The coaster was originally going to be named
Ninja, but there were problems with the crowds drawn to the Ninja coasters in other parks. Instead, the name Great American Scream Machine was selected. Great American Scream Machine was announced in September 1988. It opened to the public on April 15, 1989. The coaster track was painted red and the supports were white. The trains were named Freedom (red), Liberty (white) and Spirit (blue). The ground underneath the ride featured a red and white design resembling the stripes on a waving American flag. The maximum capacity of the ride was 1,680 guests per hour. The over-the-shoulder restraint handles were made of foam instead of metal. The Scream Machine's
on-ride camera was located at the curve before entering the double corkscrew, unlike those of its sister coasters; the cameras on both rides were located at the bottom of the Boomerang.
Modifications During the 1992–93 off-season, the top of the vertical loops were removed and replaced by track with additional strength bracing. This was due to issues with other Arrow coasters, including
Shockwave at
Six Flags Great America. The top of the original first loop can be found in the baboons' enclosure in the Wild Safari at Six Flags Great Adventure. Along with the new loop tops, a trim brake was installed after the first loop. The modifications were used to slightly adjust the speed of the train and to alleviate the stress to the ride's structure and trains. In 2005, The Great American Scream Machine and
Batman & Robin: The Chiller were repainted. In 2009, the Liberty (white) train was ad-wrapped as an advertisement for one of the ride's sponsors, got2b Glued Styling Spiking Glue, a
hair gel. Assorted signs were also placed on the station platform advertising. It was the first train in the park to feature advertisements, but as this idea spread throughout the Six Flags chain, it was joined by Kingda Ka and El Toro, whose trains featured
The Karate Kid and
Stride Gum ads, respectively. In the 2010 operating season, guests noticed that the Liberty (white) train was adwrapped as an advertisement for another ride sponsor,
Axe, a grooming product for young males. Signs for the product could be found around the rides entrance.
Removal During the 2010 season, speculation that Great American Scream Machine was being removed at the end of the season began circulating on message boards, pegging June 30, 2010, as a possible last day of operation. None of the rumors initially were confirmed nor denied until July 1, 2010, when a staff member stated that the coaster was not being removed. In a contradicting statement released on July 5, 2010, Six Flags Great Adventure informally announced the coaster's permanent closure would occur on July 18, 2010, in order to clear space for a new attraction in 2011. The announcement was officially confirmed on the park's website a few days later. As announced, the ride's last operating day was on July 18, 2010. Deconstruction began soon after, and signs teasing the construction of its replacement were posted. A first look at the outline of the new ride replacing the Scream Machine was revealed on August 6, 2010. Six Flags requested permission from
Jackson Township to remove parking spaces from the area behind
Superman: Ultimate Flight to accommodate the ride's construction. On September 15, 2010, Six Flags unveiled the new ride as
Green Lantern, a stand-up roller coaster relocated from then known as
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, where it originally operated as Chang. It would be re-themed to the DC Comics
Green Lantern superhero. Following the demolition, only
Viper at
Six Flags Magic Mountain remained from the original three Arrow installations involving their custom, 7-inversion design. The other one,
Shockwave at
Six Flags Great America, was demolished in 2002. ==Ride experience==