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Batman The Escape

Roller coaster in the United States
Watch the on-ride POV
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.[1] The ride 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." 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 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.[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 Batcave and Batmobile theming of the queue line were removed and closed off in 1998.[11] This was also in addition due to the ride getting unpopular due to it's roughness. In 2004, it was painted with yellow track and black supports. The ride continued to operate until the entire theme park was shut down the following year on October 30, 2005 and was subsequently dismantled.[12][13][14]

Six Flags Darien Lake (2005-2017)

During the 2005-2006 off season, Six Flags sent and placed the roller coaster at Six Flags Darien Lake, which Six Flags owned at the time. [15] 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. [16][17][18] The ride remained in storage outside in a field opposite the park. 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.[19] 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. [20]

Design

Elements

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. [21] 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.

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.

Images

Queue line

Exterior

References

  1. "Magic Mt. waves in 'Shock'-ing new ride". The Signal. May 16, 1986. p. 33. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  2. "A Thrill With a Twist".
  3. "New ride to offer standing-room only".
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Shockwave". GreatAdventureHistory.
  5. "An upside down roller coaster just for the yell of it".
  6. "Green Lantern ride opens to roller coaster enthusiasts at Six Flags Great Adventure".
  7. "Batman The Escape to highlight Houston Astroworld's 25th year". Abilene Reporter-News. December 27, 1992. Retrieved January 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Amusement parks are going Hollywood".
  9. 9.0 9.1 Six Flags AstroWorld brochure - Shane's Amusement Attic
  10. "Astro World unveils new ride". Caldwell Watchman. June 2, 1993. Retrieved January 16, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "The Alpine Sleighs". Dark Attraction & Funhouse Enthusiasts.
  12. "Time's up for AstroWorld". The Atlanta Constitution. September 13, 2005. Retrieved August 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "For AstroWorld, the ride is over".
  14. "Six Flags Astroworld". Screamscape.com.
  15. "Six Flags Darien Lake". Screamscape.com.
  16. "Darien Lake". Screamscape.com.
  17. "Darien Lake". Screamscape.com.
  18. "Darien Lake". Screamscape.com.
  19. Roller coaster remains mothballed at Darien Lake - The Daily News
  20. "Six Flags Darien Lake". Theme Park Review.
  21. "La Ronde Demolishing Cobra Intamin Stand-Up Coaster". NewsPlusNotes.

External links


Articles on Six Flags Darien Lake
Articles on Six Flags AstroWorld
Articles on Six Flags Great Adventure
Articles on Six Flags Magic Mountain