Help me uncover, Help me warn!

You would be forgiven for thinking that this is another of those dodgy rapture prophecies by American bampot Harold Camping. But you'd still be wrong. This is, in fact, just a part of the rather wonderful marketing campaign that Thorpe Park has adopted to promote its newest coaster, previously code-named LC12.

The Swarm, which opens at Thorpe Park in the Spring of 2012, is the UK's first X-wing coaster, whereby riders sit on seats that are situated on "wings" that are hanging off each side of the track. It is made by roller-coaster giants Bolliger & Mabillard and will be just the second of their "wing-walker" coaster models in the whole wide world (after Raptor, which opened this year at Gardaland in Italy). Apparently, The Swarm will have a unique "head first inverted drop" element thrown in too. It is going to be properly awesome.

The marketing campaign for the new coaster, so far, has been every bit as awesome. For months, the twitter feed @LC12net has been prophecising armageddon. "The end is coming! Help me uncover! Help me warn!" they've been saying, whilst the web site www.lc12.net has been counting down the days, hours and minutes until the reveal about what is surely going to be an extinction level event. One tweet warned us: "People are starting to run, but we ALL need to run" whilst another prophecised: "Devastation devastation devastation. The end is coming. They will attack. They will destroy. The government will not help" like a spooky Protect & Survive pamphlet from the 70s.

"Be picked up and dragged on the wings of THE SWARM as you’re left exposed and vulnerable to the extreme near misses and gut wrenching inversions as it rips through the sky on its mission of complete annihilation" says the web site, whilst the accompanying video plays scenes of carnage, terror and utter devastation. It's properly gripping stuff.

"Experience the unique head first, inverted drop from 127ft as you are flung into this merciless flight for your life. War is coming... Spring 2012."