Batman The Escape

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Batman The Escape

Batman The Escape in 2004

Six Flags AstroWorld
Location	Houston, Texas, USA
Coordinates	29°40′24″N 95°24′34″W / 29.673471°N 95.409354°W / 29.673471; -95.409354
Section	European Village
Status	Defunct
Operated	April 24, 1993 to October 30, 2005
Rider height	54 inch minimum

Six Flags Great Adventure
Name	Shockwave
Location	Jackson, New Jersey, USA
Operated	April 21, 1990 to September 1992
Replaced by	Dare Devil Dive, Slingshot

Six Flags Magic Mountain
Name	Shockwave
Location	Valencia, California, USA
Operated	May 16, 1986 to 1988
Replaced	Sarajevo Bobsleds
Replaced by	Psyclone

Statistics

Manufacturer

Intamin

Product

Stand-Up Coaster

Builder

Giovanola

Type

Steel - Stand-Up

Riders per train

20

Propulsion

Chain lift hill

Height

90 feet

Drop

85 feet

Top speed

55 mph

Length

2300 feet

Inversions

1

G-Force

3.4

Batman The Escape was a steel stand-up roller coaster previously located at Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston, Texas, USA. The ride previously operated as Shockwave at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, USA and at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, USA.

History

Six Flags Magic Mountain (1986-1988)

On May 16, 1986, Shockwave opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.^[1] The ride was located on the spot where Sarajevo Bobsleds stood for the previous two seasons, which was relocated to Six Flags Over Texas. It was painted entirely black. The motto for the ride, featured in commercials, was "If you think you can take it... Stand up." Due to the Six Flags ride rotation program, like Sarajevo Bobsleds and several other Six Flags coasters at the time, Shockwave operated briefly, lasting three seasons before being dismantled in 1988 and sent to another Six Flags park. Shockwave was replaced by Psyclone in 1991 which closed in 2006, which in turn was replaced by Apocalypse in 2009. A new stand-up coaster named Riddler's Revenge opened in 1998, ten years after the closure of Shockwave.^[2]

Six Flags Great Adventure (1990-1992)

In 1989, land clearing began at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey and towards the end of summer season, parts began arriving. Meanwhile, a competition was held asking guests to "Stand Up and Name It", with the winning contestant receiving a $250 premium bond, a family season pass for 1990 and an invitation for the ride's media day.^[3] In the end, the roller coaster was called Shockwave, the same name it operated under at Magic Mountain.^[4]

Shockwave had a press preview on April 20, 1990 and opened to the public the following day.^[5] It was painted blue with white supports. Shockwave suffered many mechanical issues and was so loud that the noise could be heard throughout the area. After operating for three seasons, it was dismantled in 1992 with the plot left vacant. It was once again relocated to another Six Flags park. The queue line and walkways remained unused until the openings of Dare Devil Dive in 1997 and Houdini's Great Escape in 1999.^[4] In 2011, another stand-up roller coaster, Green Lantern, opened at Six Flags Great Adventure, replacing Great American Scream Machine.^[6]

Six Flags AstroWorld (1993-2005)

In December 1992, it was announced that Shockwave would be relocated to Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston, Texas.^[7] The attraction opened there on April 24, 1993.^[8] It was painted entirely white and called Batman The Escape.^[9]

The ride's queue line had immersive theming, which included the Batmobile and a Batcave.^[10] The Batcave itself was previously built as part of the former Alpine Sleigh Ride attraction which operated from 1968 to 1983 and was later converted into a walk-through attraction as part of the Enchanted Kingdom children's area as Discovery Mountain closing in 1992. This was the second Batman/DC coaster to open at a Six Flags park, and was the first Batman-themed ride not to be called Batman: The Ride.

The side bars were removed from the trains in 1994, with the last car of each train being removed to create a third train in 1999.^[11]

The Batcave and Batmobile theming of the queue line were removed and closed off in 1998.^[12] This was also in addition due to the ride getting unpopular due to it's roughness.

In 2002, the ride's queue line was spruced up with new landscaping and the Batcave was given new lighting effects.^[13]

In 2003, Batman The Escape's loop was repainted.^[13]

In 2004, it was painted with yellow track and black supports.^[14]

The ride continued to operate until the entire theme park was shut down the following year on October 30, 2005 and was subsequently dismantled.^[15]^[16]^[17]

Six Flags Darien Lake (2006-2017)

During the 2005-2006 off season, Six Flags sent and placed the roller coaster at Six Flags Darien Lake in Darien Center, New York, which Six Flags owned at the time.^[18] However, shortly after, Six Flags announced plans to sell Darien Lake due to their financial problems, and Darien Lake was acquired by PARC Management in 2007, who subsquently gained the ride from Six Flags who left it behind with them.^[19]^[20]^[21] The ride remained in storage outside in a field opposite the park.^[22] In May 2017, the general manager at the time said there were no plans to reopen the roller coaster and it would be scrapped in the future.^[23] Not long after by the end of the year, the parts were eventually removed from Darien Lake during December 2017/January 2018 and the ride was scrapped.^[24]

Design

Elements
Chain lift hill 66 foot tall vertical loop Inclined helix Micro bunny Block brake Twisted hill Helix Tunnel

The ride had a curved first drop which led immediately into the 66 foot tall vertical loop, the only inversion on the ride. This was followed by a twist reminiscent of an inclined loop and a rise into the mid-course brake run. The second half of the ride had more twists and turns, with the track passing through the center of the vertical loop. Cobra at La Ronde opened in 1995 and was a clone of this ride. It was removed from the park's website in 2017 before being demolished and scrapped in March 2018.^[25] Of the three stand-up roller coasters Intamin built, only Shockwave at Drayton Manor still operates, now converted to a sit-down coaster known as The Wave since 2024.

Theme

Shockwave did not have a theme when it operated at Magic Mountain and Great Adventure. While at AstroWorld, the roller coaster was based on Gotham City. Guests journeyed through Arctic Park and Gotham City Cold Storage before boarding the roller coaster to make their escape.^[9] With Batman Returns out at the time, the villain in this ride was The Penguin.