Marvel Super Hero Island: Where Comic Books Come to Life
In the past few years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has gifted us with some of the greatest movie-going experiences we could ever hope for – Avengers: Endgame was as much of a rollercoaster as any you’ll find in any theme park! (Rest in peace, Tony. We love you 3,000.)
However, rather than drawing from the MCU, Universal’s Island of Adventures Marvel Super Hero Island goes straight to the original source: the comic books! Located on Islands of Adventure, this slice of the park will make you feel like one of Stan Lee’s illustrations. Buildings are brightly colored and steeply angled to achieve that classic pop-art look, and larger-than-life cut-outs of your favorite heroes roam the streets. (Read: super selfies!)
Luckily, with Spider-Man, Hulk, and Captain America around, you can be sure your day won’t be interrupted by the likes of Green Goblin!
Doctor Doom’s Devious Fear Fall
However, while Green Goblin might not risk an attack on Super Hero Island. . .Doctor Doom is another story. After all, as the arch-nemesis of the Fantastic Four, this legendary villain has a reputation to maintain!
This time his devious plan includes you. With his latest invention, Doctor Doom has achieved the dastardly ability to harness people’s fear. Once he’s collected enough terror, he plans to unleash it on the Fantastic Four! Can you brave his machine, or will you add to his power with your screams?
I wouldn’t blame you for screaming – being launched 185 feet into the air at 40 miles an hour is pretty intense. Although come to think of it, screaming might actually be a bit difficult. It’s hard to catch your breath during Doctor Doom’s Fear Fall – as soon as you go up, you’re plummeting back down – and just as fast!!
Storm Force Accelatron: Spin to Save the World!
Okay, forget what I said about having a quiet day thanks to Super Hero Island being a superhero hub. Apparently, it’s exactly the kind of place villains like to attack – including Magneto!
Thankfully Storm is here, ready to blast him into oblivion! But she’ll need Professor Xavier’s power generator – and your help! Step into one of the power-generating modules (that looks suspiciously like a teacup) and get spinning!
The faster you go, the more thunder and lighting you can generate for Storm to harness in her counter-attack! With all of us working together (with some help from the Storm Force Accelatron), Magneto doesn’t stand a chance. Just listen to that thunder roar!
Feeling a little motion-sick? It’s okay, you can keep it slow, Storm’s just grateful for any help she can get. She’s even recruiting intrepid kiddos who are brave enough to help get the generator going!
The Incredible Hulk Coaster: A Smashing Good Time
We all love the soft-hearted, soft-spoken Dr. Bruce Banner. So of course we’d volunteer to help him out in his research! Besides, with his careful calculations, what could go wrong?
*insert gigantic blast of gamma radiation here*
Okay. We still love Bruce Banner. But we might not be so confident in his calculations anymore. Hang on tight, everyone!
Thanks to the gamma radiation, you’ve temporarily gained Hulk-like power which will send you on an uncontrollable rampage! You’ll reach speeds of 67 miles per hour as you zoom above Super Hero Island – we have to say, the views are stunning, even if you are seeing red!
But be prepared to endure seven inversions on the track of the Incredible Hulk Coaster – it’s one loop after another! You’ll even experience a zero-gravity roll. (Yes. We definitely recommend a Dramamine.) However, potential motion-sickness aside, the ride is super smooth, making it an exciting and enjoyable experience.
With its high speeds and careening loop-de-loops, this incredible coaster may just be one of the most intense at Universal. . .or any other theme park for that matter!
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Look, over there! It’s the Spider signal! Since you’ve apparently taken up a job at Daily Bugle, it’s up to you to go get that spidey-scoop! (Let’s face it, the job’s just an excuse to follow Spider-Man around because he’s the BEST Marvel character.)
Oh, but first, don your 3D-shades – I mean, night vision goggles – they’ll help you take in the action a lot more clearly!
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a simulated ride that lets you experience a comic book plot firsthand. As you team up with Spider-Man, you’ll face off against Doc Ock, Hobgoblin, Hydro-Man, and even more villains! (Yeah, okay, I was super wrong about being safe on Super Hero Island.) Real fire and water make this a 4D rather than VR attraction, and frankly, we think it’s pretty fun! The motion simulation makes it feel like you’re swinging from skyscraper to skyscraper – or perilously free-falling 400 feet from the top of one!
Don’t worry, though. With his expert web-slinging, Spider-Man will catch you! (Unlike Gwen Stacy. *sobs*)
Oh, and here’s a real scoop for you: in addition to all of the notable villain cameos, keep an eye out for the most epic cameo of all: Stan Lee!
Super Hero Island: History and Future
These fantastic attractions have been a part of Universal’s Islands of Adventure since 1999, just five years after Universal Studios obtained the rights to Marvel characters.1 However, Marvel Super Hero Island was originally intended to be – wait for it – DC Land! (Time Warner acquired those rights, so you’ll have to head to a Six Flags if you want to ride a Bat-Coaster.)
Of course, this was all before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so the comic books were the only source for the island’s development. In a way, Super Hero Island is now a time capsule, a journey back to what Marvel used to be – just some ink, paper, and good storytelling.
But, you may be asking, shouldn’t a Marvel-themed park be in Walt Disney World? After all, WandaVision is on Disney+!
While Disney does own Marvel now, having obtained the franchise in 2009, they weren’t given all the rights to it – namely, theme park rights. As it stands, Disney can’t use Marvel characters, or even the word “Marvel,” east of the Mississippi River. (A little strange, I know.) As long as Universal Studios keeps up with their royalty payments, they’re the official Super Hero Hub of the East Coast.2 Out on the West Coast, Disneyland just managed to slip in an Avengers Campus this year!
So, what does the future look like in Super Hero Island in Universal’s Islands of Adventure?
The island hasn’t been updated since its debut – save for some graphic-quality updates for the Spider-Man ride in 2012 – but that doesn’t mean there aren’t possibilities for refurbishments. While Universal Studios can’t move Super Hero Island into MCU territory, the comic books are still brimming with more characters and more stories to tell. If any island updates occur, it will likely be in the form of expansion, adding to the cast of heroes and villains, and perhaps even giving the entire island a better-defined story, like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
While we adore the MCU, we also think it’s awesome that Super Hero Island is a tribute to the comic books. That’s where it all started! There’s also something warm and familiar, or maybe just simpler, about stepping into the retro world. It’s a homecoming of sorts – you know, the Spider-Man kind. *wink*
What do you think of Super Hero Island’s comic book setting? And who’s your favorite Marvel superhero? Let us know in the comments below!
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Photo: Theme Park Tourist via Flickr
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