10 Most Important Fictional Cities in DC Comics

DC Comics does not take place in the real world, and all of its locations are fictional cities that house the different superheroes. James Gunn has stated that the DCU will follow suit, and places like New York City will not exist in his movies. This is best because one thing that DC Comics has done well is establish these fictional cities, with Gotham City and Metropolis as examples of locations that are just as important as the heroes who call them home. These cities are the equivalent of real-world locations, such as New York City and Hell’s Kitchen in Marvel Comics, but as fictional cities, they are living and breathing characters with a life of their own.

These cities feature heroes like Batman, Superman, Nightwing, Flash, Green Arrow, and more, and they represent what fans can expect when reading stories set in these locations. The most significant difference between DC and Marvel is that Marvel Comics mostly sets its heroes in New York City. The fictional cities in DC are all across the United States. Here is a look at the best cities in DC Comics, from the City of Tomorrow to the home of Crime Alley.

10) Gorilla City

Gorilla City is from the pages of The Flash. This city is located in Africa and is home to intelligent gorillas. This city is not from Earth, but rather a city that was initially located on the planet of Calor, which ended up moving to Earth thanks to the unwitting help of Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern, a story told in DC Super-Stars Vol. 1 #44. The city moved to Earth because the gorillas needed a safer place to live. However, it was introduced in The Flash Vol. 1 #106, when Gorilla Grodd appeared and planned to learn mind control to turn his army of gorillas into a force to take over the world. However, while Grodd is a villain, the gorillas there are mostly peaceful. In the current timeline, the alien origin was retconned, but everything else remained the same.

9) Coast City

Coast City is the home of the Green Lantern and is located in California, close to Edwards Air Force Base. While this was the city that Hal Jordan mostly defended over his career as Green Lantern on Earth, it was also the home to his greatest tragedy. In Superman Vol. 2 #80, the villain Mongul teamed up with Cyborg Superman to destroy the entire city, resulting in the deaths of over seven million people. This is the moment that drove Hal Jordan to lose his mind and become Parallax, one of DC Comics’ most dastardly villains. One year after Infinite Crisis, the city’s reconstruction was completed, and it has since earned the nickname “The City Without Fear,” thanks to its dark past.

8) Smallville

Smallville is an interesting DC Comics city because it is a location where no major heroes are located. However, it is still important because this is where Superman grew up and was raised as a child. Located in Kansas, this is where Jonathan and Martha Kent lived when they found a baby Kal-El, adopting him into their family and naming him Clark Kent. Supergirl has also called the city home on occasion, and it is where both Lana Lang and Pete Ross grew up. There was even a Superman TV show named after Smallville, adding to its significance in DC Comics.

7) Blüdhaven

When Dick Grayson stopped acting as Robin and became Nightwing, he made some changes to break away from Batman’s shadow. He first joined the New Teen Titans in Jump City, but then, when he went out on his own, he became a hero in a neighboring city to Gotham City called Blüdhaven. This is in New Jersey, and Nightwing joined the police department there while also serving as its superhero protector on the streets. The city was destroyed during the Infinity Crisis and turned into a nuclear wasteland. However, after Flashpoint, Blüdhaven returned, and Nightwing has been serving as the protector there ever since.

6) Star City

Star City is the home of Green Arrow and is located in northern California, close to the Pacific Northwest. It is one of DC Comics’ oldest cities, making its first appearance in Action Comics Vol. 1 #266. As a defender of the poor and a liberal superhero who fights the corrupt elite, Green Arrow spent years in Star City battling the corrupt bureaucrats who kept a tight grasp on the city and openly fought to destroy the lower-class communities. Star City was also known in later years for the growth of The Forest, a large, mysterious area that appeared where rubble once lay. The forest would often aid Green Arrow while also magically preventing anyone from using superpowers within its boundaries. It was later revealed that The Forest was run by White Lantern power.

5) Poseidonis, Atlantis

Some of the best fictional cities in DC are not located in the United States, and at least one of them was not created by DC Comics. Aquaman is the king of Atlantis, a mythical location from history and one that also exists in Marvel Comics (with Namor). It is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, and, in DC Comics, it is much more than a city, as it is the size of a small continent. It is one of the oldest and most highly advanced cultural and magical societies on Earth. As for cities, Aquaman rules as the king and lives in the city of Poseidonis.

4) Themyscira

Themyscira is most well-known as the home of Wonder Woman and the Amazons. Known best as Paradise Island, it is the second home of the Amazons after they left their former home in the country now known as Turkey. Much like Atlantis, this is a location that has been around for a very long time, but Themyscira has undergone several changes over the years. It first appeared almost at the dawn of DC Comics, making its debut in All-Star Comics Vol. 1 #8 in 1942. The island has undergone many changes. It has been located in the Bermuda Triangle, the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, and in the Aegean Sea.

3) Central City

Central City is located in Missouri. This is the main home of Barry Allen’s version of The Flash. The city made its first appearance in Showcase Vol. 1 #4. Central City’s geographical location is across the Missouri River from Keystone City (the home of Jay Garrick and Wally West’s Flash). Together, Central City and Keystone City are known as the Gem Cities (similar to the Twin Cities). The city became known as the Central Cityplex in the 25th Century, indicating that it still has a great history in its future. This is also the home of some notable villains, including Captain Cold, Heatwave, Mirror Master, and Trickster.

2) Metropolis

Metropolis is the home of Superman. It is the largest and most well-known city in the United States, and is DC Comics’ closest comparison to New York City, but without the high crime rates (although it has an area called Suicide Slum). The Toronto skyline inspired the look of Metropolis; it is located in New York and is known as The City of Tomorrow. It is one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world, with a population exceeding 11 million citizens. Metropolis is also the location of many superheroes, similar to New York City in the Marvel universe. It is also the home of Lex Luthor.

1) Gotham City

While it is not as successful a city as Metropolis, Gotham City is easily the best fictional city in the DC Comics universe that the company has ever created. Metropolis debuted first in 1939, while Gotham City was first mentioned in Batman Vol. 1 #4 in 1940. However, while it is not as flashy as Metropolis, it is much more interesting. Gotham is a character in itself, a city as dangerous as any villain. Seen in stories like No Man’s Land, and containing locations like Arkham Asylum, no city in DC is as iconic and notable as Gotham City. Of course, this is Batman’s home, and it has been through more than any other location in the DC Universe over the years.

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