Overview
Central City is a fictional American city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the home of the Silver Age version of the Flash (Barry Allen), and first appeared in Showcase #4 in September–October 1956.
Location
Central City's location has been vaguely defined over the years, similar to DC's other fictional cities such as Gotham City and Metropolis. In the 1970s, Central City was stated as being located in Ohio, where the real-world city of Athens, Ohio, would be (as shown in Flash #228 in 1974). Bob Rozakis' Ask the Answer Man column also stated that Central City was located in Ohio in 1987's Flash (vol. 2) #2, published just after the reality-altering storyline Crisis on Infinite Earths.
More recently, Central City has most often been located in the state of Missouri. Maps in Young Justice place Central City in Missouri across from Keystone City, Kansas. Additionally, the 2014 television series The Flash also places Central City in Missouri (although opening scenes show Portland, Oregon), most explicitly in a letter sent to S.T.A.R. Labs in the episode "The Man in the Yellow Suit." Portland, Oregon is also the city-scape in the episode "Flash vs The Arrow" in season 1 of the series. Season 4, episode 13: True Colors mentions Central City being located in the Midwest. In season 6, episode 6, the location of Central City is shown through the targeting system of the Ring of Fire. The location points to the Richmond, Virginia metro area.
In the episode "Bloodlines" of the Young Justice cartoon, (a facsimile of) the St. Louis Gateway Arch can be seen in the background of scenes depicting Central City.
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