Bizarro was the DC Comics-themed identity given to the towering Intamin hypercoaster at Six Flags New England, one of the most decorated roller coasters in the United States. The ride first opened on May 5, 2000 as Superman – Ride of Steel, instantly becoming the tallest and longest coaster on the East Coast, before the park repainted and rethemed it as Bizarro in 2009 to match the villain’s antithesis-of-Superman persona.
During its Bizarro years, the coaster kept its record-setting Intamin hypercoaster layout intact, delivering a 208-foot lift hill, a 221-foot first drop, and a top speed of 77 mph across roughly 5,400 feet of track. The park added purple-and-dark-blue track colors, on-board audio, and new special effects, but the ride’s core reputation for relentless airtime never changed. In 2016, Six Flags reverted the theme, renaming it Superman: The Ride, the name it still carries today.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags New England, Agawam, Massachusetts
- Manufacturer: Intamin
- Opened: May 5, 2000 (as Superman Ride of Steel); renamed Bizarro in 2009
- Height: about 208 feet
- Top speed: about 77 mph
- Length: about 5,400 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
As Bizarro, riders climbed a 208-foot chain lift before plunging down a 221-foot drop that took the train below ground level, a signature Intamin hypercoaster trick that maximized speed and airtime. The layout’s rolling hills produced sustained moments of weightlessness rather than inversions, a design philosophy that Intamin hypercoasters of that era were known for.
The Bizarro rebrand added a purple and dark blue color scheme, S-shield-shaped ring effects, fire elements near the station, and on-board audio synced to the DC villain theme, giving the classic Superman-era structure a fresh identity without altering its record-setting stats.
From Superman to Bizarro and Back
The coaster spent its first nine seasons as Superman Ride of Steel, earning a reputation as one of the best steel coasters in the world. In 2009, Six Flags rebranded it as Bizarro, aligning it with a broader company push to theme several parks’ flagship coasters after DC Comics villains.
The Bizarro name lasted through the 2015 season. In 2016, the park reverted the paint scheme closer to its original red and blue look and renamed the ride Superman: The Ride, the name it operates under today. Throughout every name change, the ride consistently ranked among the top steel coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards, sharing top honors with Millennium Force from 2001 through 2015.
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Bizarro FAQs
Is Bizarro still operating today?
The physical ride still operates at Six Flags New England, but it was renamed Superman: The Ride in 2016 after carrying the Bizarro name from 2009 to 2015.
Who manufactured Bizarro?
Bizarro was built by Intamin, the Swiss manufacturer known for record-breaking hypercoasters, and opened in 2000 as Superman Ride of Steel.
How tall was Bizarro’s drop?
Bizarro’s first drop measured about 221 feet, taller than its 208-foot lift hill because the track dipped below ground level before climbing back up.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.