In 1969, Bob Westerfield moved from Kentucky to Metropolis, Illinois.

He was a former football player, satellite dish salesman, and self-described promoter.

And he saw a ton of potential in this small town.

It was right on a river.

It was home to an atomic energy plant, and on top of that,

right off the new Interstate 24 highway. Westerfield wanted to figure out how to get people off of the

highway and into the small town of Metropolis. And that's when he realized it was all in the name, Metropolis.

Coincidentally, the very same name as the hometown of the man of steel himself, Superman.

Of course, Metropolis was not quite the bustling city that Metropolis is in comic book lore.

Nonetheless, Westerfield made a proposal to the town's

Chamber of Commerce, who loved the idea, that their small town should be recognized as the

official home of Superman. Over the next couple of years, Westerfield and other local

businessmen bought the rights to be known as the hometown of Superman from what would become DC Comics.

They got it for a song, just $50,000.

A few years later, the town of Metropolis even at a ceremony with press from all over the globe,

where they christened themselves the official hometown of Superman.

Well, that's all happening.

On the other side of the country in Los Angeles,

a Superman superfan was amassing a collection of memorabilia like none other.

Action figures, costumes, anything and everything Superman.

He just needed somewhere to put it all.

My name is Dylan Thuris, and this is Atlas of Skira, a celebration of the world's strange, incredible, and wondrous places.

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