Bizarro

Superman The Ride (formerly known as Bizarro and Superman – Ride of Steel) is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. Built by Swiss manufacturer Intamin, the hypercoaster opened to the public as Superman – Ride of Steel in 2000. It features a lift hill, a drop, and a maximum speed of . In 2009, the park changed the name to Bizarro, named after a DC Comics character portrayed as the antithesis of Superman. In accordance with the theme change, the coaster's track and supports were repainted with a purple and dark blue color scheme, and other special effects were added. In 2016, the Six Flags reverted to the original theme, but instead of restoring the name, it was changed to Superman The Ride. A virtual reality feature was added the same year, which created an optional 3D experience for passengers, but was removed prior to the 2017 season. Superman The Ride has been well received, consistently holding a high ranking among steel roller coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards published by Amusement Today. The ride has topped the list five times since its debut. It has also weathered criticism from two serious accidents that occurred early in its tenure with one resulting in a passenger's death. Several safety modifications were made in their wake. History Prior to the 2000 season, Six Flags New England was known as Riverside Park. Six Flags purchased the park and added their own DC Comics theming. The site on which Superman The Ride operates is the former site of the Riverside Park Speedway. The Speedway was closed and demolished after the 1999 season to make room for a new themed area, DC Universe (known as DC Superhero Adventure until 2020). As part of the $40 million expansion, the park built Superman: Ride of Steel. A year before the Speedway's demolition, Six Flags had worked with Swiss manufacturer Intamin to build and design the ride. The final track piece of Superman was installed on March 27, 2000, about 40 days before opening day. The ride officially opened on May 5, 2000 as the tallest and longest roller coaster on the East Coast of the United States. The entrance and station were themed to Superman with Superman logos and a picture of him located above the entrance. The second tunnel also had a mist effect. 2009 theme change Superman: Ride of Steel was re-themed as Bizarro at the start of the 2009 season.