Superman Through the Ages! Forum

Help me out please.  I know the WB tv series "Smallville" is a separate fictional universe from the one of the current (2005) "Superman" comic books.  So I know there are discontinuities between the two.
But help me out. In the comics books, in Silver Age period comics, in Pre Crisis era, in the Post Crisis, and  in the post zero hour Superman stories, what state is the town of Smallville in and what state is the City of Metropolis in?(in the comic books). Where in the state, appoximately?

I have heard that Smallville is in Kansas near Wichita or maybe Topeka and that Metropolis is in Delaware near Cape Henlopen Park, Delaware. Near there are two fictional rivers (The Hob's River and the West River ) between and near which are the 6 boroughs of Metropolis.

By the way, in the DCU there are mountains nearby in Delaware (the Kirby Mountains).

I also have heard that in the tv show "Smallville", Metropolis is about 100 miles away form Smallville, Kansas.

What's the general consensus or majority opinion?

Also, let's ignore the real world town of Metropolis , Illinois for the purpose of this discussion.  But it really is a cool place to visit.

Originally, neither Smallville nor Metropolis were ever located in real-world states.  They were just a generic Small Town USA and Big City USA.

I believe that it was one of the script drafts for "Superman- The Movie" that placed Smallville in Kansas.  However, I don't believe that "Kansas" was ever actually mentioned in the final movie itself.  I think the public was first exposed to the "Kansas" location in Maggin's novel "Last Son of Krypton" (perhaps he got it from reading an early movie draft) but was then pretty much ignored until Byrne's reboot, when Smallville became firmly and perpetually lodged in Kansas.

The site of Metropolis seems to move depending on the writer and/or editor.  In Siegel's mind, it was a thinly veiled Cleveland.  In the movie, it was New York.  I think that at some point in the DCU, it was located in New Jersey (or maybe that was Gotham).  It's probably been located on the west coast, the east coast, and everywhere in-between.

My old brain gets foggy these days, please correct me where I've slipped up.

:s:

In Justice League of America #153, Metropolis & Gotham City were placed in New York state.  Near New York City actually.   I would love to see the maps for the  state of New York on Earths 1, 2, & 3.

Re: Smallville:

Smallville originally had no state, but was mostly assumed to be within driving distance of Metropolis. It was finally officially labelled as being in Kansas in John Byrne's post-Crisis Superman reboot.

Re: Metropolis:

Metropolis has been located on various locales, but mostly has been assumed to be a city somewhere on the east coast of the U.S., but has no official state, though the most popular places I've seen seem to be NY, Delaware, New Jersey, or Rhode Island. New York City and Gotham City all coexist with Metropolis, with the distance between Gotham and Metropolis varying in the comics (the pre-Crisis comics in the 70's and 80's apparently treated the two as twin cities a la Washington DC./Baltimore).

i've been re reading my sources and texts on Metropolis and all things kryptonian, etc.  I marvel. HUNDREDS of times in LOIS and CLARK, The comics, SMALLVILLE, RPGs, and in books like the Atlas to The DCU and the Metropolis Sourcebook and other writings it states Smallville is located in the state of Kansas.  Though not in our earth-prime where it doesn't exist.  At one point it existed in a pocket dimension made by the Time-Trapper, but it was still "kansas".  I think the tie in with Kingdom Come and the Gog storylines necessitate it to be in Kansas. At some time in one alternate future Lex as President will give the order which will result in a thermonuclear cataclysm in Kansas.
That's why "Smallville" the tv series had that episode where the Psychic foresaw Lex walking in the post-nuked Kansas.

As far as can this change. Sure . the next story written may relocate Smallville in Southern California next to Sunnydale and team BUffy up with the young Clark!
As far a Metropolis goes. its on the east coast and existed as a pre colonial town and was a participant in the revolutionary war and all. Miss America and others interacted with the colonists and the red coats.
So that was in the 1600's and 1700's . Pretty much rules out anything later acquired by the Louisiana Purchase.
It snows in Metropolis so its north of Georgia and South Carolina. It's associated with the Dutch settlements in the north eastern US too.
In fact the old name of Metropolis was New Troy.

(http://www.karridian.net/images/dc/dcusa_ne.gif)

(http://www.karridian.net/images/dc/dcusa_sw.gif)

The earliest reference to Kansas I've found predates Byrne by a few years.  From Miracle Monday chapter 2 (1981, quite pre-Crisis):

:s:

Good point. What is the earliest reference to Smallville being in Kansas?
1981 seems late, but i can't remember the specific date so I better go back to researching. you could be right.

the details of the smallville story did change at times. Originally Supes was found by motorists and was delivered to and raised in an orphanage.

Later the kents were named and kept Clark and raised him.

But the first names changed of the Kents and other minor characters.( Kal-El has been called Kal-L at times too)

Eventually they settled on Jonathan and Martha Kent.

At one point Lois began visiting Mr and Mrs Kent in Smallville and she always took a plane from Metropolis to Wichita Kansas airport, implying it was too far to drive.

The current DCU as per "The OMAC Project" lists Metropolis in New York State.

In the Pre Crisis DCU, it was pretty clear that Metropolis and Gotham were pseudonyms for fictional NYC.  Both cities have shown versions of the Statue of Liberty, for instance.  NYC's nickname is 'Gotham'.  Metropolis has always had an analogue to NYC's Central Park, though I can't recall the exact name now.

NYC = The Big Apple
Metropolis = The Big Apricot (OWAW reference)

Smallville used to be placed in the same state or a neighbouring one to Metropolis.  I agree that the first Superman movie was the one that moved it out to Kansas, and the books started reflecting that afterwards, perhaps starting with the Byrned MOS.

Perhaps the clearest example that Metropolis is not New york is the many many references where characters compare NY city and Metropolis .
Also what about 9-11?  There are no world trade centers nor  were there before in Metropolis . The Lexcorp building was the tallest building in Metropolis.  Sure part of the movie's were filmed there. Sure the Statue of Liberty is there. Hey  don't let the inconguities confuse you : its still not New York.  Very similar yes. Parallel almost, but not identical. There's no daily planet building of 27 stories in NYC with a giant globe on it.

The OMAC book may have changed that. I haven't seen it . Which issue # and title?  But when Superman met Spiderman he had to leave Metropolis formerly New Troy, and travel to New York to visit the Daily Bugel in New York.  True a metropolis is a generic big city. So is a gotham. There is a real Gotham in England I think.  IN the Batman Begins ,part of the Gotham City scenes is based on and filmed in Chicago under the "EL"
and part  "The Narrows" is based on NY, and other parts on Hong Kong or on the Blade Runner city. so go figure.

But I'd be happy with Metropolis in New York state or any where else on the north east coast of the US.  As long as Smallville was a lot farther away than 1 state and in the farmbelt , I'd be happy. I can't see Smallville in the North east though. Just doesn't figure with the crops depicted. ...though you can farm just about anywhere if the weather cooperates.  

Gotham is definitely not the same as Metropolis or tangeant. Batman says, "I'll protect MY city. Gotham City is covered." and is very protective and possessive of Gotham City.

In Metropolis is a "Centenial Park"  and other parks too. It has a giant statue of Superman in it that was placed there when Superman died.

In most stories the small town aspect of Smallville is what matters most , not so much its location.  Think: I can't wait to graduate high school and get out of this one horse/hick town.

Metropolis is the archetypal big city , "The City of Tomorrow"is Metropolis's nickname.  It's got crime and smog sure, but we city slickers love every minute of it! The sports events at the stadium or the garden, Musicals, Plays, Concerts in the Park, Block Parties, Carriage rides around the park, ice skating at the rink, man I love Metropolis! Crowds of people insure you will never be lacking someone to talk too!ha ha!

Well, if you read the Crisis-crossover story introducing the Earth-Prime Superboy, Superman notices on our Earth(Prime) that NYC is sprawled out too far to where Gotham City and Metropolis should be.  The implication is that what is one city in our real world is somehow broken up into three cities on Earth-One.

In early stories when they had legal restrictions from using real locations, NYC couldn't be used  -- or any other real cities -- so that's why they used the fake names but used references suggesting what they really were.

Gotham was supposed to be the dark, seedy side of NYC.

Metropolis was supposed to be the more optimistic, positive side of it.

When they started referencing the real NYC, they were forced to treat the three cities as separate locations.  But that Crisis story still sticks in my mind.

In the comic (Justice League of America #153) Kal looks for Metropolis & Gotham City.  He notes that where Gotham should be, instead there are suburbs of New York.  And where Metropolis should be is (i think, going from memory here) undeveloped real estate.  From that he concluded he was in the Earth-Prime universe.  Visiting the offices of DC Comics verified that.  Funny thought here.  What if the "Earth-Prime" Superboy is not really from Earth-Prime, but another earth very similar to Earth-Prime?  Remember Kal only assumed he was on Earth-Prime. :twisted:

Maybe, but I think he was actually from Earth-Prime.  Also note that DC (in their solicitations for upcoming Infinite Crisis books) is calling the character "Superboy-Prime."  Cool moniker if you ask me . :)

But does that make the Earth-2 Superman "Superman-2"?  I sure hope not. He should be "The original" or "The Golden Age" Superman.

Although, if Superboy-Prime was from an earth other than our own, as you suggest, I wonder what sort of comics have been published there for the last 20 years...

:s:

Wasn't there a continuity where Earth Prime was much like real Earth but was whacked by nucleur holocaust in the late 80s?

Excellent memory and almost exactly right, MatterEaterLad.

The story was a JLA/JSA team-up titled "Crisis on Earth-Prime".  Per Degaton used his timeship to both free the Crime Syndicate of America and then go back in time of our Earth-Prime to steal some nukes.  Guess which era and place he took them from?  Yep, Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Russia accused America of stealing the nukes from Cuba and Kennedy honestly answered it wasn't his guys.  Inevitable nuclear war resulted and our Earth's past was destroyed in a 1963 or so nuclear war.

Fortunately, our erstwhile heroes defeated Degaton, the CSA, then put right our corrupted history.

I wish it was my memory, but as I know you know, I stopped reading comics in 1972 and I have a dim view of the Bronze Age... 8)

Actually, I took that from info on Jonathan Woodward's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" homepage, where he intimated that Earth Prime was CLOSE but not our Earth...and destroyed in the Crisis?

All Earths in the Muliverse were destroyed during crisis.

Pre-Crisis, I've seen Metropolis AND Gotham City skylines graced with the unmistakeable Twin Towers.

Post-Crisis, it appears that the Twin Towers remained solely in New York City, until...   :cry:

Remember also that Post-Crisis Metropolis was literally transformed into a "City of Tomorrow" on January 1, 2000 by Brainiac 13.  Some of these buildings were actually levitating!  The city reverted back to its old appearance after Brainiac 13 was defeated in Superman #200.

As for Earth-Prime, Per Degaton took the looted Cuban nukes to Earth-X, where WWII was still being fought.  The missiles would have assured a final Nazi victory had not the JLA, JSA and Freedom Fighters not folied Per Degaton's plans.  When history was restored, the nuclear war on Earth-Prime "never happened".  

Superboy-Prime claims that Earth-Prime was destroyed in Crisis #10, though he was apparently still trapped in that temporal vortex that caught him in DCCP #87.  After the Battle at the Dawn of Time, the surviving worlds were merged and the Multiverse "never existed" -- ditto for Earth-Prime.  So technically it was spared from destruction TWICE, though removing it from all existence seems little improvement over annihilation via antimatter wall.

As for the current "Earth-Prime", there's an interesting post on the DC Message Boards regarding the recently rebooted Legion of Super-Heroes.  The Legionnaires draw their inspiration from 1,000-year-old DC COMIC BOOKS!  Is it possible that this Legion is actually based on Earth-Prime?   :shock:   If that's the case, if Superboy-Prime joins the Legion would he actually be "going home"?   :wink:

First I heard of there being a legal restrictions from using real locations. In fact Action #2 had Superman living in Cleveland, OH which hints that that city rather than NYC was the insperation for Metropolis.

Marvel owns the copyright for New York City  :wink:

In some 70's and 80's stories, Metropolis and Gotham City were shown to be "twin cities" on opposite sides of some large bay, with New York as a third seperate city. Guessing the twin cities bit might've been done to make the World's Finest teamups easier, or someone figured there wasn't much space on the east coast to begin with as it is, or some writer grew up in some twin city area ;-)

They've gone back and forth pre-crisis where Gotham and Metropolis were supposed to be.
Smallville was never specified where it was located until Man of Steel. AT times prior to MOS they've hinted both Metropolis and Gotham were in New York.  Other times they seemed to indicate that they were in neighboring states.  Personally, I felt Metropolic was supposed to be in New York and the equivalent of New York City and Gotham was in New Jersey and the equivalent of Newark.  But depending on the person writing the stories, the cities could have taken place in either New Jersey or New York.

Not quite true.

I've mentioned twice in this thread that prior to MOS, Smallville was placed in Kansas in at least one of the Chris Reeve Superman movies, and in 1981 (5 years before MOS), it was in Kansas in Maggin's Miracle Monday novel. I also quoted the passage (just go back a page).

Much earlier than all that, way back in 1977, Amazing World of DC Comics #14 placed Smallville in Maryland.

:s:

Wesinger or ENB in a LOC response said Metropolis was in the state of imagination

Next thing you're gonna tell me is that it's in a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind.

Of course it is... :wink:

I just visited the Superman Homepage and Steve Younis has posted a bunch of photographs he took at a recent Superman Returns pickup shoot in Sydney.

Included are close ups of newspapers, signs, and license plates.

It looks like the movie places Metropolis in "New York State" and even gives it a ZIP code: 20145.

:s:

I was speaking more specifically of the comics, where they avoided directly placing any of DC's fictional cities in a particular state.  Any guesses as to where "Central City" and "Coast City" were supposed to be?

Umm - in the center and on the coast?

Actually, I always got the impression that Metropolis was New York-ish; Central City was Chicago-ish, and Coast City was LA-ish.

:s:

Ha - knew I lived in Metropolis - my avatar sez so! :s:

Coast City was explicitly stated as being in California in Green Lantern's comics on various occasions. A "New Adventures of Superboy" story features the Kents visiting relatives "clear across the country" in Coast City for a weekend (where they meet a teenage Hal Jordan);the references in the story make clear that Smallville (in that story) is near Metropolis (the Kents take off from a Metropolis airport, and they mentioned Smallville being an east coast town repeatedly).

Central City is somewhere in the midwest; in the 70's, think it was placed in Ohio, while post-Crisis, they moved it to Missouri (as a "twin city" to Keystone City, which post-Crisis is in Kansas... which I always thought was stupid--- "Keystone City" was supposed to be more of a Pennsylvania-type city... the "keystone state" and all?! Dont' see why the two cities couldn't straddle the Ohio-Pennsylvania border instead... and it'd at least leave their original individual identities mostly intact, instead of diminishing them both by making them some lame Kansas City-knockoffs...).

just for the heck of it...

I used to live in Jacksonville, Illinois in 1981 and 1982 and it looked almost exactly like the SMalllville of the tv show ,complete with farms, cornfields, ect. Even down to the only very small amount of African-Americans in the town. It had the same super small town feel. A lot of other towns in the midwest do too.
 Funny it wasn't called the meteor capital of the world, but a large state insane asylum had once been there and was shut down due to budget cuts. The truckers called it loonytown because of that and because so many former inmates were evicted into the common population. Lots of characters!

Anyway, I loved living in Jacksonville but it was a very wierd place and very mayberryish and smallvillesque!

it wasn't too many miles from "Normal , Illinois". I used to tell my friends all the Normal people live in Normal and all the abnormal ones live in Jacksonville.

speaking of Coast City,

wasn't that bogus of DC to just junk the "Haven" storiline in order to make room for the Hal Jordan/Green Lantern's coast city return?
Kind of unfair to fans and the writer too, I thought.

I think Central City is in the NW corner of Missouri on the Missouri /kansas border and is a twin city of Keystone City, Kansas.

Coast City is on the West coast north of San Francisco in Northern California

the following site has a dcu atlas from the game in an old Rpg.
http://www.karridian.net/dcatlas.html#usa

So where would you say Fawcett City is then?   I just had to ask.

Never mind. Your map was helpful. It has Fawcett City somewhere near Gary Indiana on Lake Michigan. This map though,
mentions Leesburg Virginia which would be a few short miles to the northwest of Elmond. The city I think it meant it was trying to say was Lynchburg. Something about it just didn't seem right.

Wisconsin  :wink:

Actuallly Fawcet City is the home of Charlie's Angles (urban fishermen/crime fighters) and Ivory City is the home of Bath-Man. ;)

According to that map it was next to Gary Indiana.

Fawcett City's mayor might be Farrah but still. And Lee Major's Bionics are yesterday's news.

Yeah, I'll say it was next to Gary on that map---right about where *my* real-life hometown sits ;-)

So guessing my DC Universe counterpart's hometown (in real life just a small town; the town next door might make for a good "Smallville") is just some suburb of Fawcett, and that Johnny Nevada has to deal with telepathic worms attacking left and right? (And it's *all* only 40-50 miles from Chicago, a huge city, no less...). ;-)

Think I like the Wisconsin location better (re: "Power of Shazam!"'s references about Fawcett's location, which fit there more than the Hoosier state)... wonder what yahoo thought up Indiana (especially northwestern Indiana, which is already part of the Chicago area anyway...) as Fawcett's new location anyway . ;-p

I think the DCU Atlas book for the DC Heroes role playing game was partly based on the comics and partly on the game maker's best guess. It's not necessary the official DC truth on the subject. It's an attempt to make a decision that was the standard for all DC Heroes Game masters to use for the official rules. For instance...
That way if your hero, say Shrink-Wrap-Man lives in Fawcett City according to his character sheet, than the GM knows he can make the storyline proceed so Shrink-Wrap-Man can, in a short trip,ride his Supercycle to  team up with Moonwalk-Girl (an NPC)  from Gary, Indiana .
Its just a practical game for gameplay. It's subject to change at the
GM's discretion.

I have heard a few different cities that Capt. Marvel is supposed to be from and where they are.

If you want the true, genuine, accurate location of FAWCETT CITY you have to go down this tunnel , past these statues and ask an robed, beared,old man sitting on throne...

I said Wisconsin as a joke, considering what they are famous for and what Captain Marvel's nickname is.

 :wink:

It's funny that it fits, LOL!

And my nickname is what?  Funny how these things never get around to the person that is most affected by it.  Don't tell me it's something cheesey.

In the "Power of Shazam!" series, it was strongly implied that Fawcett City is/was in Wisconsin... various references to Native American reservations, etc. that wouldn't exist in my native Hoosier State.

Thus, my remark above. Besides, not sure I'd want my mother threatened by killer robots and Monster Societies of Evil while she's trying to buy groceries. ;-p

In Siegel's "The Mysterious Mr. Mxyztplk!" (http://superman.nu/tales3/mxyztplk/) (read it online), Metropolis appears to be near a large lake (http://superman.nu/tales3/mxyztplk/?page=8). I think Lake Erie qualifies as a large lake. This doesn't appear to fit in with NYC's geography (river and ocean, yes; lake, no).

The Metropolis = New York question has been discussed a couple of times in the forum here (http://superman.nu/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=657) and here (http://superman.nu/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1488).

yeah this in NOT a new topic.
NOr is it new to the net.
many, many forums have discussed it.

I know since i read many of them.  
It seems that some writers don't even know how to spell continuity while others are so an*l retentive about continuity so as to detract from the enjoyment of the reader.
 
Once upon the time there was no continuity in comics.
Hence Superman was the Guardian of Cleaveland (or was that Cincinatti?)Ohio in an early story, but later was clearly moved elsewhere.

I think you'll find in John Byrne's stories he follows a continuity of his own that is consistent with other stories he has written, but not necessarily with every other Superman or superboy story in history of dc. Many writers are consistent with their own stories and or the most recent stories since many fans have short memories.

In the 60's and 70's and somewhat the 80's, continuity  was like situation ethics. The end justified the means.  When it was good for the story to call Metropolis a city in New York state they did. Never mind if in last month's issue it was in Kansas or the Illinois. When it suited the writer there was no New york city in the DCUniverse but in its exact geographical place was Metropolis, New York. (Including nearly identical streets, subways, landmarks, WTC's, statue of liberty, etc.) In such stories it looked exactly like NYC which is real but some names were different like Central park might be called Centenial Park, Manhattan was called New Troy, Brooklynn was called Bakerline, Queens was called Queenland Park,  the bronx was  called Hell's Gate, Staten Island was called St. Martens Island, the east river is called the west river and the hudson river is called Hob's River.

Of course in a story in a comic, a tv show or a movie  you can allow an occaisional continuity error or artistic liscense and the story is still enjoyable, but in role playing games the players are very demanding of the GM, so when DC heroes the RPG came out they published the unofficial Atlas to the DCUniverse giving specific locations to each city in a specific state.  These didn't always synch with the comics exactly.

Where is smallville? In Smallville, USA.  More recently the consensus is somewhere in Kansas at least in the "Encyclopedia to the DC Universe" from DK on sale at Barnes and Noble bookstore.

Where is Metropolis? in the tvseries Smallville, it is within a couple hundred miles or less, near some huge mountains in Kansas (clearly an alternate or pocket universe...Mountains?).
In the comics: depending on the recent story (in the last 5 years) you are reading it is still up in the air and kept purposely vague by DC. When it suits the writers its on the eastern seaboard. Metropolis history suggests it was in the New England States area and was part of the 13 original colonies in the 1700's. It's near water. Its been nearly hit by tidal waves, ect. It has a vital shipping port. Its within driving distance of Gotham City, and New York City.  In  some stories its very far from Smallville and in some stories its nearby.
I'd say that Smallville is now irrevocably stuck in Kansas from now on.
Metropolis could change. From now on I'd say its in the state of New York somewhere,  or nearby and near water.

If this all sounds like nonsense don't blame me , this morning I was hit in the head by a meteor of Silver Kryptonite and I'm feeling confused! :wink:

In some superman or batman stories it seems there is very little continuity from one title to another.  For instance, where is the Justice League when Superman is facing the latest cosmic invader from another planet?  On a yet another mission in space or another dimension, conveniently.
Your supposed to have a certain suspension of disbelief for these stories to be enjoyed.  So don't take references to DC geography too literal.
Like some magical movable Shangrila like city it could be moved again.

My sister was watching my Max Fleischer cartoons yesterday, and caught this:

In the cartoon called "The Electric Earthquake" we learn that Indians are bad people, but really good at science. Being of Native American descent yet good at science, I joked my sister about the fact that all Indians also travel up and down in a tube...what, she didn't have one?

Anyway, she caught this: The Indian blew up lots of building surrounding the Daily Planet, before Superman stopped the machine. At the end of the cartoon, the Daily Planet headline was "Superman saves Manhattan from an Indian." Ok, it actually says "Superman saves Manhattan" and then something else.

The Daily Planet was on Manhattan Island. So references of Metropolis-as-New-York were not only in the comics, and possibly were introduced outside of the comics and worked their way in.

I think Psybertrack's post of Sat 12-Nov-2005 9:18 pm explained the situation best.

While I think the evidence leans towards Metropolis being an analogue of NYC and being in NY state, I can accept that this has been treated inconsistently and it depends on the creative teams over the decades.

I'm not sure DC has an official position on this, though I do know it was shown being in NY state as of the recent The OMAC Project #1.  Until DC changes it yet again, I'd go with that recent portrayal esp. as it's tied to DC's big events series like Identity Crisis.

Say what you like about Didio, he is giving the DCU a consistent, long-range plan and world-building.  It may be dark and gory but that consistency and planning is clearly evident across the titles and even their release dates.

I love the Max F. cartoons, but I missed that one. sounds great!
you are funnyha ha ha too.  
I like the bulleteers one and the magneto ray.  I think of these as the earth one superman, but if theyre in Manhattan i'd guess its a pocke t universe.

I used to have a pocket universe in my pocket but now all I've got a hole in my pocket.

I like the moodiness of the Ma x F toons.
Also the sarcasm and wit of CK.

I noticed Smallville is said in Superboy#1(the series of comics based on the Superboy syndicated tv series)in 1989 said Smallville is in kansas.
 The "Superboy tv series" ran in syndication in 1988-1992.  "Superboy: The Comic Book" (based on a tv series) #1 (Feb 1990 [ 1989] ) places Smallville in the heart of Neosho County, Kansas which is a real county at the coordinates: Latitude: 37.51472 : Longitude: -95.23. As Superboy /Clark rides away on a bus from Smallville to Florida where he is going to college at Shuster University in Siegleville , Florida, he passes a sign that reads "You are now leaving Smallville, the heart and soul of Neosho County" (which is in Kansas). Its kind of south east Kansas near the border.
I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT SMALLVILLE MAY BE IN "LOWELL COUNTY, KANSAS" AND NOT NEOSHO AS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. DEFINITLEY LOWELL COUNTY IN THE BYRNE COMIC BOOK SUPERMAN AND IN THE TV SERIES WITH CLARK KENT AS A TEEN "SMALLVILLE".

In one of my classes, I decided to show that cartoon as the quintessential Superman Cartoon. :)

It had brilliant animation, great action, sweet technology, and a politically incorrect villain. It captured the era better than any other Superman cartoon.

Back in those days everybody was politically incorrect except for Chiun. He hated everybody equally! (You know, Remo Williams/ The Destroyer book series[by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy]  has a Korean character named Chiun who is Remo's teacher and Master of the ancient mart9ap art of sinanju.)


Gettting back to Smallville and Metropolis.
In the WB tv series "Smallville" with teen-Clark, we have a small back water Kansas town which is within 70 miles of Metropolis which could be in KS or a neighboring state.

But in the comics of 2005, Smallville is in Kansas somewhere and Metropolis is someplace in the North Eastern United States Coast. As far as I can tell for story purposes most writers treat Metropolis as vaguely near NY city except when it's convenient not to.
It's never a problem since Superman can fly back and forth in less than 30 seconds or less.