Batman The Escape

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Batman The Escape

Batman The Escape at Six Flags AstroWorld in 2004.
Six Flags Darien Lake Location Darien Center, New York, USA Status Defunct
Six Flags AstroWorld Location Houston, Texas, USA Operated April 24, 1993 to October 30, 2005 Six Flags Great Adventure Location Jackson, New Jersey, USA Operated April 21, 1990 to September 1992 Replaced by Slingshot Six Flags Magic Mountain Location Valencia, California, USA Operated May 16, 1986 to 1988 Replaced Sarajevo Bobsleds Replaced by Psyclone
Statistics
Manufacturer	Giovanola
Designer / calculations	Intamin
Type	Steel - Stand-Up
Product	Stand-Up Coaster
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
HELP

Batman The Escape was a steel stand-up roller coaster at Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston, Texas, USA. The ride operated at two other Six Flags parks as Shockwave. The roller coaster was designed by Intamin and manufactured by Giovanola.

History

On May 16, 1986, Shockwave opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain. It was located on the spot where Sarajevo Bobsleds stood for the previous two seasons. It was painted entirely black. The motto for the ride, featured in commercials, was "If you think you can take it... Stand up." Like Sarajevo Bobsleds and several other Six Flags roller coasters at the time, Shockwave only operated briefly, lasting three seasons before being dismantled to be sent to another Six Flags park. It was replaced by Psyclone in 1991 which closed in 2006, which in turn was replaced by Apocalypse in 2009.

In 1989, land clearing began at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey and towards the end of summer 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. In the end, the roller coaster was called Shockwave, the same name it operated under at Magic Mountain.

Shockwave had a press preview on April 20, 1990 and opened to the public the following day. It was painted blue with white supports. It was dismantled in 1992, after operating for three seasons, with the plot left vacant. Another stand-up roller coaster, Green Lantern, opened at Great Adventure in 2011 on the plot previously occupied by Great American Scream Machine.

The roller coaster opened at Six Flags AstroWorld on April 24, 1993. It was painted entirely white and called Batman The Escape. This was the second Batman/DC coaster to open at a Six Flags park, and the first not to be called Batman: The Ride. It was later painted with yellow track and black supports in 2004. It closed with the park on October 30, 2005 and was subsequently dismantled.

Six Flags placed the roller coaster at Darien Lake in New York State, which it owned at the time. However shortly after, Six Flags announced plans to sell Darien Lake, and the park was acquired by PARC Management in 2007. While it remains in storage outside in a field opposite the park, many mechanical components are missing. In 2017, the general manager at the time said there are no plans to erect the roller coaster and it will be scrapped in the future.

Design

Elements
Chain lift hill 66 foot tall vertical loop

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 was a clone of this ride. It was removed in 2018. Of the three stand-up roller coasters Intamin built, only Shockwave at Drayton Manor still operates.

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 journey through Arctic Park and Gotham City Cold Storage before boarding the roller coaster to make their escape. Of course, with Batman Returns out at the time, the villain in this ride was The Penguin.

Trains

2 trains with 5 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 4 across in a single row, for a total of 20 riders per train.

Photo Gallery

Queue line

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  The tunnel.

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  Arctic Park plaque.

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  The police car.

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  The brake run.

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  Arctic Park structure.

External links

• 
  Batman The Escape on the Roller Coaster DataBase.