Then, very cautiously, Metropolis scraped together a thousand bucks in 1986 and put up a seven-foot fiberglass Superman in the town square. Then the Arabs shut off the oil and the bankers shut down Metropolis's dream. Cars would drive between Superman's legs to enter the park. In 1972, the town had plans to build a thousand-acre 'Amazing World of Superman', a $50 million theme park, with a 200-foot-tall statue. Things haven't always been so rosy in Metropolis though. At one time, the Chamber gave away free packets of Kryptonite to children but were forced to cease this tradition when 'DC Comics' claimed the practice was a copyright violation. Superman souvenirs are available everywhere as well. Other images of the super hero can be found all around this town of less than seven thousand inhabitants. A billboard with the image of Superman points the way to downtown Metropolis for motorists entering the city from the east side. For over two decades now, the small vill(ag)e of Metropolis, Illinois, has welcomed tourists and curiosity seekers to the one-and-only home of the comic book hero. Forget Smallville, the fictional home of Jonathan and Martha Kent and their illustrious son Clark (aka Superman), the Metropolis Illinois Chamber of Commerce wants visitors to think of their town Metropolis as the legendary residence of Kal-El, the last son of Krypton.
