 = Superman : Escape from Krypton = 
 
 Superman : Escape from Krypton ( originally known as Superman : The Escape ) is a steel shuttle roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia , California . When it opened in 1997 , it was the tallest roller coaster in the world , and its speed of 100 mph ( 160 km / h ) was tied for the fastest with Tower of Terror II , a similar roller coaster which opened two months earlier at Dreamworld in Australia . These two coasters were the first to utilize Linear Synchronous Motor ( LSM ) technology to propel vehicles to top speed . The park originally intended to open the ride in 1996 , but the opening was delayed because of several issues with the launch system . The ride was closed in late 2010 for refurbishment , and it emerged in 2011 as " Superman : Escape from Krypton " . The refurbished ride featured new trains which face backward , and it was painted with a new color scheme . As of 2013 , Superman : Escape from Krypton has the third @-@ tallest structure , the fifth @-@ fastest speed and the third @-@ longest drop in the world . 
 
 = = History = = 
 
 
 = = = Superman : The Escape ( 1997 — 2010 ) = = = 
 
 While in the planning stages , the ride was going to be named Velocetron and themed as The Man of Steel . The ride was announced on January 5 , 1996 as Superman : The Escape , breaking records as the first roller coaster to reach 100 miles per hour ( 160 km / h ) , passing Desperado and Phantom 's Revenge at 82 miles per hour ( 132 km / h ) . The ride was designed by Intamin , a Swiss roller coaster firm . It was originally intended to open on June 1 , 1996 . However , due to a range of problems with the launch system , its opening was delayed . In late 1996 , there was a preview for season pass holders . After 10 months of testing and reengineering , the ride opened on March 15 , 1997 . After its opening , the media claimed Superman to be the fastest roller coaster in the world . However , since it was delayed , a similar roller coaster known as Tower of Terror , which also has a 100 @-@ mile @-@ per @-@ hour launch ( 160 km / h ) , had opened about a month earlier at Dreamworld in Australia . Superman therefore lost its claim as being the first roller coaster to reach 100 miles per hour ( 160 km / h ) , although it was then tied with Tower of Terror as the fastest roller coaster in the world . However , the ride became the first roller coaster in the world to go over 400 ft , therefore becoming the tallest roller coaster in the world at the time . 
 In June 2004 , Superman : The Escape 's seat belts were modified because of an incident on the Superman – Ride of Steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England . California State Regulators asked the park to make modifications to the rides ' restraint systems to prevent a similar incident in the future . 
 Just after July 4 weekend of 2010 , Superman : The Escape ceased operations with no reason given . A sign posted in front of the ride indicated that it would not reopen until the 2011 season , with hints that there would be improvements made to the ride experience . After Superman : The Escape 's sister ride , the Tower of Terror II at Dreamworld , underwent a major refurbishment in 2010 which entailed a new vehicle which launches backward , speculation turned to the possibility of a similar modification to the Magic Mountain ride . Six Flags Magic Mountain officials quickly denied rumors that it would receive a Bizarro retheming , similar to roller coasters at other Six Flags parks . 
 
 = = = Superman : Escape from Krypton ( 2011 — present ) = = = 
 
 On October 20 , 2010 , Six Flags Magic Mountain officially announced the refurbishment and re @-@ theming of Superman : The Escape , in addition to the construction of two new roller coasters . As part of the refurbishment , the ride was renamed to Superman : Escape from Krypton and featured new backward launching cars and a new color scheme . The upgraded ride reopened to the public on March 19 , 2011 . 
 Superman : Escape from Krypton closed again on February 5 , 2012 ( almost a year after the refurbishment ) to prepare for the new 2012 attraction Lex Luthor : Drop of Doom . Two drop towers , also built by Intamin , were integrated into the existing sides of Superman : Escape from Krypton 's structure . The ride reopened when construction was finished on July 7 , 2012 . 
 To enable the construction of the park 's 2013 roller coaster , Full Throttle , Superman : Escape from Krypton was temporarily closed from December 2012 . It reopened in mid @-@ January with Six Flags Magic Mountain stating the ride may have intermittent closures as the construction of Full Throttle continues . 
 
 = = Ride experience = = 
 
 
 = = = Queue and station = = = 
 
 At the entrance to the ride , the Superman " S " shield is imprinted and now painted onto the ground . The entrance area and queue are modeled after the Fortress of Solitude , Superman 's headquarters . The station is lit green , modeled as Krypton , the planet that is full of Kryptonite rock that can take away Superman 's powers . Inside is a crystalline @-@ looking environment which recreates Superman 's fortress in the Arctic . If the Velocetron name had been chosen , the queue and station would have had ancient ruins and a giant laser . A page on display in the Sky Tower , the park 's observation tower , shows the concept art for Velocetron . 
 
 = = = Layout = = = 
 
 The roller coaster has two parallel tracks , with both tracks being identical . The vehicle is accelerated by Linear Synchronous Motors in reverse out of the station from 0 to 100 miles per hour ( 160 km / h ) in approximately 7 seconds . Riders experience a g @-@ force of 4 @.@ 5 during the launch . The vehicle then climbs up 415 feet ( 126 m ) at a 90 degree angle . Riders climb this vertical section facing directly downward , before slightly stopping near the top of the tower . During the vertical section of the ride , riders experience weightlessness for about 6 @.@ 5 seconds . The vehicle drops 328 feet ( 100 m ) and is slowed down before re @-@ entering the station . 
 
 = = = Vehicles = = = 
 
 The roller coaster originally featured two vehicles , each with three rows of four seats and one row of three seats for a total of 15 riders per vehicle . Both vehicles were built to only run forward . After the ride was refurbished in 2010 , new " streamlined " vehicles with the Superman logo were introduced . The new vehicles were designed with low @-@ profile sides to enhance the open @-@ air feeling . Although they are wider , the row of the three seats in the older vehicle was reduced to two , resulting in a lower total of 14 riders per vehicle . Both of the new trains were configured to run backward , though they were designed to run forward as well . It was reported that the park would eventually run one side forward to give riders a choice , but both trains have remained facing backward . 
 
 = = = Track = = = 
 
 The steel track is approximately 1 @,@ 235 feet ( 376 m ) in length and the height of the tower is approximately 415 feet ( 126 m ) . The tower is in an " L " shape with two parallel tracks . When the ride opened , the entire structure was painted white . After the ride was refurbished , the top third of the structure was painted red , the track was painted yellow and the rest was painted blue . 
 
 = = Records = = 
 
 For the first four years of operation , Superman : Escape from Krypton was tied with Tower of Terror II as the fastest roller coaster in the world . In 2001 , the speed record was taken by Dodonpa in Japan which features a top speed of 106 @.@ 9 miles per hour ( 172 @.@ 0 km / h ) . Superman : Escape from Krypton held the record for the tallest roller coaster in the world until 2003 when the record was taken by the 420 @-@ foot @-@ tall ( 130 m ) Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point . As of 2015 , it has the fifth fastest speed , the third tallest structure and the third @-@ highest drop in the world . 
 
 