Designed by Werner Stengel, it was the first launched roller coaster manufactured by Intamin and the first of its kind in the world to be inverted.

The ride manufacturer set out to develop a launch coaster, the company's first, that would be powered by a linear induction motor (LIM).

[2] The story focused on calling guests Lava Chasers, who were on a quest to explore the remnants of an ancient city inside a volcano.

An early track design proposed by Intamin, much of which was later modified, featured a maximum speed of 75 mph (121 km/h), a 140-foot (43 m) Immelmann inversion with a 130-foot (40 m) drop, a horseshoe, two double heartline rolls, and a helix.

Some of the biggest challenges included the installation of the coaster's climax, a 155-foot-tall (47 m) roll out inversion where the track exits the structure, and the mountain's peak itself, which had to be modified into a wide opening that resembled a volcano.

[2] The trains failed to exit the volcano consistently during early testing, often rolling back down to the launch area in what is typically referred to as a rollback.

[2] Although Volcano's design accounted for rollbacks and allowed them to occur safely, the frequency of the problem led to multiple delays of the ride's grand opening.

[9] During its first year of operation, the park opted to run the trains at half capacity as a temporary solution, reducing the weight and the number of rollbacks.

[2] In addition to being the first of its kind to use an LIM launch system, Volcano opened as the fastest inverted roller coaster in the world, reaching a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).

[13] The previous record holder, Alpengeist at the nearby Busch Gardens Williamsburg, featured a top speed of 67 mph (108 km/h) and opened a year earlier in 1997.

[2] Nearly a year later on February 8, 2019, Kings Dominion quietly announced intentions to remove Volcano from the park, citing issues with reliability, rider capacity, and overall customer satisfaction.

[20] A section of track, a ride vehicle, and signage from the retired attraction were later donated to the National Roller Coaster Museum in Plainview, Texas.

The "roll out", similar to a sidewinder, was a vertical section of track followed by a quarter loop to bring the train completely upside down, then a loose half-corkscrew.

[23] On June 23, 2006, the roller coaster experienced a launch failure when a train carrying 15 passengers stalled and rolled back slightly.

[13] The speed was matched by Superman: Ultimate Escape at Geauga Lake in 2000 and also by The Flash: Vertical Velocity at Six Flags Great America in 2001.