GRANITE CITY • If Mike Meyer were a character in one of his favorite comic books, right about now he'd be looking up to see his red-caped hero swooping down.

Superman would use his X-ray vision and super hearing to track down the ill-willed individual who stole from him and hurl mountains if needed to capture him. That Meyer knows only the first name of the man, and can draw just a rough sketch of what he looks like, wouldn't matter.

"He uses his powers not to benefit himself, but to help others," Meyer said, explaining his fondness for the fictional character. "He's the champion of the oppressed."

Meyer, 48, of Granite City, has been on Social Security for a mental disability since age 23. To supplement that, he has worked part time at a McDonald's in Collinsville since 1996. He lives alone in a humble, two-bedroom home with his dogs: Krypto and Dyno. Just about every room is a shrine to his hero.

It's Meyer's starry-eyed worship of Superman, protector of the world as it should be, that makes the theft from his home two weeks ago seem particularly cruel.

Meyer was tricked out of about 1,800 of his favorite Superman comic books, some dating to the 1950s. He also lost many of his favorite collector's items: lunch boxes, an old-time radio, a Monopoly game and television set — all Superman-themed. The loot is worth about $4,000 to $5,000 in total, according to a friend who also collects.

The back bedroom of Meyer's house used to have nearly 100 Superman figurines tacked to the walls. Now, those walls are bare.

Also stolen was Meyer's Captain Action Superman figurine with costume, a sore point for Meyer because it reminded him of one he had as a child.

"A lot of that was sentimental, and he stole that from me," Meyer said. "He invaded my privacy, and he took away my peace of mind."

Granite City police are investigating.

Meyer bought his first Superman comic book for about 20 cents in 1974. Soon the then-10-year-old discovered he could also buy the back issues. That allowed him to delve into the character's earliest appearances in Action Comics, then follow Superman's evolution through the years, along with a changing lineup of costumed villains. Growing up, Meyer spent all his spare money on comic books.

"I had pretty much every issue of Superman from number 99 to the present," said Meyer, who keeps a hand-sewn Superman costume hanging on his back door underneath a brown trench coat.

Meyer gets giddy recalling the première of the first Christopher Reeve "Superman" movie, which his father took him to see on Dec. 15, 1978, at the B.A.C. Cinema in Belleville. His dad died when Meyer was 20; his mom, three years later.

Meyer said mostly only his friends and family knew of his collection, but he also made the mistake once of telling someone less trustworthy: a guy named Gary whom he worked with at the Hardee's on Madison Avenue in 1991.

Meyer said he ran into Gary recently while at Kyle's Baseball Cards and Comics in Granite City. Gary asked Meyer whether he still collected Superman items and asked to see the collection. Meyer first gave an excuse, but then Gary called him later saying he was in the neighborhood and hoped to stop by.

"He just kept talking like a salesman," Meyer said. "He wouldn't take no for an answer."

Meyer said he let Gary into the house that day and gave him a quick tour. Gary asked to see "my most precious comics," Meyer said.

The next night, Gary was back again, asking whether Meyer would let Gary's girlfriend watch some of his Superman movies. Meyer said while he and the girlfriend watched, Gary disappeared for a while.

Meyer noticed the theft two days later, on the morning of Aug. 24, and called police. All he knows is that Gary has dark hair, a goatee, is about 35 and drives a silver or gray car.

Meyer has taken heart in the fact that he wasn't cleaned out of his entire collection. Still, he said, "I have moments where I want to cry."

He sees Gary as a real-life Lex Luthor, calling him "a no-good excuse for a human being."

He noted, "That's pretty low if someone steals your stuff."