Only in wrestling can an undead zombie from beyond the grave captivate audiences the way The Undertaker did. As the rest of the WWE roster went in a more realistic direction for The Attitude Era, The Phenom went the other way to stay unique.
RELATED: WWE: A History Of The Kane And Undertaker Tag Team Explained
Instead of becoming more like Mark Calaway (which he would do a few years later as The American Bad Ass), he transformed The Undertaker into The Lord Of Darkness and set his sights on taking over the WWE. Here’s the saga of The Undertaker’s Ministry Of Darkness, explained.
10 The Deadman Shoots Straight
Prior to The Undertaker becoming completely Satanic, he broke character in a big way by showing up on Raw in June of 98 in grey sweatpants and a sweatshirt.
He was airing out his grievances - how he was constantly being overlooked by Vince, while everyone else hightailed it for greener pastures and fed up with not getting what was owed to him for his loyalty, a shot at the WWE title.
9 Reunited With Paul Bearer
After so many years together, Paul Bearer turned on The Undertaker at SummerSlam 96. It took several years to get them back together, but once they reunited, the two vowed to unleash a plague of evil all across the WWE.
RELATED: Every Version Of The Undertaker, Ranked From Worst To Best
Their first victim was Stone Cold Steve Austin. As the build-up for their match began, the duo kidnapped Austin and tried to embalm him alive! On another occasion, The Rattlesnake found himself tied to The Deadman’s symbol.
8 The Acolytes Form
Elsewhere in the WWE, Justin Hawk Bradshaw and Farooq Asaad were recruited by the Jackyl to be his Acolytes Of Destruction.
But once the Jackyl was “future endeavored,” the Acolytes sought a new master and “accepted the purity of evil,” and joined The Undertaker as his first two followers.
7 Abducting Dennis Knight, Mabel
Once he had two of the baddest men on the roster doing his bidding, The Undertaker was ready to truly unleash his Ministry Of Darkness upon the WWE. They had abducted Dennis Knight before even revealing they were following The Deadman.
Once it was revealed, he was sacrificed and rechristened Mideon. Then, at the 1999 Royal Rumble, they came after big Mabel to do the same thing and rechristen him Viscera.
6 Acquiring The Brood
As The Phenom grew darker and more satanic, there was another dark trio gaining a lot of traction - The Brood. Gangrel, Edge, and Christian were the only group that volunteered their fealty to The Phenom and for a brief period of time were huge members of The Ministry, even helping The Undertaker in his match with The Big Bossman at WrestleMania XV.
When Christian failed The Lord Of Darkness, he was to be sacrificed until Edge and Gangrel grabbed their brother and left the cult.
5 The Burning Bear
In trying to reign in The Undertaker, Vince McMahon called him and his gimmick out. The Chairman had claimed that Mark Calaway had bought way too much into his gimmick and now really thought he was The Undertaker.
RELATED: 10 Wrestlers You Didn’t Know Were In A Tag Team With The Undertaker
To try and stop him, he put him in another Inferno Match against Kane, which The Phenom won. After the match, The Undertaker presented McMahon with a dark gift - a burning stuffed bear, one that fans would learn was Stephanie’s.
4 The Burning Symbol
As The Undertaker started revealing and enacting more and more of his plans, he began to speak of a Greater Power that he was working with. A Higher Power who knew everything about the McMahons and whatever was in Vince’s black heart.
To show just how much he wasn’t playing any games, The Phenom and his Ministry found their way to the McMahon compound in Connecticut and lit The Deadman’s symbol ablaze.
3 Where To, Stephanie?
After stringing up Vince’s personal bodyguard, The Big Bossman at WrestleMania XV, it was clear that no one was safe from The Deadman. After playing mind games with The Corporation by kidnapping Ken Shamrock’s sister, he finally set his sights on Stephanie.
At Backlash, with Vince distracted and Stephanie supposedly safe and sound waiting for dad in the limo. But The Phenom commandeered the limo and in an infamous moment from The Attitude Era declares maniacally “where to, Stephane?!” Before trying to marry her in a dark ceremony the next night on Raw.
2 The Corporate Ministry
After failing to marry the daughter, on Smackdown, The Undertaker would join forces with the son. With Vince preoccupied protecting Stephanie, Shane has assumed control of The Corporation and kicked Vince and The Stooges out.
Shane McMahon has turned his back on Vince and taken The Corporation, merging with The Phenom’s group to form The Corporate Ministry.
1 The Higher Power
The Corporate Ministry spent a good deal of effort trying to gain control of the WWE. The Undertaker had been taking orders from a Higher Power to help him achieve his twisted goals.
But when the Higher Power was revealed, it turned out to be Vince McMahon himself! If he could do all of this damage to his own family, imagine what he would be willing to do to finally get rid of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
NEXT: 5 Reasons Why John Cena Is The Best Rival Of Edge’s Career (And 5 Why It’s The Undertaker)
