Janet E. ''The Great Superman Book'' (Grand Central Publishing, 1978), pp. 223–225.</ref> The Statue of Liberty, in fact, stands in [[New York Harbor]].

In the pre-''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' comics, [[Smallville (comics)|Smallville]] was often shown as being within driving distance of Metropolis,<ref name="superboy22" /><ref>''The New Adventures of Superboy'' #13 (January 1981)</ref> although with no definitive location. [[John Byrne (comics)|John Byrne]]'s 1986 revamp of Superman cited the city as being in [[Kansas]].

The 1992 "[[Death of Superman]]" storyline depicts [[Doomsday (comics)|Doomsday]] on a path from Ohio through the state of New York, ending in Metropolis, and the 2005 comic ''[[Countdown to Infinite Crisis]]'' also places Metropolis in the state of [[New York (state)|New York]].

The 2003 DC Comics/[[Marvel Comics]] [[fictional crossover|crossover]] mini-series ''[[JLA/Avengers]]'' depicts the city as along the multi-state [[Interstate 95]], which is the main highway on the [[East Coast of the United States]],<ref>David Montgomery and Josh White, ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 128 Cars, Trucks Crash in Snow on I-95, February 23, 2001, p. A1</ref> and portrays the corresponding location in the [[Marvel Universe]] as forests and fields, explaining that Marvel's Earth and DC's Earth have different surface areas to account for their different geography (no Metropolis on Marvel's Earth, no [[Latveria]] on DC's Earth, and so on).<ref>''Avengers/JLA'' #2 (DC Comics, 2003).</ref>

On the television series ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]'', the second part of the episode titled "Little Girl Lost" depicts Darkseid's minion using a machine hidden in or around Metropolis to attempt to pull a comet into the earth. The beam from that machine is depicted originating from the area of the mid-western United States where Kansas is located. In the second part of the episode "Last Son of Krypton" when Lois is introduced to Clark Kent, she is told he is from Smallville, she replies "Smallville? Never heard of it", prompting Clark Kent to ask her if she had ever been to Kansas. Lois replies "God No!" while turning her head in a sign of visible disgust.

[[Frank Miller]] has said that "Metropolis is [[New York City|New York]] in the daytime; [[Gotham City]] is [[New York City|New York]] at night."<ref name="Heidi">{{cite news|first=Heidi |last=MacDonald |author-link=Heidi MacDonald |author2=Peter Sanderson |author2-link=Peter Sanderson |title=New York Is Comics Country |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6302532.html |newspaper=[[Publishers Weekly]] |publisher=[[Reed Elsevier]] |date=January 30, 2006 |access-date=July 31, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070817120136/http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6302532.html |archive-date=August 17, 2007 }}</ref><ref name="Bopik"/> Gotham City is home to [[Batman]], whose activities are more often nocturnal, while Metropolis is home to Superman, who usually operates during the day.  In terms of atmosphere, ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' writer and editor [[Dennis O'Neil]] has said that, figuratively, "Batman's Gotham City is [[Manhattan]] below [[14th Street (Manhattan)|14th Street]] at eleven minutes past midnight on the coldest night in November, and Metropolis is Manhattan between [[14th Street (Manhattan)|14th]] and [[110th Street (Manhattan)|110th Streets]] on the brightest, sunniest July day of the year".<ref name="Bopik"/><ref>O'Neil, Dennis. Afterward. ''Batman: Knightfall, A Novel''. New York: Bantam Books, 1994. 344.</ref> New York City has been more recently used as a locale in the DC Universe, like the Marvel Universe, in which it exists as a separate city from Metropolis and Gotham City. The [[Justice Society of America]], for example, is based in New York, as were the [[Teen Titans]].

===In relation to Gotham City===
[[File:Superman-Look Up in the Sky.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Superman flies over Metropolis. Artwork by [[Alex Ross]].]]
Metropolis is frequently depicted as being within driving distance of [[Gotham City]], home of [[Batman]]. This happens, for example, in the three-issue 1990 mini-series of ''[[World's Finest Comics]]'' by [[Dave Gibbons]], [[Steve Rude]], and [[Karl Kesel]]. The distance between the two cities has varied greatly over the years, ranging from being hundreds of miles apart to Gotham and Metropolis being [[twin cities]] on opposite sides of [[Delaware Bay]], with Metropolis in Delaware<ref name="Atlas" /><ref>''World's Finest Comics'' #259, October–November 1979</ref> and Gotham City being in [[New Jersey]].<ref name="ifanboy.com">Montgomery, Paul (May 18, 2011). [http://ifanboy.com/articles/the-secret-geography-of-the-dc-universe-a-really-big-map/ "The Secret Geography of the DC Universe: A Really Big Map"]</ref><ref>''Amazing World of DC Comics'' #14, March 1974. DC Comics.</ref><ref>''World's Finest Comics'' #259, October–November 1979. DC Comics.</ref><ref>''Detective Comics #503'' June 1983. DC Comics.</ref><ref>''Atlas of the DC Universe'', 1990. DC Comics.</ref><ref>''Batman: Shadow of the Bat'' Annual #1, June 1993. DC Comics.</ref>

In [[Bronze Age of Comic Books|Bronze Age]] stories that depicted Metropolis and Gotham City as twin cities, the Metro-Narrows Bridge was said to be the main route connecting Metropolis to Gotham City.<ref name="superboy22">''The New Adventures of Superboy'' #22, October 1981</ref><ref>''DC Comics Presents'' #18, February 1980</ref> Stated as being the longest suspension bridge in the world,<ref>''Action Comics'' #451, September 1975</ref> the Metro-Narrows Bridge is likely based on the [[Verrazano-Narrows Bridge]], which stretches between [[Staten Island]] and [[Brooklyn]] in New York City.

In ''[[The World's Greatest Superheroes]]'' [[newspaper]] [[comic strip]], a 1978 Sunday strip shows a map of the east coast of the United States; the map places Metropolis in Delaware and Gotham City across Delaware Bay in New Jersey, with the Metro-Narrows Bridge linking the two cities.<ref>http://comicbookcartography.posthaven.com/the-east-coast-according-to-dc-1978-sunday-co A panel from a 1978 strip of ''[[The World's Greatest Superheroes]]'' depicting the locations of Metropolis and Gotham City. Retrieved March 30, 2014.</ref> A similar map appeared in ''The New Adventures of Superboy'' #22 (October 1981), with [[Smallville (comics)|Smallville]] shown within driving distance of both cities (in [[post-Crisis]] comics, Smallville was officially relocated to [[Kansas]]). 1990's ''[[The Atlas of the DC Universe]]'' also places Metropolis in Delaware and Gotham City in New Jersey.<ref name="ifanboy.com"/>

However, the exact location of the two cities has varied. A map of the United States in the Secret Files & Origins Guide to the DC Universe 2000 depicts Metropolis and Gotham City (alongside [[Blüdhaven]]) as being somewhere in the [[tri-state area]].<ref>''Secret Files & Origins Guide to the DC Universe 2000'' #1 (March 2000)</ref>

In the TV series ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]'', when Lois finds out about Superman's secret identity and yells at Clark about how he's been hiding his secretly being Superman, he responds, "A little louder, Lois. I don't think they could hear you in Gotham City." In the TV series ''[[Smallville]]'', Linda Lake, a columnist for the ''Daily Planet'', once boasted that she could see Gotham City from her new office.<ref>"Hydro," season 6, ''Smallville''</ref>  In ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]'', Bruce Wayne is shown taking his private [[jet aircraft]] to Metropolis, indicating that the two cities have at least some distance between them.

In the 2016 film ''[[Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice]]'', director [[Zack Snyder]] confirmed that Metropolis and Gotham City would be portrayed as geographically situated right next to each other, on the opposite sides of a [[bay]], similar to [[Jersey City]] and [[Manhattan]].<ref name="wired.com">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2015/07/dawn-of-justice-gotham-metropolis/|title=Zack Snyder Turned Gotham City and Metropolis Into the Bay Area|magazine=Wired |last1=Rogers |first1=Adam }}</ref>

==History==
A [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribe sold Metropolis Island to the first European settlers in 1644,<ref name="action148">{{cite journal | url=http://www.comics.org/issue/8417/ | title=Superman, Indian Chief | author=Hamilton, Edmund | journal=Action Comics |date=September 1950 | volume= | issue=#148}}</ref> similar to the history of New York City, in which Native Americans sold [[Manhattan|Manhattan Island]] to Dutch settlers in 1626.<ref>Frederick M. Binder, David M. Reimers: All the Nations Under Heaven: An Ethnic and Racial History of New York City, p.4;(1996){{ISBN|0-231-07879-X}}</ref>

==Features==
Over the years, Metropolis' features have greatly changed in the comics; however, Metropolis is always presented as being a [[global city]]. It is often referred to as "The Big Apricot" just as New York City is nicknamed "[[The Big Apple]]".<ref name="The City">{{cite web|url=http://www.bigapricot.org/city/index.shtml |title=The City |publisher=bigapricot.org |access-date=April 10, 2013}}</ref> It is commonly portrayed as having an [[Art Deco]] style of architecture, much like New York City. The skyline and many of the notable landmarks in Metropolis are based on real-life landmarks in [[New York City]].<ref name="Fleisher"/> [[Frank Miller]] has said that "Metropolis is New York in the daytime; [[Gotham City]] is New York at night."<ref name="Bopik">{{cite news |first=Barry |last=Bopik |title=The Big Apple: "Metropolis is New York by day; Gotham City is New York by night" |url=http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/metropolis_is_new_york_by_day_gotham_city_is_new_york_by_night/|date=March 29, 2008 |access-date=March 28, 2013}}</ref>

Metropolis' features became more defined and more obviously based on New York following both 1985's ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' miniseries and [[John Byrne (comics)|John Byrne]]'s subsequent revamping of Superman, including the late 1980s comic special ''The World of Metropolis''.

According to ''Action Comics'' #143 (April 1950), the [[Statue of Liberty]] is said to stand in "Metropolis Harbor", while the real-life Statue of Liberty stands in [[New York Harbor]].<ref name="Fleisher"/> However, most stories indicate the Statue of Liberty is actually in New York City, which also exists in the [[DC Universe]] as a separate city from Metropolis.

The map of Metropolis designed for Mayfair Games' first edition of the ''DC Heroes Role-Playing Game'' resembled that of [[Manhattan]].

===Districts and boroughs===
Metropolis is made up of six boroughs, the largest being New Troy. Each of the boroughs has its own distinct character and feel, which resemble and mimic [[Borough (New York City)|New York City's boroughs]].

====New Troy====
{{Redirect|New Troy|Alexandre Dumas's novel|The New Troy|the community in the United States|New Troy, Michigan|the mediaeval British legend|Trinovantum}}
New Troy is the largest borough in Metropolis. Resembling [[Manhattan]], New Troy is a skyscraper island bustling with commerce and business. The concrete and steel canyons of the city rise to dizzying heights. "1930s architecture stretched like a rubber band" as cited in the ''Art of Superman Returns'' book.

The ''[[Daily Planet]]'' Building is the most recognizable landmark in the Metropolis skyline, much like the [[Empire State Building]] for [[New York City]]. Located in "Planet Square", it is particularly known for the ''Daily Planet'' globe atop the building. Other prominent skyscrapers include the Emperor Building (a reference to the Empire State Building), the Newstime Building (home of the national ''Newstime'' magazine, a reference to and combination of ''[[Newsweek]]'' and ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'') which is secretly owned for several years by [[Blaze and Satanus|Lord Satanus]] posing as "Colin Thornton", and the Twin Towered [[LexCorp]] Tower, (a reference to the former twin towers of the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]]), headquarters for Lex Luthor's company.

[[File:Action Comics 837 - Luthor and the Memorials.jpg|right|thumb|[[Lex Luthor]] stands before the [[Superman]] and [[Superboy (Kon-El)|Superboy]] memorials in Centennial Park, based on New York's [[Central Park]].]]
Besides the Financial District, notable areas of New Troy include:
* '''[[Chinatown]]''' – Metropolis' Asian District.
* '''[[Little Italy|Little Bohemia]]''' – The arts capital of Metropolis and a reference to Little Italy and Greenwich Village in Manhattan.
* '''Glenmorgan Square''' – An area that is based on [[Times Square]].

Famous streets in New Troy include [[Fifth Avenue (Manhattan)|Fifth Avenue]], Bessolo Boulevard, and Topaz Lane. The latter two are Metropolis' versions of [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] in New York City. Bessolo Boulevard's name is derived from ''[[Adventures of Superman (TV series)|Adventures of Superman]]'' lead actor [[George Reeves]]' legal name before entering films. Other Metropolis boulevards in the New Troy borough are similarly named for other actors from that series and from its [[Superman (radio)|radio predecessor of the same name]], such as [[Phyllis Coates|Coates]], [[Jack Larson|Larson]], and [[Bud Collyer|Collyer]].

'''Centennial Park''' (sometimes labeled as '''Metropolis Park''') is Metropolis' largest city park and is based on real life [[Central Park]] of New York City. Its most noteworthy feature is a [[statue]] of Superman with an [[Bald eagle|American bald eagle]] erected after his apparent death fighting Doomsday. A statue of [[Superboy]] ([[Superboy (Kon-El)|Conner Kent]]) was built next to it after the events of ''[[Infinite Crisis]]''.

In 1990s and 2000s stories, the married Clark Kent and [[Lois Lane]] live in an apartment in New Troy, at 1938 Sullivan Lane, which is a tribute to the year Superman first appeared. The apartment was a wedding gift to the couple by [[Batman|Bruce Wayne]], who owned the building.<ref>''Superman: The Wedding Album'', October 1996</ref> Clark Kent's traditional address of 344 Clinton Street, Apartment 3D, was usually described as being located in midtown Metropolis.<ref>''Superman'' #112, May 1957, et al.</ref>

=====Suicide Slum=====
In northwestern New Troy is the impoverished and crime-infested neighborhood of [[Suicide Slum]], best known for the 1940s adventures of the [[Guardian (DC Comics)|Guardian]] and his street urchin companions the [[Newsboy Legion]] and in more contemporary times with [[Gangbuster (DC Comics)|Gangbuster]]. Although the northwestern location is similar to the relationship of [[Harlem]] to midtown Manhattan, the neighborhood bears more physical and cultural resemblance to Manhattan's [[Lower East Side]]. The Ace o' Clubs is a bar owned by [[Bibbo Bibbowski]] in Suicide Slum.

=====Other locations in New Troy=====
Other notable places and their NYC inspirations in New Troy include:

* '''Wireless City Movie Theater''' – A spoof of [[Radio City Music Hall]].
* '''Metropolis International Airport''' – A spoof of [[LaGuardia Airport]]
* '''Halldorf Hotel''' – A spoof of [[Waldorf-Astoria Hotel|Waldorf Astoria]].
* '''Lacey's Department Store''' – A spoof of [[Macy's]].
* '''Stacey's Department Store''' – Another homage of Macy's
* '''Spiffany's Jewelry Store''' – A spoof of [[Tiffany & Co.|Tiffany's]].

====Boroughs and suburbs====
New Troy is separated from the [[suburb]]an boroughs by the '''West River''' and '''Hobb's River''', based on New York's [[East River]] and [[Hudson River]], respectively.

=====Midvale=====
'''Midvale''' is a suburb of Metropolis, more well known as the home of [[Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)|Supergirl]] and the site of the Midvale Orphanage prior to the events of ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Greenberger |first1=Robert |last2=Pasko |first2=Martin |title=The Essential Superman Encyclopedia |date=2010 |publisher=Del Rey |isbn=978-0-345-50108-0 |page=258}}</ref> It is located 60 miles northwest of Metropolis.<ref>''Action Comics'' #684, December 1992.</ref>

=====Bakerline=====
'''Bakerline''' is another [[borough]] of Metropolis. Located north of New Troy, Bakerline is the home of newspaper reporter [[Jimmy Olsen]] and appears to be based on [[The Bronx]] in New York City.

=====Other boroughs and suburbs=====
Other boroughs and [[suburban]] areas, almost all of which are based on real places in New York City, include '''Queensland Park''' (a reference to [[Queens]]), '''Hell's Gate''' (a reference to [[Hell Gate Bridge]]), '''St. Martin's Island''' (a reference to [[Staten Island]]), '''Park Ridge''' (a reference to [[Park Slope]]), Metrodale, and Highville.

==Cultural, educational, and research institutions==
[[File:Superman museum in Metropolis.jpg|thumb|The exterior of the Superman Museum. From ''Superman'' #286, April 1975. Art by [[Curt Swan]].]]
In the [[Silver Age of Comics|Silver Age]] and [[Bronze Age of Comic Books|Bronze Age]] comics, a major Metropolis landmark is the Superman Museum.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fleisher |first1=Michael L. |title=The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume Three: Superman |date=2007 |publisher=DC Comics |isbn=978-1-4012-1389-3 |pages=453–454}}</ref> The Superman Museum features various exhibits dedicated to Metropolis' favorite superhero, similar to the [[Flash Museum]] in [[Central City (DC Comics)|Central City]].<ref>''Superman'' #169, May 1964, et al.</ref> The Museum's exhibits were responsible for the origin of the [[Composite Superman]].<ref>''World's Finest Comics'' #142, June 1964</ref> Members of the criminal organization [[100 (DC Comics)|the 100]] at one point secretly used the Superman Museum as their base of operations, which was discovered by the superhero [[Black Lightning]] and his nemesis [[Tobias Whale|the Whale]].<ref>''World's Finest Comics'' #258, September 1979</ref> Superman, under the effects of hypnosis, once went on a rampage and wrecked several pieces at the museum.<ref>''Superman'' #385, July 1983</ref> The Superman Museum, like the Flash Museum, is also usually shown as existing well into the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]]' era, as shown in various stories<ref>''[[Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds]]'' #1, August 2008</ref> and the 2000s television series ''[[Legion of Super Heroes (TV series)|Legion of Super Heroes]]''.

The central branch of [[S.T.A.R. Labs]], a major scientific research institution, is also located in Metropolis.<ref>''Superman'' #246, December 1971</ref>

The Metropolis Museum of Natural History was featured in the film ''[[Superman Returns]]''.

===Education===
Metropolis University, Clark Kent's [[alma mater]], is located in the city of Metropolis; Clark graduated with a degree in journalism.<ref>''Superman'' #129, May 1959</ref><ref>''Superman'' (vol. 2) #12, December 1987</ref> The college has a floating aquarium anchored just offshore called the "Ark".<ref name="Comic Vine"/>

=== Other landmarks, institutions and businesses ===
#'''Centennial Hotel''' - Offers world-class cuisine and an observation deck with views across Centennial Park.
#'''Centennial Park'''<ref>[http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Glossary:C Centennial Park is a public recreation area located in midtown, Metropolis. The Superman memorial statue (and his former tomb) are located in the center of Centennial Park. A second statue has been added honoring the memory of Superboy (Kon-El).] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106015332/http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Glossary%3AC |date=2007-11-06 }}</ref> - Activities in the wooded acres include [[horseback riding]], [[boating]], and golfing.
#'''1938 Sullivan''' - Owned by [[Wayne Enterprises]], [[Lois Lane]]<ref>[http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Metropolis_Locales#L Lois Lane's apartment was located in Midtown Metropolis prior to her marriage to Clark Kent.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203085439/http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Metropolis_Locales |date=2007-12-03 }}</ref> and [[Clark Kent]]'s [[apartment]] building is one of the city's oldest buildings.
#'''University of Metropolis'''<ref>[http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Metropolis_University Metropolis University - DC Database]</ref><ref>[http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Metropolis_Locales#U Also known as Metropolis University or Met-U, this prestigious college is located in the Mount Royal neighborhood of Queensland Park. Both Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen graduated from the University of Metropolis.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203085439/http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Metropolis_Locales |date=2007-12-03 }}</ref> - Clark Kent's alma mater, this [[Ivy League]] institution boasts well-respected schools of journalism, law, and business.
#'''[[S.T.A.R. Labs]]'''<ref>[http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/S.T.A.R._Labs S.T.A.R. Labs - DC Database]</ref><ref>[http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/who/who-intro.php?topic=star-labs STAR Labs - Superman Homepage]</ref> - The Metropolis arm of the privately owned scientific think-tank founded by Dr. Garrison Slate.
#'''Steelworks'''<ref>[http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Steelworks Steelworks - DC Database]</ref><ref>[http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/who/who-intro.php?topic=steelworks Steelworks - Superman Homepage]</ref> - [[John Henry Irons]]' foundry in the Old Hook Basin district of [[Suicide Slum]] includes a variety of advanced technology to aid [[Superman]].
#'''[[Suicide Slum]]''' - Despite being razed and renovated by [[Brainiac 13]],<ref>[http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/who/who-intro.php?topic=metropolis Purged of the Brainiac 13 technology, the Big Apricot now resembles a pseudo art deco-style mega center. Gone are the cybernetic skyscrapers, the hovering cars, and hard matter light windows and displays. Now, 21st Century state-of-the-art materials make up the composition of the city's structures; as it should be. Even the holographic globe atop The Daily Planet Building is gone; replaced by the classic, solid matter dome which stood as a symbol for the media enterprise for so long.]</ref> Suicide Slum, where Bibbo has his Ace O' Clubs bar, is still a sink of crime and poverty.
#'''Special Crimes Unit Precinct'''<ref>[http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Metropolis_Special_Crimes_Unit Metropolis Special Crimes Unit - DC Database]</ref> - Metropolis' S.C.U's upgraded headquarters houses offices, armories, and holding cells.
#'''[[Stryker's Island|Stryker's Island Penitentiary]]'''<ref>[http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Stryker%27s_Island_Penitentiary Stryker's Island Penitentiary - DC Database]</ref><ref>[http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/who/who-intro.php?topic=strykers-island Stryker's Island - Superman Homepage]</ref> - The ultimate [[Incarceration in the United States#Security levels|maximum security prison]] possesses high-tech detention facilities designed to accommodate the most powerful [[metahuman]] villains. Located near New Troy's West River. 
#'''Union Station''' - Location in the heart of the city, Union Station links the national railroad network to Metropolis' unique "Rail Whale" commuter grid.
#'''Metropolis City Hospital''' - The state-of-the-art medical center maintains a privileges-sharing program with S.T.A.R. Labs.
#'''[[Jules Verne]] Extra-Terrestrial Museum'''<ref>[http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Glossary:J This was a museum dedicated to the fields of science and science fiction located on New Troy Island in Metropolis. Lex Luthor destroyed the museum (as well as many other cultural centers) while piloting a Kryptonian warship constructed of Sunstone.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015035150/http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Glossary%3AJ |date=2007-10-15 }}</ref> - The museum exhibits artifacts from alien worlds and presents guest lectures by interplanetary heroes.
#'''[[Lena Luthor]] Science Explorarium''' - Technological advances abound this interactive museum.
#'''[[City Hall]]''' - The administrative center of Metropolis has mayoral, governmental, and emergency services offices.
#'''S.A.I. Dam''' - Hydroelectric waterworks control the flow of the twin rivers and the recycling of the city reservoir.
#'''Hypersector''' - The business and financial center of Metropolis.
#'''Hotel Metropolis''' - Five-star luxury accommodation located amid the heart of Downtown.
#'''[[Joe Shuster|Shuster]] Hall''' - Metropolis' premier theater has been in service since 1938.
#'''GBS Building''' - The corporate hub of [[Galaxy Communications (comics)|Galaxy Communications]]'<ref>[http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/who/who-intro.php?topic=galaxy Galaxy Communications]</ref> media conglomerate.
#'''[[Daily Planet]] Building''' - The home of the respected, globally circulated newspaper.<ref>[http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/who/who-intro.php?topic=daily-planet Daily Planet - Superman Homepage]</ref> The Daily Planet Building, with its distinctive [[hologram]] globe, is one of the city's most important landmarks.
#'''Metropolis Museum of Art''' - Galleries include important historical and contemporary artistic works.
#'''[[LexCorp]] Towers'''<ref>[http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Metropolis_Locales#L Nestled in the heart of New Troy, the Lexcorp Tower was the single tallest building in Metropolis, and was the parent office of the Lexcorp corporation. The interior of the tower was completely lined with lead so as to prevent Superman from monitoring Luthor's actions with his X-ray vision. Later, a second tower was constructed, but both were destroyed during the Our Worlds at War event. A third Lexcorp tower has since been erected. During Luthor's tenure as President of the United States, the tower was controlled by his newly appointed CEO, Talia Head. When Luthor returned to Lexcorp, it was the foundation for his ambitious Everyman Project. The tower is run by Lexcorp's CEO, Lana Lang.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203085439/http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Metropolis_Locales |date=2007-12-03 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/who/who-intro.php?topic=lexcorp-towers LexCorp Towers - Superman Homepage]</ref> - Designed to form a double L, [[Lex Luthor]]'s 307-story citadels (with robot sentries and mutable glass windows) are Metropolis tallest skyscraper.

==Industry==
[[LexCorp]], founded by [[Lex Luthor]], is interested in all aspects of technology, communication, medical science, technical science, architectural engineering, future technology, and more.<ref name="Comic Vine"/>

Steelworks is the laboratory of [[Steel (John Henry Irons)|Dr. John Henry Irons]] and in [[post-Crisis]], it came to rival LexCorp as its reach expanded into many different industries. John Henry renamed Steelworks Ironworks to further himself from his superhero life as [[Steel (John Henry Irons)|Steel]].<ref name="Comic Vine"/>

==Law and government==

===Mayors===
At least four [[mayor]]s are considered part of Metropolis' history:

* '''Mayor Frank Berkowitz''' - Mayor Frank Berkowitz began his term prior to Superman's first known public meeting with Lex Luthor as depicted in the ''Man of Steel'' #4 mini-series by John Byrne. Superman was given a choice: join Luthor and receive a generous check from him as first payment for his services, or arrest Luthor for the events in #4 as Berkowitz asked him to. Superman's decision made Lex Luthor his deadliest enemy to this day. Some years later, Frank Berkowitz was killed by a sniper hired by Lex Luthor.
** Mayor Frank Berkowitz appeared in the ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]'' episode "The Man of Steel Bars" portrayed by [[Sonny Bono]]. In different points of this episode, Mayor Berkowitz made references to the titles of the songs that his actor performed with [[Cher]]. He talked about the Metropolis heat wave in November when scientists suspected that Superman was responsible when it was secretly a factory owned by Lex Luthor that was emitting large amounts of heat. Once Superman fixed up the factory upon Lois begging on TV for Superman to return, Mayor Berkowitz noticed the temperature change as Lex Luthor uses a loophole to keep himself from getting incriminated.
* '''Mayor "Buck" Sackett''' - "Buck" Sackett was elected as Berkowitz's successor. He was covertly Lex Luthor's "puppet".
* '''Mayor Fleming''' - Mayor Fleming is an African-American female who has been introduced in Nick Spencer's ''Jimmy Olsen'' back-ups. She chose Jimmy Olsen and Sebastien Mallory to show the Dalwythians around the city.
* '''Mayor Rob Morrisroe''' - Mayor Rob Morrisroe is the mayor of Metropolis in the first issue of ''Superman'' (vol. 3), as of DC's 2011 [[The New 52|New 52]] reboot.

===Metropolis Police Department===
The Metropolis [[Police]] Department headed by Commissioner [[David Corporon]] possesses a Special Crimes Unit dedicated to defending the city against superhuman menaces in case Superman is absent. The unit is headed by [[Maggie Sawyer]] and [[Dan Turpin]], both of whom maintain frequent contact with the Man of Steel. Another of Superman's police contacts over the years has been [[Inspector William Henderson]], who is currently the Metropolis police commissioner. The police unit is featured in a 1994–1995 limited series, ''Metropolis SCU''. At some point during the missing year following Infinite Crisis, the division of the Metropolis Police Department dedicated to superhuman crime was renamed the Science Police, seemingly a reference to the similarly named group in the Legion of Super-Heroes' 31st Century.

[[Stryker's Island|Stryker's Island Penitentiary]] (based on New York's [[Riker's Island]]) is the name of Metropolis' largest prison facility, as well as the name of the island on which it sits; it is located in Metropolis' West River south of New Troy (the real-life Riker's Island sits in the [[East River]], connected by a foot and vehicle bridge to the nearby borough of [[Queens]], although the island itself and its jail complex are technically and officially part of [[The Bronx]]).

===Metropolis Fire Department===
Post-[[Crisis on Infinite Earths|Crisis]], [[Fireman Farrell]] is shown to be a member of the Metropolis fire department.<ref>''[[Action Comics]]'' #693 (November 1993)</ref>  As of ''Batman & Superman: World's Finest'' #4 (July 1999), Farrell is now a captain in the Metropolis FD.

==Media==
Metropolis' premier [[newspaper]] is the ''[[Daily Planet]]'', one of the most renowned news organizations in the DC Universe. The city is also home to the national ''Newstime'' magazine, where Clark Kent held the position of editor during the [[Eradicator (comics)|Eradicator]] story arc until he was fired by his superior, Collin Thornton, in ''[[Superman (comic book)|The Adventures of Superman]]'' #465, for his increasingly strange behavior due to the Eradicator (including firing of some employees).

Other major media located in Metropolis include WGBS-TV, flagship station of the [[Galaxy Broadcasting System]] (GBS) [[television network]], both subsidiaries of media conglomerate [[Galaxy Communications (comics)|Galaxy Communications]].<ref>''Superman'' #233, January 1971</ref>  Popular shows included ''The Midnight Show Starring Johnny Nevada'' (a fictional version of [[NBC]]'s ''[[The Tonight Show]]'', with Johnny Nevada being an [[Analogy|analogue]] of [[Johnny Carson]]).<ref>''Action Comics'' #442, December 1974</ref>

Between the early 1970s and mid-1980s, both Clark Kent and Lois Lane worked for WGBS after Galaxy Communications purchased the ''Daily Planet'' in a 1971 storyline, with Clark as the [[anchorman]] for the WGBS evening news.<ref name="ReferenceA">''Superman'' #317, November 1977</ref> He was eventually joined by [[Lana Lang]] as a co-anchor.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> After John Byrne's revamp of Superman's origins, though, Clark and Lois were reverted to working at the ''Daily Planet'' once again. Galaxy Broadcasting and WGBS-TV still exist [[post-Crisis]], however, and are usually used in any story where a television station or network is needed or shown. Post-''Crisis'', Clark, Lois and Lana never worked for the station. During the 1990s however, both [[Jimmy Olsen]] and [[Cat Grant]] did work there.

==People and culture==
The people of Metropolis are depicted as a diverse group of large city-dwellers within the comics. They live in one of the world's largest, wealthiest, and most important cities.

===Sports===
As befitting any world city, Metropolis is represented by teams in all major-league sports.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/comics/who/who-intro.php?topic=metropolis-monarchs#M |title="Who's Who in the Superman Comics," Superman Home Page |publisher=Supermanhomepage.com |date=December 20, 2010 |access-date=December 25, 2010}}</ref> Like New York City, it is home to two teams in baseball and football. Of the two [[baseball]] teams, the Metropolis Monarchs are Clark Kent's favorite,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comicbloc.com/forums/showpost.php?p=595310&postcount=279 |title=The Official Home of Geoff Johns. [Link appears to be dead.&#93; |publisher=Comic Bloc |access-date=December 25, 2010 |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718120140/http://www.comicbloc.com/forums/showpost.php?p=595310&postcount=279 |url-status=dead }}</ref> while the other team, the Metropolis Meteors, is mentioned in ''[[52 (comics)|52]]'' as having a rivalry with the [[St. Louis Cardinals]].

In [[American football]], Metropolis is home to the Metropolis Metros and the Metropolis Meteors. The latter football team (sharing the same name as the above baseball team) once featured [[Steve Lombard]] as its star quarterback.<ref>''Superman'' #264, June 1973</ref> On the TV show ''Smallville'', there is a football team called the Metropolis Sharks.

The city is also home to the Metropolis Generals [[basketball]] team, who play in Shuster Sports Arena,<ref>''Action Comics'' #838, June 2006</ref> presumably named for Superman co-creator Joe Shuster.

Professional [[ice hockey]] is also present in Metropolis; its [[National Hockey League|NHL]] team is the Metropolis Mammoths.<ref name="Atlas" />

Several sports stadiums have been mentioned over the years. One such stadium is Metropolis Stadium, which was built in 1940. (Pre-Crisis, Metropolis Stadium had an [[Earth-Two]] counterpart, which was named "Sportsman's Stadium".)<ref>''World's Finest Comics'' #271, September 1981</ref> This was perhaps influenced by the real-life [[Sportsman's Park]] in St. Louis, for many years the shared home of baseball's St. Louis Cardinals and [[St. Louis Browns]].

==Legion-Era Metropolis==
Metropolis is traditionally depicted as continuing to survive, thrive and expand well into the 30th- and 31st-century timeframes used as the backdrop of the ''[[Legion of Super-Heroes]]'' in all that series' varied incarnations to date.

During the original incarnation of the series, Metropolis would be depicted as covering anything ranging from the entire Atlantic American coast to a more narrowed jurisdiction – according to one map officially published during [[Paul Levitz]] and [[Keith Giffen]]'s initial partnership on the series, in ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' (vol. 2) #313 (July 1984) – covering most of [[Massachusetts]], all of [[Rhode Island]] and [[Connecticut]], [[New York State]] from [[Long Island]]'s eastern tip up into the [[Catskills]], and a large portion of northern [[New Jersey]]. In one imaginary ''Superman'' tale published in 1976 and partly set in then-futuristic 2001, "Metropolis" is the name of the new [[Megalopolis (term)|megalopolis]] of the Eastern seaboard corridor, comprising the cities of [[Washington, D.C.]], [[Philadelphia]], New York and [[Boston]] and all the territory in between (''Superman'' #300, June 1976).

Whatever version was used, it was generally viewed as given that the original city, as well as Gotham City, were considered within Legion-era Metropolis' boundaries, from the mid-1960s until the events of ''[[Zero Hour (comics)|Zero Hour]]''.

The first post-''[[Infinite Crisis]]'' version of the series as published in the [[Legion of Super-Heroes#"Threeboot" continuity (2004–2009)|"three-boot"]] edition has described Metropolis as having expanded over the intervening millennium up the "entire Atlantic seaboard" of North America in one issue (reminiscent of New York's future expansion in [[Isaac Asimov]]'s ''[[The Caves of Steel]]'' and in [[Poul Anderson]]'s ''[[The Corridors of Time]]'', and to an extent ''[[Mega-City One]]'' of the ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' comics). In ''[[Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds]]'', it is revealed that this version of Metropolis belongs to the newly restored [[Earth-Prime#DC Comics|Earth-Prime]]'s 31st Century.

In ''Adventure Comics'' (vol. 2) #12, Metropolis during the Legion's first year is described by [[Brainiac 5]] as having a population of "78 million sentient inhabitants in the urban zone before you reach the greenbelt".

==In other media==
===Television===
[[File:LA City Hall - 2007-05-11.JPG|thumb|upright|In the TV series ''[[Adventures of Superman (TV series)|Adventures of Superman]]'', [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] stood in place for Metropolis. The [[Los Angeles City Hall]] was depicted as the ''[[Daily Planet]]'' building in later seasons.]]
* Metropolis appears in ''[[Adventures of Superman (TV series)|Adventures of Superman]]''.
* Metropolis appears in ''[[The New Adventures of Superman (TV series)|The New Adventures of Superman]]'', as well as the 1980s ''[[Superman (TV series)|Superman]]'' TV series.

[[File:Downtown Chicago Illinois Nov05 img 2459.jpg|thumb|left|upright|In the TV series ''[[Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]'', [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]] stood in place for Metropolis.]]

* Metropolis appears in ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]''. This version does not have a definitive location, although it has been implied to be in [[Illinois]] and Pennsylvania. 
* Metropolis appears in series set in the [[DC Animated Universe]] (DCAU). This version is a coastal city with a retrofuturistic motif.

[[File:Metrosmallville.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Metropolis Skyline, as seen in ''[[Smallville]]''. The ''Daily Planet'' Building and [[LexCorp|LuthorCorp]] Tower are seen as the two tallest skyscrapers. On ''Smallville'', [[Vancouver|Vancouver, British Columbia]], Canada, stands in as Metropolis.]]

* Metropolis appears in ''[[Smallville]]''. This version is located in western Kansas, near [[Dodge City, Kansas|Dodge City]]. In filming the series, [[Vancouver]] and [[Surrey, British Columbia]] stand in for Metropolis. For example, the [[Marine Building]] in Vancouver stands in as the ''Daily Planet'' Building and the [[Central City Shopping Centre|Central City Building]] in [[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]] stands in as the [[LuthorCorp]].
* Metropolis appears in ''[[The Batman (TV series)|The Batman]]'' episode "The Batman/Superman Story" Pt. 1.
* Metropolis appears in the animated series ''[[Legion of Super Heroes (TV series)|Legion of Super Heroes]]''.
* Metropolis appears in ''[[Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]'' episode "Battle of the Superheroes!".
* In the animated TV series ''[[Young Justice (TV series)|Young Justice]]'', Metropolis is shown on a map at roughly the real-life location of [[New Haven, Connecticut]].<ref>''Young Justice'' episode "Schooled"</ref> 
* Metropolis appears in series set in the [[Arrowverse]]. This version is located in Pennsylvania, in close proximity to the Delaware and [[Maryland]] border and to [[Philadelphia]].<ref>As depicted in a map in ''[[The Flash (film)|The Flash]]'' episode "[[Marathon (The Flash)|Marathon]]".</ref>
* In January 2018, ''Gotham'' executive producers John Stephens and Danny Cannon and Warner Bros. TV announced that they are developing a prequel TV series titled ''Metropolis''. The series will follow Lois Lane and Lex Luthor as they investigate the city of Metropolis and will premiere on DC's digital service, [[DC Universe (streaming service)|DC Universe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/01/metropolis-dc-digital-service-live-action-superman-prequel-drama-series-lois-lane-lex-luthor-gotham-producers-1202273592/|title=Superman Prequel Drama Series 'Metropolis' About Lois Lane & Lex Luthor Ordered By DC Digital Service|first=Nellie|last= Andreeva|work=Deadline|date=January 30, 2018}}</ref>
* Metropolis is the main setting of the ''[[DC Super Hero Girls (TV series)|DC Super Hero Girls]]'' television series; the major characters are students at Metropolis High School.
* Metropolis appears in the television series ''[[Superman & Lois]]''.
* Metropolis is the primary setting of the animated television series ''[[My Adventures with Superman]]''. A map of the city in the first episode, "Adventures of a Normal Man", suggests Metropolis is located near [[San Francisco, California]].

===Film===
*In 1978's ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'' and its sequels, Metropolis is shown as taking the place of [[New York City]]. The original movie series made no attempt to hide this similarity, as prominent New York landmarks are seen throughout the movies, including the [[Statue of Liberty]], the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]], the [[Chrysler Building]], [[Rockefeller Center]], the [[United Nations Headquarters]], the [[Empire State Building]], the [[Brooklyn Bridge]], [[Grand Central Terminal]], and the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' offices. (However, in ''[[Superman IV: The Quest for Peace]]'', in the scene involving a runaway train in the Metropolis "Metro City Transit" subway system, an advertising poster on the subway station wall soliciting public donations for the then-ongoing Statue of Liberty restoration effort urges the donations be sent to "The Lady, P.O. Box 1986, New York 10018" - implying that Metropolis and New York are, in fact, two separate places.) In ''[[Superman III]]'', some [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]] landmarks can be seen, including the [[Calgary Tower]] and the St. Louis Hotel, as parts of the film were filmed there.{{fact|date=November 2022}}

[[File:Dailyplanetskyline.jpg|right|thumb|The ''[[Daily Planet]]'' Building at Planet Square with the Financial District, in 2006's ''[[Superman Returns]]'']]
[[File:Lowermansuperman.jpg|thumb|right|Another shot of Metropolis, which actually is [[Lower Manhattan]] with minor edits, like the removal of the modern [[17 State Street]] and replaced with an older looking tower. The ''[[Daily Planet]]'' Building and others can be seen.]]
[[File:Metropolis for the Superman Movie.jpg|thumb|A welcome sign to Metropolis in the [[Superman (2025 film)|2025 ''Superman'' film]]]]

*''[[Superman Returns]]'' director [[Bryan Singer]] intended his version of Metropolis to be a stylistic cross between 1930s [[New York City|New York]] and current New York. The many shots of Superman flying high above the city establish that although Metropolis has a rectangular park reminiscent of [[Central Park]], the city overall has a slightly different shape from New York City. Several New York City landmarks, such as the [[American International Building]], [[The Battery (Manhattan)|Battery Park]], the [[MetLife Building]], the [[Woolworth Building]], [[Brookfield Place (New York City)|World Financial Center]], [[7 World Trade Center]], and the [[Brooklyn Bridge]], were clearly shown, as was the street grid of lower Manhattan, with a fictional bridge inserted north of [[Battery Park City]] and a fictional [[pier]] in the middle of Battery Park. The map of Metropolis shown in this article, however, tries to make the city's form as different as possible from New York City's, given the scenery shown. Photographs of some automobiles used in filming show [[license plate]]s bearing the phrase "[[New York State]]" along the bottom,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/images/superman-returns3/nov5-22-tb.html |title=''Superman Returns'' photo gallery, Superman Homepage |publisher=Supermanhomepage.com |date=November 5, 2005 |access-date=December 25, 2010}}</ref> although the featured vehicles (including Lois Lane's car) are shown in the film to have license plates reading "The First State"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/images/superman-lives/lois-car-tb.html |title=''Superman Returns'' photo gallery, Superman Homepage |publisher=Supermanhomepage.com |access-date=December 25, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/images/superman-lives/april9-13-tb.html |title=''Superman Returns'' photo gallery, Superman Homepage |publisher=Supermanhomepage.com |access-date=December 25, 2010}}</ref> [[Lex Luthor]]'s map onscreen portrays the city as directly in the location of New York City. Senior production designer Guy Dyas said in ''The Art of Superman Returns'' (Chronicle Books, 2006): "We wiped out, I think, half of [[New Jersey]] to put in Metropolis." The map showed Metropolis clearly being in place for New York City but in [[New York State]]. [[Long Island]] was not shown. [[Midtown Manhattan]] was only shown twice, both in brief high aerial shots of the city at night. The first had the [[Empire State Building]] and [[Chrysler Building]] obstructed by clouds while the [[GE Building]] was visible. The second, all three buildings would appear but very briefly. License Plates show the Daily Planet Building as the main symbol for Metropolis. With no [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] due to the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] (which took place during Superman's five-year departure from Earth), the real life Empire State Building, or in this case the Emperor Building as named in the comics, would be the tallest in Metropolis. In past ''Superman'' movies, Metropolis was suggested to be New York City itself. Landmarks like the World Trade Center and [[Statue of Liberty]] were seen on film. In ''[[Superman Returns]]'', Metropolis is New York City with minor changes. The movie focused primarily on [[Lower Manhattan]] with Midtown Manhattan only shown twice in the distance. [[17 State Street]], which is a recognizable glass tower at the tip of the island was replaced by an older looking tower and the tops of the two [[Brookfield Place (New York City)|World Financial Center]] Towers were removed. A small cluster of tall Art-Deco Towers along with the ''[[Daily Planet]]'' building were added to the skyline near the [[Civic Center]]. The LexCorp Tower never appeared in the movie; comics suggest LexCorp had a Twin Towered Headquarters, which suggests that if they still existed, the World Trade Center North and South towers were the LexCorp Towers, but being 2006, unlike the older ''Superman'' movies, the World Trade Center's [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|Twin Towers]], did not appear, being that the setting is after the September 11, 2001 attacks. It is implied that 9/11 happened shortly after Superman's five-year departure from Earth, as in 2006, five years ago it was 2001 where the world was in no major wars until the events of 9/11. Despite this, one aerial shot showed several small buildings over the site, probably suggesting that they never existed, yet a quick scene showed footage of the [[War on Terror]] on television news. Parts of ''Superman Returns'' was filmed in [[Sydney, Australia]], and some minor landmarks in Sydney can be identified such as ''[[Martin Place]]'', when Superman catches the car. License plates on cars that state the first state may also refer to [[New South Wales|NSW]] license plates.
[[File:Metropolis in Justice League.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Metropolis as seen in the [[DC Extended Universe]]. In this image, portions of [[Millennium Park]] in [[Chicago]] were used to model the fictional city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.atlasofwonders.com/2017/11/justice-league-filming-locations.html|title=Where was Justice League filmed? Guide to ALL the Filming locations|publisher=Atlasofwonder|accessdate=July 20, 2021}}</ref>]]
*Metropolis appears extensively the [[DC Extended Universe]], first appearing in ''[[Man of Steel (film)|Man of Steel]]'' and later ''[[Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice]]'' and ''[[Justice League (film)|Justice League]]''. Areas of [[Vancouver]], downtown [[Chicago]] and [[Detroit]] have been used as filming locations for the city, with several fictional buildings being added. Much of Metropolis is destroyed during the fight between Superman and [[General Zod]] in the first film's climax. It also appears to be a [[federal district#United States|federal district]] similar to [[Washington, DC]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/it-s-capes-cowls-and-c1406333363832/photo-metropolis-plates-photo-1407794889674.html|title=It's Capes, Cowls, and Scowls in Our 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' Gallery}}</ref> with a [[ZIP code]] of 33866.  Director [[Zack Snyder]] confirmed that Metropolis and Gotham City are portrayed as being in close geographical proximity to each other but are separated by [[Delaware Bay]]. In ''[[Justice League (film)|Justice League]]'' it is revealed there is a tunnel connecting the two, constructed as part of the abandoned 'Metropolis Project' in 1929 to connect the two cities. There are multiple islands located in the bay also, with one of them being named Braxton Island. During [[Super Bowl 50]], an advertisement for [[Turkish Airlines]] showcased a rebuilt Metropolis, with Lex Luthor (played by one of the film's stars, [[Jesse Eisenberg]]) declaring the city open for business again. A "Gotham City" version of the ad, starring [[Ben Affleck|Ben Affleck's]] [[Bruce Wayne]] and sharing an identical theme, also aired during the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/batman-v-superman-gotham-metropolis-863008|title='Batman v Superman': Gotham and Metropolis Detailed in New Promo|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=February 8, 2016 }}</ref>

*Metropolis also appears in most of the DC Comics animated films in which Superman makes an appearance, namely ''[[Superman: Brainiac Attacks]]'', ''[[Superman: Doomsday]]'', ''[[Superman/Batman: Public Enemies]]'', ''[[Superman/Batman: Apocalypse]]'', ''[[All-Star Superman]]'', ''[[Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths]]'', ''[[Justice League: Doom]]'', ''[[Superman vs The Elite]]'', ''[[Superman: Unbound]]'', and ''[[DC League of Super-Pets]]''. It additionally appears in the live action/animated hybrid film ''[[Space Jam: A New Legacy]]''.

===Video games===
Metropolis appears in several video games, including ''[[Superman (Atari 2600)|Superman]]'', ''[[Superman: Shadow of Apokolips]]'', ''[[Superman: The Man of Steel (2002 video game)|Superman: The Man of Steel]]'', ''[[Superman Returns (video game)|Superman Returns]]'', ''[[Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe]]'', where it is shown partially in ruins following the Justice League's fight with Darkseid, and it appears in ''[[DC Universe Online]]''.

Metropolis appears in the game ''[[Injustice: Gods Among Us]]'', in two different forms- a Prime Earth version, in which [[Joker (character)|the Joker]] attempts and fails to destroy the city with an [[atomic bomb]], and an [[parallel universe (fiction)|alternate universe]] Earth version, which occurs as a result of the Joker succeeding in his plot, which also involved the death of Lois Lane and Superman's unborn son. The alternate universe, or "Regime" Metropolis is used as a playable fighting stage. Here, it has been rebuilt into a more [[dystopia]]n city, which is where the "prime" Batman and Joker end up when they are accidentally transported there. The Prime Earth version, however, is not a playable stage in the game, and is only shown as a cameo in the game's story mode. One notable feature in each version of Metropolis is a statue depicting Superman with a [[globe]]. In the Prime universe, the statue depicts Superman standing below the globe, carrying it above his head, symbolizing that he follows the world's rules. On the other hand, in the Regime universe, the statue depicts Superman standing above the globe with his arms folded, symbolizing that the world follows his rules, as he has become a [[tyrant]] following the destruction of the original Metropolis and the deaths of Lois Lane and their unborn son. Metropolis is the only stage in the game to have three sections: the city streets, the top of the Daily Planet, and a museum featuring past superhero costumes and weapons.

Metropolis appears in ''[[Lego Dimensions]]'', where it is taken over by [[Sauron]] from ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' franchise, With Superman being sucked into an [[parallel universe (fiction)|alternate dimension]], [[Batman]], [[Gandalf]], and [[Wyldstyle]] oppose Sauron.

Metropolis appears as a playable stage in ''[[Injustice 2]]''. The two sections consist of Memorial Station (which contains statues of Superman and his downfall and Lex Luthor's opposition) and the Ace O' Clubs bar. In the story mode, Metropolis is one of the cities Superman fails to restore on Brainiac's ship.

In ''[[Lego DC Super-Villains]]'', part of the open world is Metropolis. [[LexCorp]] Tower, The [[Daily Planet]], and [[S.T.A.R. Labs]] are featured.

An open-world Metropolis is the main setting of ''[[Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League]]'', with [[Brainiac (character)|Brainiac]] taking over the Justice League through mind control and having them capture and destroy the city, so he can rebuild it new.

===Theme parks===
Metropolis appears in the ''[[Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D]]'' dark ride designed and created by [[Sally Corporation]] for Warner Bros. Movie World in Gold Coast, Australia. The city also appears in the ''[[Justice League: Battle for Metropolis]]'' dark ride created by [[Sally Corporation]] and is located at several [[Six Flags]] theme parks. A section of [[Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi]] is themed after Metropolis, with major landmarks serving as entrances to attractions such as the Daily Planet for a Superman attraction, the [[Hall of Justice (comics)|Hall of Justice]] for a Justice League ride, and the Metropolis Observatory for a [[Green Lantern]] attraction. Patrons can also eat at a restaurant themed after [[Big Belly Burger]].

==Metropolis, Illinois==
The real town of [[Metropolis, Illinois]], has been proclaimed the "hometown of Superman" by the Illinois State Legislature, and the town celebrates its "local hero". Among the ways it celebrates the character include a large Superman statue in the city, a Superman museum, an annual Superman festival, and its local newspaper ''The Metropolis Planet'', a name inspired by the major newspaper in fictional Metropolis, the ''[[Daily Planet]]''. A version of the town has appeared in the comics itself, as a city whose citizens idolize the hero who lives in their 'sister' city.<ref>''The Adventures of Superman'' #515</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of areas, landmarks, institutions and businesses of Metropolis (comics)|List of areas, landmarks, institutions and businesses of Metropolis]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://supermanica.kinlok.nu/wiki/index.php/Metropolis Supermanica: Metropolis] Supermanica entry on the Pre-Crisis Metropolis.
* [http://dc.wikia.com/metropolis]

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[[Category:Metropolis (comics)| ]]
[[Category:Fictional elements introduced in 1939]]
[[Category:Fictional populated places in the United States]]
[[Category:DC Comics populated places]]
[[Category:1939 in comics]]
[[Category:Fictional populated places in Delaware]]
[[Category:Comics set in Delaware]]
[[Category:Megacities in fiction]]