The large investment tied it with Millennium Force as being the most expensive in park history. Officials for the park stated the goal was to build 'the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth', reaching 420 feet (130 m) in height and accelerating up to 120 mph (190 km/h) in 4 seconds. An official announcement revealing details on the new ride was made the following month on January 9, 2003. At the time, only four such cranes in the United States were tall enough to handle construction of the 420-foot tower section. To construct the roller coaster, the park used five cranes, two of which were 480-foot (150 m) tall. By October, the roller coaster had reached 200 feet (61 m) in height, and the highest peak was topped off in December. Vertical construction by Martin & Vleminckx began in the fall of 2002, months before the formal announcement. Track pieces identified as Intamin were previously spotted near Mean Streak.

In August 2002, an informal announcement from Cedar Point confirmed the park was building a new ride for the 2003 season. The concrete footings were kept hidden behind a fence when the park opened for the 2002 season. In April 2002, work began on the concrete foundation. After the 2001 season ended, a Dodgem ride across from Magnum XL-200's entrance was relocated to Michigan's Adventure to clear the way for the new ride. According to Rob Decker, Vice President of Planning and Design, the park began working on a new project shortly after the debut of Millennium Force in 2000.

270 degrees clockwise