Anyone living south of Valencia should heed this piece of The Californians‘ advice at least once in their life: “Go up the 5, go to Magic Mountain, get on Riddler’s Revenge, and never get off!” Really, it’s down the 101 to the 126 for those of us residing in the north. Although I’m much more of a Disneyland guy, Six Flags Magic Mountain has always held a special place in my heart. Mainly because it’s got one thing Disneyland doesn’t, and that’s Batman (until Disney inevitably buys DC Comics)!
I much preferred the park when I was a kid, that was when Gotham City was one of the main themed areas, or “lands” (comparable to Fantasy Land, Adventure Land, etc., at Disney). Somewhere between the 2010s and now, the area was unfortunately redesigned and renamed “DC Universe,” becoming inclusive to all DC superheroes, not just the best of them. It’s still home to Batman: The Ride and Riddler’s Revenge, but shares space with non-batty attractions Green Lantern: First Flight, Wonder Woman: Lasso, and The Flash: Speed Force.
Before going on Dec. 29, 2018, the last time I had gone must have been more than a year or two ago, as I was completely unaware of the Justice League: Battle for Metropolis attraction added in 2017. Here I am staring in awe at the Michael Keaton era Batmobile displayed prominently in front of the DC Universe entrance when I overhear some folks talking about a Justice League ride. And sure enough, several feet away I find a very large building I’ve never seen before, smack dab in the middle of Riddler’s Revenge and Gold Rusher. Bold letters across the top read: Hall of Justice.
The line is nearly an hour and a half long, but so is everything else in the park (it’s my fault for going on a Saturday during the middle of most students’ winter break). When the line finally reaches the front door to the building, we’re taken into a large waiting room where an animatronic Cyborg awaits us. He warns of us of an ongoing attack and tells us to put on our 3-D glasses, of course. There are also animatronic versions of the Joker and Harley Quinn featured in the ride itself. Other villains and the rest of the Justice League are covered in 3-D cinematics laced throughout the ride.
Indoor, interactive roller coasters are customary at Disney and Universal parks, but Battle For Metropolis is the first of its kind at Magic Mountain. I’m glad they at least have one now. I’ve always thought there was way too big of a gap between the kids’ rides and stuff like Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom and Goliath. We finally have a middle ground, something you can go on if you’re too big for the Tweety Bird cages, but not exactly in the mood for 250-foot drop either.
For me, the Log Jammer used to serve that very purpose, which sadly closed in 2011. They’ve still got three other water rides (Jet Stream, Tidal Wave, and Roaring Rapids), but they all lack a certain je ne sais quoi in comparison. Can we please get a log ride throwback eventually? Or an Aquaman water ride, come on!
Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood never got off of Riddler’s Revenge. Contact him at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 17-24, 2019.