Logo.
Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom is a drop tower thrill ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California themed after Superman's archenemy Lex Luthor. It is integrated into the existing Superman: Escape from Krypton tower and currently holds the record for being the world's tallest drop tower ride.
Development[]
CG promo shot of the ride.
In late 2011, Six Flags announced plans for a drop tower attraction, built by Intamin that would be integrated onto the sides of the Superman ride tower was in the works. From February to July 2012, Superman: Escape from Krypton was temporarily closed to allow construction for the drop tower. Pieces of the ride were continually added via helicopter. Throughout all of June, the gondolas were added to start testing before finally opening to the public on July 7, 2012.
Ride[]
The attraction is located in the Colossus County Fair section of the park just as you pass under the Superman tower toward the west.
Queue[]
Lex Luthor's armor on display in the queue.
Guests enter through the main doorway indicated by the ride logo above. The first portion of the queue is the LexCorp terminal. Various inventions and projects of the comapny are put on display with an audio greeting from a company spokeswoman. The attraction puts guests in the premise that they are volunteering for an "experiment". The setting is creates a dark, unsettling atmosphere akin to ride's namesake supervillain. The latter portion is outdoors where guests baording the gondolas are visible.
Ride[]
Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom consists of two free fall drop sections, with each mounted to a lateral flank of the Superman structure. Both rides feature a single floorless gondola seating 8 people allowing up to 16 riders maximum on both lifts at any given time. Riders are harnessed by shoulder restraints as the gondolas are then hoisted up the tower for approximately 1.5 minutes before reaching a dynamic height of 415 feet. Guests have to be '48 inches tall in order to ride.
As they reach the apex, riders are greeted with an ominous score and an audio spiel from Lex Luthor, himself:
"Today is your lucky day, today your life changes forever and this may very well be the high point of your insignificant existance.
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
The gondolas are then released and riders are dropped rapidly into a 5-second free fall descent, attaining a terminal velocity of 85 mph. The gondolas then come to a halt just before they return to the station. When the ride vehicles of Superman: Escape From Krypton and the Lex Luthor gondolas operate simultaneously, the steel framework of the tower will sway as much as 2 feet side to side.
Video
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