Superman: Escape from Krypton

Superman The Escape opened in 1997 as one of the most technically ambitious coasters built up to that point, using Intamin's linear synchronous motor technology to launch trains backward up a 415-foot tower at speeds fast enough that riders briefly experienced weightlessness near the top before the train fell back down the same face it climbed. At the time, it stood among the tallest and fastest coasters anywhere in the world, a title that drew visitors specifically to experience its unique near-vertical launch profile.

Renamed Superman: Escape from Krypton in 2011 as part of a broader DC Comics rebranding push across Six Flags parks, the ride kept its original Intamin structure and launch system essentially unchanged for the rest of its operating life. Because so few coasters ever attempted this exact launch-and-return format, it remained a singular experience within the park's lineup for nearly three decades.

The ride was permanently closed in March 2025 due to aging mechanical components that had become increasingly difficult to maintain reliably. Its distinctive 415-foot tower structure was not demolished, however — it still stands in the DC Universe area and now supports the unrelated Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom, giving the site a second life even after the original launch coaster's retirement.