Two years ago the Al Ahli Group announced a partnership with Marvel Entertainment that would see to fruition a massive, cutting-edge amusement park to be built in Dubai and feature rides and exhibits tailor themed to the likes of Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Hulk, The X-Men, and all the rest of Marvel's impressive stable of superheroes (and villains). Obviously a lot has changed since then. First, Disney purchased Marvel outright, and though there was plenty examination of what that meant for future Marvel film franchises and existing properties, I don't recall any talk of this new theme park being bandied about. Second, and more recently, the financial crisis world wide has taken a particularly heavy toll on the rather lofty model Dubai had based its construction-heavy economy on, halting many planned projects.

Considering those two bits of news, chances aren't looking too good that the Marvel park will ever be a reality, but that doesn't mean we can't run down what could have been. The Disney and More blog has posted a fascinating smattering of concept art developed by the Chimera Design Company, showcasing a number of different attractions planned for Marvel Dubailand. Obviously rollercoasters are a mainstay of any theme park, but this hypothetical wonderland looked to have been hiding a few tricks up its sleeve. Though the designs lack full explanation, some of them are too intriguing to be immune from speculation. Take the concept art above, for example, which features Spider-Man fighting off the Green Goblin and Dr. Octopus while a group of people are in free fall from a skyscraper.



Could it be some kind of a simulator that puts you at the heart of their clash? Or is it a tower drop ride within a simulator? Don't know, but it sure is pretty to look at. Same goes for everything else Chimera had brewing up, which include superhero boardwalks, 4D theater experiences, and a recreation of Stark Laboratories, which one might wager is perhaps their version of a Tomorrowland / future world.

So if you'd like to get a taste of what may someday come to be, click on to the gallery above. I don't think many could afford to make a trip half way around the world to experience a day or two of living with superheroes, but it's nice to imagine. Just try not to imagine what it would be like to spend all day walking around a sweltering theme park nestled in Dubai. I haven't actually been to the land where massive construction dreams go to die, but I've been to several of its neighboring nations, and I can assure you that they do not share the same sun the rest of the planet does; even casually walking around feels like lava ghosts are just following you around with hairdryers on full blast.

But who knows, maybe Stark Industries has some mindblowing cooling devices we may or may not ever get to see.