Justice League: Battle for Metropolis

Justice League: Battle for Metropolis
Ride building at Six Flags Over Georgia
Ride statistics
Attraction typeMotion-based
3D Interactive dark ride
ManufacturerSally Corporation
DesignerSally Corporation
Rich Hill, Senior Designer
ThemeJustice League
VehiclesOceaneering Entertainment Systems (OES) Riders are arranged 3 across in 2 rows for a total of 6 riders per vehicle.
Duration3:45
Height restriction107 cm (3 ft 6 in)
AnimatronicsSally Corporation
TargetsAlterface[1]
CGIPure Imagination Studios [1]
Flash Pass available
Single rider line available

Justice League: Battle for Metropolis is an Interactive dark ride located at several Six Flags theme parks across North America. The ride is a collaboration between Sally Dark Rides, Alterface, Oceaneering International, and Pure Imagination Studios, and is themed to the Justice League, DC's famous team of superheroes.[2]

Riders travel through the fictional city of Metropolis aboard enhanced-motion "RTVs" designed by A.R.G.U.S., and shoot digital targets generated on large 3D screens in real-time, as well as physical targets in full practical sets. There are many special effects in the ride such as fog and fire hidden in the attraction's various scenes.

Since the original ride opened at Six Flags Over Texas on May 23, 2015, Six Flags has installed the dark ride at seven of its parks, all of which are still in operation.[3]

History

Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D

In October 2011, the chairman and CEO of Sally Corporation, John Wood, stated they had started developing their biggest project, something which they believe would be "the top of the industry".[4] The project was later announced to be Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D at Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Australia.[5][6] Following the launch of the ride in September 2012, Sally Corporation expressed interest in transferring the concept to other parks around the world including those in the United States.[7] In the United States, the Justice League brand, along with other DC Comics properties, are licensed by Six Flags.[8]

Announcements

On August 28, 2014, Six Flags officially announced Justice League: Battle for Metropolis would be added in 2015 to Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis.[9] In Six Flags Over Texas the ride would replace the Adventure Theater, while the Six Flags St. Louis attraction Scooby-Doo! Ghostblasters: The Mystery of the Scary Swamp ride would be replaced.[10][11] Noticeable differences between Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D and Justice League: Battle for Metropolis include a motion-based ride system by Oceaneering International and the involvement of different DC Comics villains, Lex Luthor and The Joker, rather than Starro the Conqueror.[1][6]

On September 2, 2014, in an interview with Sally Corporation CEO John Wood, new details about the attraction were released. Six Flags Over Texas received ten ride vehicles, while Six Flags St. Louis received seven. The ride features two final chase scenes, as well as eight Digital 3D Screens inside the ride that are as large as 30 feet wide.[12]

On September 3, 2015, Six Flags announced Justice League: Battle for Metropolis would be added to Six Flags Great America and Six Flags México in 2016.[6][13]

On September 1, 2016, Six Flags announced Justice League: Battle for Metropolis would be added to Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Great Adventure, and Six Flags Over Georgia in 2017. It was announced that Magic Mountain's version would have a new alternate ending and the addition of Harley Quinn, who was briefly mentioned by the Joker in all four of the original rides. The Six Flags Over Georgia version becomes part of a new Metropolis-themed section that replaced the park's Cotton States Exposition and includes the adjacent Superman Ultimate Flight roller coaster.[14]

On November 14, 2018, it was announced that Justice League: Battle for Metropolis received the THEA Award for Outstanding Achievement (Attraction). Rich Hill, lead designer of JUSTICE LEAGUE: Battle for Metropolis and Creative Director for Sally Corporation states, “None of this would have been achieved without the super-hero team of artists, engineers and technicians Sally enlisted to complete this monumental mission. Congratulations to everyone who helped bring this over-the-top theme park attraction to life! "This all started 5 years ago as a promise Sally made to Six Flags to bring world-class storytelling experiences to their guests. We are overjoyed to see that the industry we love so much feels that we delivered on that promise. We like to think that moving forward, the seven JUSTICE LEAGUE dark rides we designed and built for the Six Flags chain will set a new bar for the level of quality, excitement and fun a regional park can offer in a family attraction."[15]

Plot

Riders enter the Hall of Justice, where they learn that Lex Luthor has branded the Justice League as lawless vigilantes. By exploiting the weaknesses of various members of the League, and hiring The Joker to distract the League, Luthor has captured Supergirl, The Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. Cyborg enlists riders into the Justice League Reserve Team and sends them out into Metropolis aboard RTVs, autonomous vehicles that will transport riders to trouble spots throughout the city, thanks to information provided by both Superman and Batman. Each rider has an EMP blaster, which will destroy inanimate objects—including robotic enemies—and also stun humans, thus scoring points.

As the RTV departs the Hall of Justice, riders pass through a cloud of blue mist, which will temporarily protect them from Joker's deadly green laughing gas. Outside S.T.A.R. Labs, Superman battles the Joker, but he is incapacitated by Lex Luthor and captured. The Joker attempts to gas the RTV, but the riders escape into Metropolis before reaching LexCorp, where Cyborg is attempting to hack the building's security systems. Batman arrives to provide cover, allowing the riders to enter LexCorp, where they are ambushed by Luthor. The RTV makes its way to the giant lab where the League members are held; as the riders work to destroy Luthor's robot sentries, Cyborg and Batman free the League. Escaping back into the city, the Justice League and the Reserve Team battle Lex Luthor, the Joker, Lexbots and their henchmen, following the pair into the city's subway system before ultimately capturing them. In appreciation for saving the city, the riders are made honorary Justice League members and are shown their scores, including the top scorer for that ride vehicle.

Special effects

The ride features multiple special effects, including complex animatronics. Throughout the ride, the trains shake, fire bursts up about 4 feet away from riders, and a shelving unit containing barrels appears to fall on riders.

Installations

Cyborg greets guests in his lab before they board their vehicles at all locations
Locations for Justice League: Battle for Metropolis
Park Area Opening date
Six Flags Over Texas U.S.A. May 23, 2015
Six Flags St. Louis DC Comics Plaza June 5, 2015
Six Flags Mexico DC Universe March 4, 2016
Six Flags Great America[a] Metropolis Plaza May 28, 2016
Six Flags Over Georgia Metropolis Park May 26, 2017
Six Flags Great Adventure Metropolis June 17, 2017
Six Flags Magic Mountain Metropolis July 12, 2017[16]

Notes

  1. ^ Converted into a 2D interactive ride in 2022.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Six Flags Introduces Justice League: Battle for Metropolis" (Press release). Six Flags. August 28, 2014. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  2. ^ "Six Flags Over Texas debuts state of the art dark ride". Amusement Today. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  3. ^ MacDonald, Brady (September 3, 2015). "Six Flags unveils new attractions for every park in 2016". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  4. ^ Mayné, François (3 October 2011). "EAS 2011 – Interview with John Wood, Chairman & CEO of Sally Corporation". NewsParcs. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  5. ^ "Building thrills comes at a huge cost". Gold Coast Bulletin. 5 June 2012.
  6. ^ a b c "Justice League Stars In Epic 3D Dark Ride Battle" (Press release). Sally Corporation. 25 June 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  7. ^ Hill, Rich (17 November 2012). "IAAPA 2012 Trade Show Coverage Part 5". Theme Park Review (Interview). Interviewed by Robb Alvey. Orlando, Florida.
  8. ^ Niles, Robert (July 10, 2013). "Who really owns the theme park rights to the DC and Marvel comic characters?". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  9. ^ MacDonald, Brady (August 28, 2014). "Six Flags unveils new attractions for every park in 2015". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  10. ^ "Construction". Six Flags Over Texas. Archived from the original on March 22, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  11. ^ "Construction". Six Flags St. Louis. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  12. ^ Mirgoli, Nicholous. "New Details on Justice League: Battle for Metropolis Dark Ride at Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis - Interview with Sally Corporation Chairman/CEO John Wood". www.ThemeParkOverload.net. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  13. ^ "Six Flags Introduces Justice League: Battle for Metropolis" (Press release). Six Flags. September 3, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  14. ^ Tom Kelley (December 28, 2016). "New ride takes shape at Six Flags". ajc.com. Cox Newspapers. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  15. ^ "Universal, Chimelong, Disney, Herschend, Fantawild, Six Flags, Huaxia, LEGO, Intel among 25th Annual TEA Thea Awards recipients to be honored April 13, 2019".
  16. ^ @SFMagicMountain (29 June 2017). "Just Announced! JUSTICE LEAGUE:..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.