Editor’s Note: The Attraction Archaeology column is published every other Thursday. #ThrowbackThursday
By Danielle Plato
Unveiling Universal Orlando Resort: A New Era of Adventure
In 1999, Universal Studios Florida expanded into Universal Orlando Resort, with the unveiling of both Universal CityWalk and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, a brand new theme park that featured six new fantastical lands all themed around the amazing world of literature, and the adventures found within the written word. The original layout of the park remains mostly unchanged today, and featured, upon opening day, a land dedicated to the incredible world of the superhero comic books of Marvel Comics. With three main attractions in the land when the park opened at the turn of the century, Marvel Superhero Island was one of the six ‘islands’ that guests could visit, jam-packed with feats of super-strength and web-slinging action along the streets of New York City. But this story isn’t about any of that.
Before the Island: Unearthing the Original Marvel Stunt Show
Marvel Comics Super Heroes Showdown actually pre-dates Marvel Superhero Island and Islands of Adventure as a whole. This stunt show, which ran from 1993-1995, was featured at Universal Studios Florida before the construction on Islands of Adventure had even started. Taking place on the streets of New York City within Universal Studios Florida, this show was an action-packed stunt show that showcased some of the most popular Marvel superheroes and supervillains of the time, from the evergreen Spider-Man to some of the most iconic X-Men, and all their adversaries, like Saber-Tooth, Crimson Commando, and Mr. Sinister.
Mayhem in Metropolis: The Show’s Explosive Plot
The show would run approximately four times a day, on the steps of the Metropolis Tribune, where guests would gather in the streets to celebrate the opening of Professor Xavier’s Center for Mutant Research, funded by millionaire philanthropist Tony Stark. This research center was meant to be a dedicated effort to exploring and preserving the delicate relationship between the human and mutant populations that coexisted there in New York City, a hotbed for superhero activity. The opening ceremony, a speech given by Tony Stark himself, is interrupted by a surprise guest appearance from Spider-Man, New York’s most famous (or infamous, if you’re J. Jonah Jameson) superhero, who proceeds to beat the living daylights out of Tony, and take the audience hostage.
That’s generally considered the first clue that something’s a little fishy.
In reality, Spider-Man is revealed to be Mystique, a shapeshifting mutant from the X-Men universe who can perfectly mimic any person’s appearance and speech, leading to a very convincing takeover by the false Spider-Man. When Mystique reveals herself in an impressive display of practical effects, she is accompanied by the Crimson Commando and Mr. Sinister, who plans to use his newly-acquired hostages to create a mindless mutant army by forcing accelerated mutant evolution upon hapless parkgoers via a device called the Mutant Infusion Pool.
This show featured a plainclothes actor, who would mingle with the crowd and be singled out as the first ‘test subject’ of Mr. Sinister’s sinister science experiment. This actor would be dragged from the crowd, and ruthlessly tossed into the infusion pool, where they would then perish.
Before Mr. Sinister and his henchmen can test this experiment on any of the other guests, Iron Man and Spider-Man (the real Spidey, this time!) show up to save the day, along with Wolverine and Storm.
In a shocking twist, it isn’t the superheroes who save the day! Enraged that Mr. Sinister is encroaching on his territory as dominator of the entire world and all who inhabit it, Dr. Doom appears to wrestle back control over the mayhem in New York City, because if anyone is going to experiment on helpless tourists, it’s gonna be him!
(Hey! They should make a ride about that!)
In a final face-off, Dr. Doom and Mr. Sinister battle it out, resulting in Mr. Sinister falling victim to his own mutant pool. Doom is finally subdued by the heroes, and the day is saved as the forces of good triumph over the forces of evil!
Evolution of a Spectacle: The Show’s Changing Face
Of course, throughout theme park history, attractions and shows are being constantly adjusted, reimagined, and reinvented to better represent the creative story-telling and technical ingenuity that we’ve all come to love and expect from theme parks like Universal Orlando Resort.
While this street show pre-dates Islands of Adventure, it wasn’t exactly the first appearance of the Marvel superheroes at Universal Studios Florida. Like a mutant, this show had evolved during its short two-year run, capturing a more theatrical tone and involving a lot more action, the version of the show that ran in 1995 to the show’s close that very same year involved a full stage set, costumed actors dressed as policemen roaming the streets and managing crowd control with their police barricades, and even some more elaborate set dressing, like the banners hanging from the Metropolis Tribune building.
But for the vast majority of the show’s run, the Marvel Comics Super Heroes Showdown had considerably less to work with, which arguably made the fight seem all that more immersive.
Guests were quite literally right in the middle of the action, with superheroes and villains fighting right in the streets and flying overhead; combined with impressive pyrotechnics and practical effects like the smoke billowing from the Green Goblin’s hoverboard, the live-action brawl in the middle of the street felt startlingly real according to guests who had the privilege of experiencing some of the earliest days of Universal Studios Florida when it opened in the early 90s.
The Final Curtain: Paving the Way for an Island
Marvel Comics Super Heroes Showdown shut down in 1995 as construction for Islands of Adventure started. Marvel Superhero Island was slated to be one of six lands featured at their newest theme park, so it made more sense to save all the action-packed superhero fighting for that new park. Additionally, much was already changing at Universal Studios Florida. The Ghostbusters Spooktacular had closed, and Twister…Ride it Out! was announced, with its construction beginning in 1997. Sadly, these developments ended the Marvel Comics Super Heroes Showdown.
Thankfully, with the popularization of handheld camcorders in the early 90s, footage of this stunt show still exists, though it remains one of the lesser-known attractions that was featured at the park in its earliest days. The Marvel Comics Super Heroes Showdown may have been forgotten in the wake of the immersive and still-beloved Marvel Super Hero Island at Islands of Adventure, but for those interested in theme park history and the preservation of media, this show remains a gem from a bygone time many of us wish we could still experience today.
The Legacy Lives On: Marvel Super Hero Island Today
Marvel Super Hero Island certainly has its own charm, and is the face of Marvel at Universal Orlando Resort that most guests are familiar with, having held the test of time since its inception in the late 90s, with minimal changes to its original layout or design. Still featuring some of the iconic comic-book depictions of famous super heroes and villains (90s Doc Ock, I am looking directly at you!) Marvel Super Hero Island may not feature the impressive stunt show that found its home in Universal Studios Florida in the mid-90s, but it’s definitely not lacking that throwback feel when you walk into the high-octane land; and for those of us who can’t turn down taking a ride through New York City in the S.C.O.O.P., let’s hope it stays that way for a good long time!
Explore More: Videos
Marvel Super Heroes Showdown 1993 (the first version of the show)
Marvel Super Heroes Showdown – A later version of the show
Explore More: Resources
- Official Website: Universal Studios Florida
- Last Column: Attraction Archaeology: Unearthing Poseidon’s Fury (Theme Park Magazine)
Your Support Makes Theme Park Magazine Possible
Love our independent, ad-free theme park coverage? We’re passionate about bringing you these stories without the usual ad clutter, and it’s only possible thanks to supporters like you.
Your contribution directly funds more in-depth articles, stunning visuals, and keeps our focus purely on the magic. Please donate via PayPal today to help us continue this mission. – Joe Tracy, Editor
Danielle’s favorite stories have always been about magic and far-off adventures, and growing up in Orlando, Florida allowed her to experience those adventures in real life. As an adult, she graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2023 with a degree in Literature. Her inner child, however, still has a deep love for fairies, dragons, magic, and adventure. When not writing her next big adventure, she enjoys drawing, puzzle platformers, theme parks, and fast roller coasters.
