Six Flags Coaster Wipeout Continues as Another Fan-Favorite Ride Disappears
For years, Six Flags has been the park chain for coaster purists—those who crave high-speed launches, intense inversions, and stomach-churning drops over immersive storytelling or elaborately themed lands. While Disney and Universal have leaned into cinematic world-building, Six Flags has long stuck to its brand of raw, unfiltered thrills. But that approach may be shifting.
Since merging with Cedar Fair in 2024, Six Flags has been quietly phasing out certain attractions, hinting at a larger shake-up. The chain has already shut down multiple rides across its parks, and talk continue to swirl that it may even sell off some of its less profitable locations. In the most shocking move yet, Six Flags Great Adventure retired Kingda Ka—the world’s tallest coaster—without warning. Fans barely had time to process the loss before the ride was demolished altogether.
Now, the latest casualty has been revealed, and it’s a blow to thrill seekers on the West Coast.
Six Flags Magic Mountain Retires a Legend
Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California—still recovering from a rough start to the year due to January’s wildfires—has officially shut down Superman: Escape from Krypton. The high-speed launch coaster, which had been a fixture of the park’s skyline since 1997, is no more.
“Just like other roller coasters within the theme park industry, there’s a life cycle with these coasters,” Magic Mountain President Jeff Harris told the Orange County Register. “It’s just reached a point in time where we need to make a wise decision on where we really should reinvest funds that improve the guest experience the most. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense from a business perspective to put it back into Superman.”
Originally debuting as Superman: The Escape, the ride was among the world’s first to push past the 100 mph barrier, launching riders from 0 to 100 mph in seven seconds before shooting them 415 feet straight up a vertical track. In 2011, the ride received a refresh and its new name, with trains redesigned to blast riders backward. For decades, its towering presence at the park’s entrance signaled Magic Mountain’s reputation as the home of extreme thrills.
Why It’s Gone—and What’s Next
Superman: Escape from Krypton was quietly shut down for maintenance in September, with hopes of bringing it back. However, according to Harris, supply issues made that impossible. “Some of the parts are obsolete,” he explained. “It’s really tough to even get parts to keep it alive.”
Strangely, Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom, the free-fall ride attached to the coaster’s towering structure, will remain in operation. That suggests the ride’s massive 415-foot-tall tower isn’t going anywhere just yet. As for what will happen to the track, queue, and surrounding infrastructure? Harris says it’s still too early to tell. “That’s yet to be determined, but we’re working through what that potentially could look like for the future.”
With Superman’s closure, Magic Mountain’s roller coaster count drops to 19—still the most of any theme park worldwide. However, the park has a new coaster in the works, set to debut in 2026, which will bring the tally back up to 20.
What replaces Superman’s iconic launch remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Six Flags is making big moves, and coaster fans may not like what comes next.
Are you sad about the closure of Superman: Escape from Krypton?
