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The Superior-Paradise Metropolitan Corridor is a large, highly developed metropolitan region located
along the Columbia River in the states of Oregon and Washington. The Corridor is in the center of an even
larger metropolitan axis that reaches from the Seattle-Tacoma region in Washington State down along the
Columbia River to Portland, Oregon and neighboring Vancouver, Washington. The corridor consists of the
"mega-city" of Superior City, Oregon and the city of Paradise, Washington, along with some of
the municipalities neighboring Paradise.
Locations of Interest
- Seattle-Tacoma (Washington)
- Olympia (Washington, state capital)
- Paradise and environs (Washington)
- Superior City (Oregon)
- Portland (Oregon)
- Salem (Oregon, state capital)
- Stronghold (maximum security metahuman penitentiary)
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Superior City is located on the Columbia River and shares sister city status with Paradise, Washington.
One of Oregon's largest cities, Superior is a major deepwater port and an economic center for the
surrounding region. Superior has a diverse economy with a broad base of manufacturing, distribution,
commercial trade, and regional government services. Superior City is the seat of government for Columbia
County.
Superior City proper has a population of 513,435 (2000), comprising of 75% Caucasian, 12% Asian, 10%
African-American, 2% Hispanic, and the remaining 1% consisting of people of Middle-Eastern and Caribbean
descent. The entire Superior City Metropolitan Area has a population of 1, 863, 374. The Superior-Paradise
area has a combined population of just over 3 million people.
The city was founded in 1839 by Major Christopher Solomon and explorer Jebediah Marks as Fort Superior.
The outpost grew rapidly as a trading center for prospectors heading for California in the 1850’s. With
the construction of the transcontinental railway lines in the early 1880’s, Fort Superior’s future as a
major trading post became secure. The city was formerly incorporated as Superior City in 1886 and continued
to play its role as central stopping point for prospectors during the Alaskan gold rush of the 1890’s.
Superior’s Chinatown was born in 1885 with the influx of hundreds of Chinese workers and their families
forced out of Rock Springs and Zenith City in Wyoming by miners.
It was during the period just prior to its incorporation that Superior City became the home of the
masked vigilante called Renegade. At the time the city, then Fort Superior, was the center for illegal
activity in the Pacific Northwest. As the west had become settled many of the outlaws made there way
north to Superior. The city was a haven for gamblers, smugglers, and other unsavory types. The man
called the Black Baron, who would become Renegade’s chief opponent, controlled the majority of the
criminal operations. The Baron backed the city’s corrupt government and made Renegade the only source
for justice in Superior during the late 1880’s and early 90’s. Renegade’s appearances dwindled as
order was slowly restored to the city. His last recorded appearance was in 1899, when he came out of
semi-retirement to fight his longtime enemy The Black Baron. Their final battle sparked an explosion
and fire that destroyed the community on Gray Island. The final fate of both combatants remains
unknown to this day.
The 20th century saw Superior City become a major industrial city. In the late 1930’s and
early 1940’s Superior had more than its share of “mystery-men”, including the second man to be called
Renegade. The heroes often banded together in an informal team the media called the Adventurers. While
theoretically they were all members of the war-time All-Star Squadron, in reality only the Red Bee was
known very well outside of Superior since he was also an ally of the Freedom Fighters. Most of these
heroes retired from crime-fighting by the late 1940’s.
A population and construction boom led to Superior City being chosen to host the 1956 Summer Olympic
Games, but disaster struck. In 1951 a group of super-villains led by the Iron Mask and the Injustice
Society held the city for ransom. When authorities refused to pay, the villains caused several volcanoes
to erupt in and around the city. Many members of the Adventurers came out of retirement and joined forces
with the Justice Society to combat the threat. Most of the populace was saved and the villains were
defeated, but the victory had a steep cost. Much of the city center was destroyed and several Adventurers
were killed or critically injured, including Atlas, the Red Bee, and Renegade.
No longer capable of hosting the Summer Games (which went to the runner-up, Melbourne), Superior City
concentrated their efforts on rebuilding. A new Superior was born from the ashes of the old, a modern
city that has since become a center for hi-tech industry with firms like Digitronix, Cybergenics, S.TA.R.
Labs (specializing in Vulcanology and Geology), and a division of Ferris Aerospace setting up shop there.
Biotechnology is also big in the area with firms like the Jensik Medical Institute having research
facilities in Meridian. Big business also has a presence in Superior City. Dark World Enterprises has
its main North American headquarters in Superior and the rapidly growing Pacific Industries has established
a major presence in the city. Though to a lesser extent than the others, both Lexcorp and Global
Industries also have offices in Superior City.
Superior City celebrated its centennial in the mid-eighties with the dedication of Centennial Park, a
nature preserve occupying most of Gray Island. Centennial Park contains a zoo; water park; African safari;
and Memorial Plaza, which has statues of the heroes that helped save the city back in 1951. Superior City
University was renamed Centennial University and it has since become a preeminent medical, scientific, and
engineering school in the Pacific Northwest.
Superior’s major transportation systems are the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, Columbia
International Airport (and nearby Blackhawk field), four major roadways (West Side Highway, Riverview
Parkway, JFK Drive, and the Waid Expressway), and the metro subway and light-rail system: the
Superior-Paradise Area Rapid Transit Network (or SPARTaN).
Superior City has two major sports franchises: the Spartans play in the NFL and the Marksmen play in
the NBA. The Spartans play at Lee Field in Maple Ridge while the Marksmen play in Pacific Gardens stadium
in the market.
The Superior City Metropolitan Area consists of 12 boroughs plus Mount Superior State Park. The boroughs
are each municipalities that were merged into the "mega-city" in 1985. The exceptions are West
Superior and Metro Superior, which together were the original Superior City but were split into two boroughs
during the amalgamation process.
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Superior City
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