Superman: Escape from Krypton

Superman: Escape from Krypton is a steel launch roller-coaster in Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.

History
The ride opened in 1997 as Superman: The Escape and was the tallest and fastest in the world at a height of 126 metres and a speed of 104 mph. Although, it had to share the fastest record with Tower of Terror II in Dreamworld, Australia. The ride is very popular today, and is still the tallest roller-coaster in the state of California.

The ride lost it's speed status in 2001 when Dodonpa in Fuji-Q Highland, Japan opened. It then later lost it's height status in 2003 when Top Thrill Dragster in Cedar Point, Ohio opened. The ride is now the third tallest roller-coaster in the world and the joint fifth fastest roller-coaster in the world.

In 2011, the ride reopened after a design renovation. The tower has been painted red and blue which are the signature colors of Superman, the coaster trains have been redesigned and the waiting station was later fully renovated.

Ride experience
The train leaves the station, but very lightly does a 360 degree turn. It slowly moves towards the tower but stops. Then, the train gets blasted up the 126-metre tower backwards at a speed of 100 mph. The trains then falls back down the tower the right way and then turns back to the station.

Trivia

 * The ride has a drop tower attached to the tower. Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom was opened in 2013 as the tallest drop ride in the world, but was lost a year later when Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom attached to the Kingda Ka roller-coaster opened.
 * The trains never used to ascend the tower backwards. They used to ascend it the right way. It was not until the 2011 renovation that it went backwards.
 * The ride used to be rough, but the renovation made the tower less steeper.