Oblivion

Oblivion is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in England. The ride opened as the world's first dive coaster on 14 March 1998, amidst a large publicity campaign. It was the second in a long line of 'Secret Weapon (SW4)' rollercoasters to have opened at Alton Towers. The ride has a height restriction of 55in. With a maximum speed of 68 mph, it is the third fastest roller coaster in the UK, behind Stealth at Thorpe Park and the Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.HistoryConstructionDuring 1997, Fantasy World was closed off and all the old fantasy-themed rides were removed except the Black Hole. Details about Oblivion were not revealed until March 1998.The "SW4" codename stood for "Secret Weapon 4". SW3 was Nemesis, and SW 1 and 2 were unbuilt roller coasters originally intended for the Nemesis site.Oblivion's opening was accompanied by a massive publicity drive, including appearances on Blue Peter, The Gadget Show, news channels and cereal boxes. In 1997, before Oblivion opened, some marketing memorabilia was released, including its own brand of deodorant.