Pirates of the Apocalypse
At the turn of the millennium, Alton Towers teamed up with the Royal Marines and special effects company, Artem, to produce a summer stunt spectacular on the lake at the heart of the Towers. The shows were heavily influenced by Oblivion, at the time the park's most recent coaster addition.
In 1999, the spectacular took place between 7th-22nd August and told the story of the Oblivion Master and his plans to take control of the Alton Towers lake, which was apparently one of the last sources of pure water on Earth. The lake is defended by a group of rebels, who had built a fortress at the centre of the lake, on which they successfully defeat the Oblivion Master.
The Summer Spectacular returned on 5th-28th August 2000 with a new story of the Pirates of the Apocalypse, a band of ruffians who had invaded the lake. This time, the fortress had been replaced by a huge floating pirate ship as the central stage for the action. You might even have spotted the infamous Spooktacular Skull as the ship's figurehead.
The Comic
