The
Fortress of Solitude is the place of
solace and occasional
headquarters for
Superman in
DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in
Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a
mountain on the outskirts of
Metropolis. By issue #58 (May–June 1949) it is referred to as the Fortress of Solitude, seems at a glance to be a freestanding castle, and is said to be located in a "polar waste." However, when the Fortress finally reappears in 1958 and for the first time takes center stage in a story ("
The Super-Key to Fort Superman",
Action Comics #241), it was once again an underground complex in a mountainous cliffside.