[1] Prior to the change, this section of the park previously housed Ultra Twister, the first pipeline roller coaster to open in the United States, which was removed in 1989 and relocated to Six Flags AstroWorld.

[2] Ultra Twister's manufacturer, TOGO, took the extraordinary step of building a full-scale prototype of a new coaster model and premiering it at their testing facility in Ohio.

[1] Time Warner originally wanted the new ride to be based on the 1992 Clint Eastwood film Unforgiven, but the theme didn't perform well during market research.

[1] During construction, which began near the end of the 1994 season, officials asked TOGO to install additional steel rings on the lift hill and first drop to enhance its snake-like appearance.

[1][3] A steel structure left behind from the removal of Ultra Twister was covered with a rustic wood frame and placed near Viper's entrance.

[5][6] The hourly capacity of the ride also suffered from its confusing boarding and unloading procedure, where guests entered and exited on the same side inside the station.

[1] In addition, the combination over-the-shoulder and lap restraint system also proved to be cumbersome, resulting in slow loading times.

[5] Behind the scenes, TOGO was struggling financially from the fallout of the company's highly-unsuccessful Windjammer Surf Racers, which opened at Knott's Berry Farm in 1997.

[9] Six Flags considered removing Viper altogether and replacing it with an attraction from another park, but they were unsuccessful finding one that would properly fit its footprint.

[11] Guests then approached the station, which resembled an abandoned Spanish church complete with buttressed walls, arched windows and a bell tower.