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#redirect [[List of DC Universe locations#Cities of the DC Universe Earth]] |
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{{Infobox fictional location |
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| name = Coast City |
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| image = |
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| blank_label = [[:Category:Comics publishing companies|Publisher]] |
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| blank_data = [[DC Comics]] |
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| first = ''Showcase'' #22 (September–October 1959) |
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| creators = [[John Broome (writer)|John Broome]], [[Gil Kane]] |
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| type = |
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| people = [[Hal Jordan]]<br />[[Carol Ferris]]<br />[[Carl Ferris]]<br />[[Thomas Kalmaku]]<br />[[Hector Hammond]]<br />[[Black Hand (comics)|William Hand]]<br />[[Jillian Pearlman]] |
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| races = |
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}} |
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'''Coast City''' is a city created by [[John Broome (writer)|John Broome]] and [[Gil Kane]] that appears in stories published by [[DC Comics]]. It is depicted most often as the home of the [[Silver Age of Comics|Silver Age]] version of the superhero Green Lantern, [[Hal Jordan]]. [[Ferris Aircraft]] is one of the largest employers in Coast City. |
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== Fictional history == |
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Coast City, which first appeared in ''Showcase'' #22 in September–October 1959, was a city located in [[California]]. This made it one of the few fictional cities in the [[DC Universe]] to have a specifically given location from the start. |
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Coast City was usually portrayed as an analogue of [[Los Angeles]]<ref>[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/coast-city/4020-47879/ Comic Vine]</ref> and [[San Diego]].<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/a-guide-fictional-cities-dc-861874 A Guide to the Fictional Cities of the DC Universe]</ref>''[[Green Lantern: Rebirth]]'' identified it as being in Northern California, though recent issues of ''Green Lantern'' listed it as being twenty miles from [[Edwards Air Force Base]]. |
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=== Destruction === |
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In the 1990s, Coast City was destroyed, with nearly all of its residents – then numbered at seven million – by [[Mongul]]. Mongul's gigantic ship appeared over Coast City and released thousands of spherical bombs which detonated simultaneously. It was then revealed that Mongul was doing the bidding of former astronaut [[Hank Henshaw]], better known as the Cyborg Superman. Mongul and Henshaw built Engine City in Coast City's ashes, as part of a plot to turn Earth into the new [[Warworld]], the two intending to strike a double blow against the recently deceased Superman by claiming his world for themselves and framing him as the agent responsible for his planet's destruction.<ref>''Superman'' (vol. 2) #80</ref> This plan was stopped by the real Superman after his resurrection, with the help of [[Superboy (Kon-El)|Superboy]], [[John Henry Irons|Steel]], and Hal Jordan, who had just returned from space to find his home destroyed.<ref>''Superman'' (vol. 2) #82</ref> |
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Killed in the blast were numerous supporting characters of the Green Lantern comic books, including [[Kari Limbo]] and several Ferris Aircraft employees. Jordan attempted to resurrect the city using his ring and learned that his first girlfriend had also died in the blast, but his ring's power was revoked by the Guardians before he could make it last for more than a few moments. |
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In the near-future, a government time-travel experiment attempted to take the first step to prove their worth by going back in time to prevent Henshaw becoming the Cyborg and destroying Coast City, but [[Booster Gold]] was forced to go back in time and stop the renegade time-traveler to preserve the timeline. During his time in the past, Booster saved a little girl who would go on to become his adopted daughter (after [[Skeets (DC Comics)|Skeets]] confirmed that history had no record of her death in the city's destruction), as well as his time-lost sister [[Goldstar (comics)|Michelle Carter]], but they were unable to save her then-boyfriend as history recorded that he had died in the blast. |
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The city's destruction drove Hal Jordan to become the villain [[Parallax (comics)|Parallax]], due to a mental breakdown from grief, though it was later revealed that he was also under the influence of the yellow emotional entity named Parallax. Jordan slaughtered nearly all the Green Lanterns, absorbed the energies of the Power Battery, and tried to rewrite history. This led to the appointment of a new Green Lantern, [[Kyle Rayner]]. A memorial to Coast City's victims was erected on the site of the city with the help of most of the major superheroes of the period. |
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For a time, an alien city named Haven that had crashed on Earth resided on top of the ruins of Coast City. |
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When Hal Jordan died saving the world, the heroes memorialized him. An eternal flame was constructed in the ruins of the city. [[Swamp Thing]] used his powers to fill the surrounding area with greenery.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 3) #81</ref> |
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When Hal Jordan from early in his career was pulled into the future during an encounter with Kyle Rayner,<ref>''Green Lantern'' Vol. 3 #100</ref> a version of Parallax from when he attempted to restart history<ref>''Green Lantern'' Vol. 3 #105</ref> attempted to convince his younger self to go along with his plans by taking himself, his younger self and Kyle back to Coast City at the moment of its own destruction, freezing time in the second before the bombs struck. Despite his future self showing him the people who would die when the city was destroyed, the younger Hal refused to go along with Parallax's plan, the two fighting in the frozen city before Kyle convinced them that they both had to return to their own times.<ref>''Green Lantern'' Vol. 3 #106</ref> |
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The villain Remnant attempted to depict Superman as a devil by blaming him for the deaths caused in [[The Death of Superman#Superman: Day of Doom|Doomsday's rampage]], particularly the fact that so few people acknowledged the others who had died in the rampage in favour of 'focusing' on Superman's resurrection. Superman confronted a reporter writing an article about the anniversary of the rampage, complimenting him on his ability to challenge Superman with hard questions, and asked him to consider one final question: if Superman weren't around, would there be fewer Doomsdays (monsters seeking to confront Superman), or more Coast Cities (disasters that occurred because Superman wasn't available to prevent them)? |
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It was later revealed that Hank Henshaw chose to destroy Coast City to erase his former life on Earth; he and his wife, Terri Henshaw, were previous residents of Coast City.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) # 13</ref> |
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=== Reconstruction === |
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Coast City was subsequently rebuilt in the wake of Jordan's resurrection. While the [[Spectre (DC Comics character)|Spectre]], Hal Jordan, and the Parallax parasite were wrestling for control of the Spectre's powers, all roads, street signs, and Jordan's apartment reappeared. 'Haven' also vanished from the site.<ref>''Green Lantern Rebirth'' #3 (2004)</ref> |
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Populating the rebuilt city became one of the latest initiatives of Jonathan Vincent Horne, [[President of the United States]]. Charities and industries around the world, including [[Wayne Enterprises]], contributed to a fund for rebuilding the city. Despite all those efforts, Coast City remained a ghost town due to its reputation as the site of a mass murder. Among the exceptions was Hal Jordan, who lived in Coast City when he wasn't working at nearby Edwards Air Force Base as one of their test pilots. Hal's nephew attends a school with a student body of fewer than twenty.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #7</ref> |
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The [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] established a presence in the region, as both a domestic security and economic stimulus measure.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) # 4-5</ref> |
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[[One Year Later|One year]] after the events of ''Infinite Crisis'', Coast City finished reconstruction. During the ''[[Sinestro Corps War]],'' it was targeted for destruction by [[Sinestro]] and the [[Sinestro Corps|terrorist organization]] that bears his name. Hal Jordan used his ring to contact every citizen, urging them to evacuate the city. En masse, they decided to stay. Many shined green lights from their homes to indicate their support.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #23-25</ref> Jordan and Kyle Rayner defended the city from the rogue Corps' attacks, and Sinestro was defeated on the rooftops of Coast City. |
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In the aftermath, the city's population rose dramatically, and many businesses and citizens returned. Available living space was rapidly filled. The new Coast City was dubbed "The City Without Fear" by the news media. The damage from the Sinestro Corps battle was repaired by Green Lantern [[John Stewart (comics)|John Stewart]], with help from the Green Lantern Corps and Earth's superheroes.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #26.</ref> |
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By the time of the ''[[Final Crisis]]'', Coast City's population was cited on local promotional billboards as 2,686,164.<ref>''Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns''</ref> |
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=== ''Blackest Night'' === |
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As of the beginning of the 2010 miniseries ''[[Blackest Night]]'', the population had increased to 2,765,321. A new memorial was erected to commemorate the city's history; it includes a green lantern, lighted by Hal Jordan, John Stewart, [[Guy Gardner (comics)|Guy Gardner]], and Kyle Rayner.<ref>''Blackest Night'' # 1</ref> In the course of the story, the [[Black Lantern Corps]]' central power battery teleports to just outside Coast City, bringing forth the demon [[Nekron]], (the black personification of [[Death (personification)|Death]] and longtime enemy of the Green Lantern Corps) the undead Guardian [[Scar (comics)|Scar]], and [[Black Hand (comics)|Black Hand]]. The [[Anti-Monitor]] also emerges from the battery but is defeated before exiting. Nekron then sends forth [[Power ring (DC Comics)#Black|black rings]] into the city's memorial, reanimating the dead as [[Black Lantern]]s.<ref>''Blackest Night'' #4 (2010)</ref> Nekron is then defeated in the streets of Coast City.<ref>''Blackest Night" #8 (2010)</ref> |
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The population is again shown at 2,765,321, as a murderous version of Bruce Wayne attacks the city. This Wayne, wielding a Green Lantern ring, disposes of Hal Jordan and sends demonic forms to attack the populace.<ref>''Batman: The Dawnbreaker'' (2017)</ref> A later view of Coast City shows many skyscrapers knocked off their foundation.<ref>''Batman: The Merciless'' (2017)</ref> |
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== Geography == |
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In the 1970s, an "Ask the Answer Man" column placed Coast City in California.<ref>Bob Rozakis, "Ask the Answer Man," Daily Planet, Detective Comics #470 (June 1977)</ref> ''[[The Atlas of the DC Universe]]'', published by Mayfair Games in 1990, placed Coast City in northern California, between San Francisco and [[Green Arrow]]'s [[Star City (comics)|Star City]]. |
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Ferris Aircraft is an [[aerospace]] company which [[Hal Jordan]] worked for as a test pilot, it is located twenty five miles out from the city.<ref>''Green Lantern Rebirth''</ref> His romantic interest, [[Carol Ferris]], was the company's manager. Coast City also included an extensive [[beach]], and was a popular spot for [[surfing]]. It also had a nearby mountain, called 'Mt. Pacific'.<ref>''Green Lantern'' #40 (vol. 1, Oct. 1965)</ref> |
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When the city was destroyed, a news broadcast in the comic showed a map locating Coast City a little south of [[Santa Barbara, California]].<ref>''Adventures of Superman'' (volume 1) #503, August 1993.</ref> |
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In ''[[I, Vampire]]'' #3, which was part of the 2011 relaunch [[The New 52]], Coast City was established to be in the [[Mountain Standard Time]] zone, making the city landlocked. |
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===Alternate Versions=== |
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In an alternate future Coast City is once again abandoned after half of it fell into the ocean along with most of California. What remains is now the domain of Poison Ivy, who has turned it into a greenhouse paradise. <ref>''Old Lady Harley'' #5 (2019)</ref> |
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== In other media == |
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=== Television === |
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* In the ''[[Smallville]]'' second season episode "Redux", Clark says that his adoptive maternal grandfather retired with his wife to Coast City. In the seventh season of ''[[Smallville]]'', [[Kara Zor-El|Kara]] says she has just returned after spending a weekend with [[Jimmy Olsen]] in Coast City. |
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* Coast City briefly appeared in the ''[[Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]'' episode "Hail the Tornado Tyrant!". The Tornado Tyrant attempted to wipe it out with a massive tidal wave, but was stopped by [[Batman]] and [[Red Tornado]]. It also appeared in "Sidekicks Assemble!" by being the place where [[Ra's al Ghul]] infests the city with his evil plants. It later appears in "Scorn of the Star Sapphire" when the Zamarons take control of Carol Ferris. |
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* Coast City appears in ''[[Green Lantern: The Animated Series]]''. |
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* Coast City is referenced in various TV series that take place in the [[Arrowverse]]: |
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** In ''[[Arrow (TV series)|Arrow]]'', Coast City is mentioned in the episodes "Legacies", "The Huntress Returns", "Corto Maltese", and the season 3 finale "My Name is Oliver Queen". In "Legacies", [[Tommy Merlyn]] asks Laurel if she would like to go with him on his private jet to Coast City. In "The Huntress Returns", Oliver's detective girlfriend gets shot by Huntress and says she's going to move in with her sister in Coast City. In "My Name is Oliver Queen", during a flashback scene, Oliver is shown boarding a boat bound for Coast City; a flashback in "Green Arrow" shows Oliver adopting an early version of the Hood disguise in Coast City, running past an advertisement sign proclaiming "In brightest day, In blackest night, Come to Coast City, When money's tight". In the season 4 finale episode "Schism", John Diggle mentioned to Lyla that their daughter Sara is in an ARGUS bunker in Coast City. |
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** Coast City is mentioned in ''[[The Flash (2014 TV series)|The Flash]]'' episode "Fallout" when [[Iris West]] asks [[Killer Frost|Caitlin Snow]] where [[Firestorm (comics)|Ronnie Raymond]] is from. The city itself is also briefly seen for the first time in the Arrow/Flash universe ([[Arrowverse]]) in the episode "[[Who Is Harrison Wells?]]" when [[Flash (Barry Allen)|Barry Allen]] runs to the city to get pizza, allegedly the "best in the west". In the episode "Enter Zoom", [[Linda Park (comics)|Linda Park]] moved to the city after being kidnapped by [[Zoom (comics)|Zoom]] and his battle with Barry. |
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** Coast City was mentioned by [[Cisco Ramon (Arrowverse)|Cisco Ramon]] in the third episode of ''[[Vixen (web series)|Vixen]]''. |
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** Coast City was mentioned in the episode "Progeny" of ''[[Legends of Tomorrow]]'' by [[Hawkman]] as another place to escape from [[Vandal Savage]]. |
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* Coast City was mentioned in the episode "Emergency Punch Up" of ''[[Powerless (TV series)|Powerless]]'' as a destination for the company's retreat. |
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=== Film === |
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* Coast City is mentioned by name by Hal Jordan, in the animated film ''[[Green Lantern: First Flight]]'', when he talks to [[Appa Ali Apsa]]. Hal compares Green Lanterns to cops in their precincts, and says his uncle was a cop in the Coast City police force. |
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* Coast City appears in the 2011 film ''[[Green Lantern (film)|Green Lantern]]''. The name of the city appears during a television newscast. |
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* Coast City is mentioned in the 2014 film ''[[Justice League: War]]'', but when mentioned and shown the location, Coast City appeared to be located somewhere in the southern half of Florida. |
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* A newspaper clipping of "The Coast City Ledger" is shown in a mid-credits scene of the 2018 movie ''[[Aquaman (film)|Aquaman]]''. |
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=== Video games === |
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* In the ''[[Batman Begins (video game)|Batman Begins]]'' video game, a corrupt cop can be heard saying, "Yeah, I bought the boat. Me and the wife are taking it over to Coast City next weekend". |
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* Coast City appears in ''[[DC Universe Online]]''. |
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* Coast City is referenced in ''[[Batman: Arkham Origins]]'', where on Burnley is a billboard with the names of cities, including Coast City. |
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== References == |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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== External links == |
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* [http://smallville.wikia.com/wiki/Coast_City Coast City] on Smallville Wiki |
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{{Green Lantern}} |
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{{DC Comics populated places}} |
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{{authority control}} |
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[[Category:Fictional populated places in California]] |
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[[Category:Green Lantern]] |
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[[Category:DC Comics populated places]] |
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[[Category:1959 in comics]] |
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[[de:DC-Universum#Städte]] |
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