I. The Conception

It was November 22, 1990, a dark and dreary Thanksgiving evening that was filled with a somber mood and a morbid chill in the air. The thousands of fans gathered in Hartford, CT, were unsuspecting of the forthcoming spiritual renaissance that was about to forever change the face of sports entertainment as they knew it. The uncertainty turned to fear as a solemn bell tolled, funeral-like organ music began playing and an ominous stranger slowly made his way to the ring. Soon it became even more evident that on that fateful night, a legacy and a decade of destruction was beginning.
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He was cold, dark and unflinching: the perfect weapon of darkness. Led to the ring by the cherry faced reverend known as Brother Love, Undertaker was the mystery partner of Ted DiBiase’s “Million Dollar Team.” Apparently even the dead had a price and DiBiase had found a way to lure the Grim Reaper himself into a WWE ring. As he stepped into the squared circle for the first time and stared Bret “Hit Man” Hart straight in the eyes, it became apparent that this was a competitor like no other, a gloomy gladiator who knew no pain or fear. This was the Undertaker.

Within seconds, Hart found himself on the receiving end of a Chokeslam from Hell and when his robust partner Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart sprang into the ring to make the save, he soon found himself lying on his back as well. The Birdman Koko B. Ware then entered the ring believing that with his blurring speed he could outmaneuver Undertaker. However, his speed only shortened the time it took to become the first-ever victim of the Tombstone piledriver. Without missing a beat, Taker made short work of the "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes and hurled the bulky veteran out of the ring and onto the arena floor. But Undertaker wasn’t finished yet; unsatisfied with his carnage he followed Rhodes to the outside and continued to pummel him all the way back to the locker room area while the referee counted to 10. Despite the count-out, Undertaker proved all he needed to on that one night and left the baffled audience craving more of his unique carnage.
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II. A Decade of Destruction Begins
While his path of destruction followed an incessant course through WWE, Undertaker experienced a change in management. The Phenom called upon a portly, pasty-faced Paul Bearer he’d known since his days of working at his parents' funeral parlor. This puzzling pudgy man with a high-pitched voice yielded a mysterious iron urn that when raised in the air seemed to have mystical powers to rejuvenate the Undertaker. Immediately after taking the reigns, the crafty Bearer led Undertaker to quite an impressive string of victories.

But after being fed a variety of unsuitable opponents, Undertaker was hoping to bury a Superstar of name value and face recognition. Luckily for Taker, a WWE Hall of Famer, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, stepped up to the challenge at WrestleMania VII by agreeing to battle the Deadman. Never one to back down from a good challenge, the unbalanced Snuka figured he’d show Taker that there was no substitute for experience –a quality that he certainly was not lacking in. But as the match commenced, it quickly became evident that the Fiji Island native had underestimated Undertaker’s destructive ability. Snuka was unable to muster any serious offense and in no time at all, Undertaker dropped him on his head with a one-way ticket to Tombstone City.
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As if his impressive victory over Snuka wasn’t enough to catch the WWE brass’s attention, Paul Bearer and Undertaker’s next plan would surely raise a few eyebrows. For weeks, Bearer insulted and challenged the WWE Superstars and taunted them to be guests on his “Funeral Parlor” interview segment. Eventually, the Ultimate Warrior stormed the set and was presented with a custom-made casket featuring his logo on it. An enraged Warrior began to roughhouse Bearer until Undertaker attacked him from behind and pummeled him. The beating continued until Warrior was unconscious and then stuffed into the casket, which Undertaker promptly closed and locked. It took a group of referees to pry open the casket and release Warrior before he suffocated in the man-made death chamber.

After seeing what had happened to his good friend the Ultimate Warrior, the Hulkster decided to appear on the set and prove that he wasn’t afraid of anything or anybody. While Hogan was occupied in a face-to-face confrontation with “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Undertaker appeared from behind and struck the WWE Champion with his urn. As Hogan lay motionless, it became inevitable that a meeting between the Immortal One and the Phenom was on the horizon.

On November 27, 1991 – just one year after his dramatic debut – Undertaker received a title shot against Hogan at the Joe Louis Arena in Detriot, Michigan, in the main event of the Survivor Series, appropriately subtitled “The Gravest Challenge.” Like a true champion, Hogan battled back from Undertaker’s unrelenting assault, even managing to kick out of a Tombstone piledriver. As the match went on, Hogan used the momentum of the fans to rally an offensive attack against the Deadman that led Ric Flair to come to ringside for a closer look. Distracted by Flair’s presence, Hogan rushed outside the ring to level the "Nature Boy," allowing Undertaker time to regroup. Once back in the ring, Taker violently attacked Hogan and set him up for his second Tombstone. Just then Flair snuck a chair under the Hulkster’s cranium, giving Taker the title victory.
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Due to the outside interference by Flair, then-WWE President Jack Tunney declared that there would be an immediate rematch between the two Superstars six days later at a pay-per-view event entitled Tuesday in Texas. Once again Flair showed up to interfere, but this time he was confronted by Tunney himself who was knocked out during the melee. Amidst the turmoil, Hogan used the urn’s contents to blind Undertaker and regain his championship. Unfortunately for Undertaker, he never received another rematch against Hogan as the title was vacated due to the faulty finishes. But Undertaker’s rivalry with Hogan only made him stronger. With his flame now burning brighter than ever before, Taker was ready to embark on a career-altering journey.

III. The Epiphany
During the first few months of 1992, the Man from the Dark Side formed an apprentice-like relationship with Jake “the Snake” Roberts, who at the time was one of the most sinister and demented athletes competing in WWE. Following in Jake’s footsteps, Undertaker learned the craft of playing mind games with an opponent’s psyche and wearing them out mentally prior to getting in the ring. But one night Jake went too far. Hoping to seek revenge against his foe Randy “Macho Man” Savage, Jake lifted a chair above his head, ready to strike Miss Elizabeth, when out of nowhere, Undertaker suddenly appeared and stopped the debacle by clenching Robert’s throat with a vice-like grip.

As some fans even began cheering the silent Phenom, many still questioned whether or not Undertaker’s soul was pure. Eventually, Roberts confronted the Deadman and asked him just exactly whose side he was on. Without showing a twinge of emotion, Undertaker looked Roberts in the eyes and replied “not yours.” With that statement, the question was answered and Undertaker was now embraced by the masses. Soon droves of fans Taker referred to as his “creatures of the night” came to the arenas dressed in all black to cheer on his every move.

At WrestleMania VIII, Undertaker finally got the slippery Roberts in a one-on-one contest. While early on it seemed that Jake’s experience had given him a clear edge, Undertaker proved that he was practically impervious to pain – taking two deadly DDTs and still sitting right back up. Eventually Undertaker got a hold of Roberts and applied the Tombstone right onto the arena floor. From then on, it was academic as Taker folded the motionless Snake’s arms on his chest and looked on as the referee counted to three.

IV. The Giants Cometh
Undertaker’s stunning victory over Roberts may made him a hero in the fans eyes, but it also made him a target. Seeing as how this Phenom ran roughshod through some of the company’s toughest Superstars, Harvey Wippleman saw Undertaker as gigantic steppingstone to WWE title contention. In no time at all, Wippleman acquired the services of the Ugandan Headhunter Kamala – an uncivilized monster from the jungles of Africa who was so uncouth that he could only be controlled by his aggressive handler Kimchee– immediately sending he savage after the Deadman.

Kamala tried to hunt Undertaker just as he would stalk a wild animal in his native country. Planning to drive the barbarian out of WWE, Taker agreed to battle him at SummerSlam ’92. Before even stepping in the ring, Undertaker possessed a distinct advantage over Kamala by exploiting his one mortal weakness –he was extremely superstitious and feared the dark side. Wippleman and Kimchee tried perilously to convince Kamala that he had the tools it took to overcome Undertaker and rid WWE of his morbid presence. 80,355 of Taker’s loyal British supporters convened at the famed Wembley Stadium and looked on as he continued his mind games by driving to the ring in an old-fashioned British hearse complete with a coffin readymade to fit one Ugandan Giant. Just as Kamala had intimated, Undertaker was simply too much for him to handle that night and in no time at all Taker was poised to deliver a match-ending Tombstone. Had it not been for Kimchee storming the ring and striking the Deadman with his pith helmet to cause an immediate disqualification, Taker would have finished off his opponent for good. Yet Kamala’s team wasn’t done there. After the bell sounded the savage African attacked Undertaker and climbed to the top-rope delivering a devastating 300-pound plus body splash. Yet before Kamala could slap his tummy in exuberance, Undertaker rose up and chased him and his posse out of the arena.

The unfulfilling victory and post-match attack left Undertaker still seeking a measure of revenge. He decided to up the ante and challenge Kamala to a first-ever Casket Match – where the contest would end only when one opponent was locked inside of the eternal wooden box– at Survivor Series ‘92. If the superstitious Kamala seemed outwitted in their last encounter, he was just one step away from the padded walls after glancing at the extra-large, custom-made coffin bearing the same quarter moon and stars design Kamala had painted on his torso. Kimchee and Wippleman practically had to drag Kamala to ringside and force him to compete. In an act of desperation, Kamala attempted to finish Taker early by using chairs, ring steps or anything he could get his hands on. But when his handler ordered him to use the urn against the Taker, the spooked Ugandan drew the line and refused to touch it. Quickly Undertaker picked up the urn, smashed Kamala across the head, folded his arms and rolled his robust carcass into the casket before nailing it shut. Most of Undertaker’s followers assumed that with his biggest threat in the industry demolished, Undertaker would be able to refocus his energy on getting back the Heavyweight Championship. They couldn’t have been more wrong.

Undertaker was the odds on favorite to win the 1993 Royal Rumble where as the winner he would get to challenge the WWE Champion in the main event at WrestleMania. Undertaker entered halfway through the 30-man contest and quickly dominated all other combatants, but before he was able to build any kind of momentum, a siren sounded and Harvey Wippleman marched down to the ring with a Neanderthal-looking gargantuan. Standing nearly eight-feet tall and weighing close to 460 pounds, Giant Gonzales was unquestionably the largest man ever to step foot in a WWE ring, even taller than the late Andre The Giant. With little effort, Gonzalez sent Undertaker flying over the top rope, hence being eliminated from the contest, but he wasn’t done there. Gonzalez continued to pummel Taker into an unconscious state before rolling him back into the ring and vanishing as quickly as he had entered. Fans stood out of their seats in astonishment, wondering if this was the end of their pale-faced hero. Quickly Paul Bearer raced to ringside and used the mysterious power of the urn to revive the Deadman from his slumber.

After being manhandled by Gonzalez, Undertaker turned his full attention to seeking revenge and challenged the Giant to a match at the biggest stage of all, WrestleMania IX in Las Vegas. Again looking to play mind games with his opponent, Taker slowly made his way to the ring in a death chariot complete with a black vulture. However, Gonzalez was unfazed and completely focused on tearing the Phenom from limb to limb. A seesaw battle eventually turned to Undertaker’s favor. As he had the giant reeling, Wippleman jumped onto the ring apron causing a distraction. Wippleman’s distraction was enough to allow him to toss the Giant a cloth soaked in chloroform –a heavy sedative. Quickly Gonzalez covered Taker’s face with the rag and watched him slowly drift out of consciousness. Since the referee had disqualified him, Gonzalez lost the match, but as Undertaker was whisked away to a nearby medical facility, it was evident who had won this battle. Yet Undertaker was not finished. As Gonzalez and his crew were in the ring celebrating, the staggering, groggy Deadman rushed back out and cleared the ring of his tormentors.
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In hopes of settling the score, Undertaker challenged the leviathan from the Andes Mountains to a “Rest in Peace” match at SummerSlam ’93 where the only way to win was to score a decisive victory – meaning that count-outs and DQs wouldn’t stop the action. During the match, a bell began tolling as soon Paul Bearer came to ringside to cheer on his associate and score a measure of revenge against Wippleman –who had stolen his urn on an episode of WWE Superstars a month earlier. With Bearer and the urn back in his corner, Taker was unstoppable and before long he finished off the giant for good and drove him out of WWE forever.

Yet as Undertaker was busy chasing Gonzalez, a new mammoth had climbed atop WWE and captured the title. The former Japanese sumo star known as Yokozuna had literally eaten up all of the competition and in hopes of proving he was a lasting force in the industry. Soon he challenged the Deadman, but Undertaker knew that he possessed the skills necessary to finish off this 500-pound plus monster and specifically requested a Casket Match. Surprisingly Yokozuna’s manager, the devious Mr. Fuji, accepted the challenge and set the date for Royal Rumble 1994. Undertaker dominated the contest and eventually hurled Yokozuna’s large, docile frame into the doublewide casket, but just when it seemed that Undertaker was about to defeat his third giant in a row something went terribly wrong. Fuji’s hired assassins, Tenryu and Kabuki, stormed the ring and attacked the Grim Reaper. And before he could muster up any serious defense, several more WWE Superstars rushed to the ring and aided in the attack. Taker furiously fought off his tormenters, but in the end he lost the numbers game. With the odds entirely in his favor, Yokozuna dropped Undertaker into the casket and closed the lid. Yet as Undertaker lie motionless in the casket, the top of his urn came open and a thick green smoke poured out its spout enveloping the arena in a mysterious mist. Then moments later a bell tolled and the arena seemed to suffer an electrical blackout. Soon, Undertaker’s face appeared on the TitanTron as he delivered a cryptic message to Yokozuna and his cohorts assuring them that he would not “rest in peace.” Yet still this would be that last anyone would see Undertaker for a very long time.

V. Deadman Squared
For the better part of a year, there was no sign of the Deadman. Speculation arose that perhaps we had seen the last of Undertaker and that his WWE run was over. Then suddenly there were various Taker sightings, which gave hope that a possible return was looming on the horizon. The man responsible for bringing the Undertaker into WWE, Ted DiBiase, even began claiming that he had indeed brought Undertaker back to his stable as one of his associates. But Paul Bearer insisted that DiBiase’s Undertaker was just a cheap imitation and that he indeed still controlled the true Undertaker. Finally Bearer and DiBiase agreed to have their respective Undertaker’s do battle at SummerSlam ’94 to find out who was telling the truth. Not long after Bearer’s Undertaker stepped through the ropes, it became very evident who the real Phenom was. Now sporting new tattoos and decked out in Purple gloves and stirrups, Bearer’s Undertaker absorbed an exuberant amount of punishment and kept coming back. In the end, the true Undertaker revealed himself by disposing of DiBiase’s clone and sending him out of the arena in a wooden box to his eternal resting place. While Paul Bearer was breathing a sigh of relief, Undertaker’s mind was elsewhere. In order to repair his wounded soul, he needed to seek revenge on the man who nearly ended his career.

VI. Redemption
Three months later at Survivor Series ’94, Undertaker received his opportunity for redemption in another Casket Match against Yokozuna. The difference between this match and the first one was that action movie star and martial arts master, Chuck Norris, was appointed the special ringside enforcer. As the match progressed and Undertaker gained a slight advantage, DiBiase sent members of his “Million Dollar Team” down to ringside to aid Yokozuna in his battle. But instead of another melee occurring like it had in the last match, Norris fought off the predators by throwing lightening fast kicks at their heads. With the numbers at ringside even, Undertaker dropped Yokozuna’s massive frame into the casket and slammed the top shut, sending him directly to his eternal resting place. While his score was settled with Yokozuna, the Deadman still harbored ill feelings towards DiBiase and his cohorts and he was not about to let them walk away unscathed.

The hatred between Undertaker and DiBiase’s group only intensified after they stole the sacred urn from Paul Bearer and threatened to destroy and exploit its contents. At the 1995 Royal Rumble, Undertaker made short work of Irwin R. Shyster and nearly regained possession of the urn, but King Kong Bundy made sure that the relic remained in the hands of the corporation. Eventually, Undertaker challenged the 450-pound walking condominium to a match at WrestleMania XI. With great experience in handling massive opponents nearly twice his size, Taker had no problems adding Bundy to his growing list of oversized casualties. And when he was finished with the behemoth, he also regained possession of his urn.

As the year progressed, Undertaker’s competition only seemed to get bigger and meaner. In June, Undertaker suffered a rare and unusual pinfall loss to Men On A Mission’s Mabel in the first round of the King of the Ring tournament. But it only got worse from there. When Undertaker was least expecting it, Mabel helped Kama Mustafa beat him down, allowing the Million Dollar Corporation to burgle his prized urn once again. This time Kama vowed that Undertaker would never see his urn again because he was going to melt it down and make himself a gold necklace. True to his words, Kama was sporting his brand new two-inch thick gold necklace a short time later. An infuriated Undertaker challenged Kama to a casket match at SummerSlam where he thoroughly dismantled the self proclaimed “Supreme Fighting Machine,” dropped him on his head and sent him away in a casket. While Undertaker regained possession of what used to be his urn, his peace of mind would not last very long.

VII. To Hell & Back
On October 9, 1995 during an episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, Undertaker was brutally attacked by Mabel and Yokozuna – over a thousand pounds of girth. Among the numerous injuries he suffered during the attack was a broken eye socket, which left his face severely bruised. Even after a month off to recover, Undertaker was not physically 100 percent when he returned to action In fact, he was now forced to wear a thick, protective mask to shield his damaged face. At the Survivor Series, Undertaker returned refocused and more intense than ever before. During an eight-man tag-team elimination match, he single handedly defeated Isaac Yankem, Jerry Lawler, Triple H and Mabel to score the decisive victory for his team. Like the phoenix that rose from the ashes, Undertaker had come back from another adversity better than ever. And he had now decided to focus all of his energy on winning back the WWE Championship.

At Royal Rumble ’96, Undertaker received his title shot against Bret “Hit Man” Hart. Strangely enough, the technically sound champion was considered an underdog against his bigger and stronger challenger. In a true clash of styles, the Deadman took it to Hart and came close to defeating him on more than one occasion. The contest was actually so brutal that Undertaker lost his protective mask during the heat of battle. But before Undertaker could score the victory, “Big Daddy Cool” Diesel – now competing as Kevin Nash – interfered, attacked the Hit Man and ended the match by disqualification. At the time Hart was Diesel’s main rival, but after costing the Man from the Dark Side his second World Championship, he now had a new nemesis to deal with. A short time later, Undertaker received a much-deserved rematch, but again Diesel showed up – only this time he wasn’t just targeting Hart, he was after Undertaker as well. After punishing Taker with three straight Jackknife powerbombs, Diesel was shocked to see his victim rise back up – a true testament to Undertaker’s resiliency. At WWE In Your House in February ’96, Diesel was battling Hart in a cage match when Undertaker ripped through the canvas and dragged Diesel under the ring. Moments later, a shaken Diesel reappeared with his pant leg torn and a glazed over look in his eyes. Taker had shown Diesel a sample of the dark side and the seven-foot monster didn’t like what he’d seen. By no means was this score settled yet and a match was soon made between the two at WrestleMania XII. While he did give up a few inches to Diesel, Undertaker soundly defeated him with a Tombstone piledriver and ended his WWE tenure.
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Not wanting to end up like Diesel, few superstars stepped up to challenge Undertaker in the coming months. But soon the deranged Mankind challenged Undertaker to a match at King of the Ring. This masked madman was unlike any opponent Undertaker had ever faced. He was fearless, unpredictable and mentally disturbed. Not only was this psychopath practically impervious to pain, he seemed to actually enjoy it. Going into this match, Undertaker knew he had a formidable opponent lined up, what he didn’t know was just how sadistic and volatile he could be. No matter how much punishment Taker dished out, Mankind just kept coming at him. And when Paul Bearer “accidentally” hit Undertaker with his urn, it allowed Mankind to gain the advantage and win the match via a Mandible Claw. As Undertaker’s fans scratched their heads at the surprise victory, many began to wonder if Bearer’s actions were truly accidental.

The hatred between Undertaker and Mankind boiled as the summer wore on. At SummerSlam ’96, the two rivals agreed to meet in the first-ever Boiler Room Brawl where the better part of the match took place in the doldrums of the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. In one of the most brutal battles in WWE history, Taker and Mankind attempted to maim each other with the use of ladders, steel pipes and other foreign objects. And worse of all, everything was legal. But the biggest shock of the night came when a weakened Undertaker knelt in front of Paul Bearer to salute the urn and was knocked across the head by his protégé. As Bearer sneered with accomplishment, Mankind again picked up a win. For unbeknownst reasons, Bearer had decided to sever his ties with the Deadman and form an unholy alliance with Mankind.

While it was considered extremely rare for Undertaker to suffer a defeat, two consecutive losses to Mankind, was practically unheard of. Mankind had taken it to the Deadman and beaten him by using Undertaker’s own weapon of choice – mind games. But Taker was determined to take this rivalry to the next level by challenging the “Deranged One” to a Buried Alive Match – where the only way to win the contest was to throw your opponent into a six-foot hole and cover them completely with dirt. A focused Undertaker took Mankind apart and eventually delivered a Tombstone piledriver before dropping Mankind’s limp body into the gravesite and covering him with dirt. No sooner than Undertaker raised his hand in victory he was struck with a shovel by Bearer’s newest assailant, a masked man known as the Executioner. Mankind and the Executioner then attempted to finish Taker off by thrusting him into the hole and filling it to the brim with topsoil. As the evening came to a close, a bolt of lightening struck the gravesite and a purple glove reached out of the grave wiggling. On that night, Undertaker might have won the battle, but once again Mankind won the war.

The next month at Survivor Series, Undertaker – dressed in all black and wearing a Batman-like cape – returned to even the score with Mankind once and for all, only this time Paul Bearer was suspended in a shark cage high above the ring to prevent outside interference. Proving his superiority, Undertaker bested Mankind in what turned out to be a grueling, yet evenhanded contest. As Mankind lay helpless, Undertaker lowered the cage to release his leftover aggression on his former manager. But just as Taker was about to get his hands on Bearer, the Executioner stormed the ring and attacked him. Taker now realized that in order to get his hands on Bearer, first he’d have to finish off the Executioner.

Undertaker got his wish at WWE In Your House: It’s Time when he faced the Executioner in an Armageddon Rules Match – where a winner was declared after their opponent was pinned or submitted and was then unable to answer a 10 count. Since there were no rules, Undertaker had to fight off not only the Executioner, but Mankind as well. Against all odds, Undertaker prevailed after hitting the Executioner with a Tombstone, pinning him and leaving him out cold, unable to answer the ten count. As 1996 came to a close, Undertaker had overcome everything his former manager threw at him, but the bad blood between the two was still as strong as ever.

Since Mankind and the Executioner failed to destroy the Deadman, Paul Bearer acquired the services of Vader to aid in his quest to rid WWE of the Phenom. Bearer’s plan came to fruition at the 1997 Royal Rumble when he used the urn to help Vader defeat the Man from the Dark Side. Later that night, both Vader and Undertaker competed in the Royal Rumble contest and were eliminated by Stone Cold Steve Austin. But video footage later showed that Austin had already been thrown over the top without being seen by a referee. A decision was made that the only fair way to determine the winner of the vacant WWE Championship would be to hold a Fatal Four-Way Match at the next month’s pay per view event. At WWE In Your House: Final Four, Undertaker faced Vader, Steve Austin and Bret Hart –who had also illegally been eliminated at the hands of Stone Cold. After Vader and Austin were eliminated, just Undertaker and Hart were left battling for the title. But before Taker could score a victory, an enraged Austin raced to the ring and cost him the match.

A short while later at WrestleMania 13, Undertaker paced to the ring wearing his “old school” costume as he faced Sycho Sid for the WWE Championship. Before the night was over, Undertaker had regained the title – five and a half years after his initial run. It was right around this time that Paul Bearer reappeared on the scene and began blackmailing Undertaker with a demon from his past. He claimed that if Undertaker didn’t accept him back as his manager, he would tell the whole world an explosive secret that would ruin Undertaker’s career and forever turn his “creatures of the night” against him. At first Undertaker gave in to cover the tale, but when Bearer’s presence became more of a hindrance than a help, Undertaker knew that he couldn’t keep his secret buried forever.

During an episode of Raw, Paul revealed how at a very young age, Undertaker was playing with gasoline and accidentally started a fire that killed his parents and younger brother. Yet he claimed to have proof that Taker’s younger brother Kane, who had been horrifically burned in the fire, actually survived the incident and was still living somewhere in hiding. Initially, Taker denied Paul’s accusations, not wanting fans to know the details of his dark past. And at the same time, Undertaker had a tough time believing the story that the brother he once believed to have died in a house fire was still alive and well. Week after week, Paul cryptically shouted, “he’s alive Undertaker, and he’s coming!” causing the Deadman to become increasingly enraged.

Despite those challenging summer months, Undertaker successfully defended his title against challengers like Vader, Mankind, Faarooq and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Finally Bret Hart received his title shot at SummerSlam ’97, which was cleverly subtitled “Hart and Soul.” With Shawn Michaels appointed the special referee of the contest it seemed likely that Undertaker had the deck stacked in his favor, being that Michaels and Hart absolutely despised each other. But as the contest wore on, Michaels kept his word to be completely impartial. Hart however continuously antagonized Michaels while struggling to stay focused and not let his anger get the better of him. Eventually Michaels gave in and picked up a steel chair to scramble the Hit Man’s brains. But at the last moment, Hart moved and Undertaker absorbed the vicious blow. As Hart made the pin, Michaels begrudgingly counted to three and awarded the championship to Bret.

VIII. Through Hell, Fire and Brimstone
Bearer still continued his threats to unveil Taker’s long, lost brother, but the Phenom still had other issues on his mind. Whether Michaels had actually meant to hit Undertaker or not, he wasn’t about to let the “Heartbreak Kid” get away with costing him the WWE Championship. The two initially battled each other at In Your House: Ground Zero, but when the match ended in a no-contest, Undertaker was left unsatisfied. WWE management knew that in order to have a fair fight between the two without any outside interference or faulty finishes, they would need to find a way to keep the action in the ring. Before long, Undertaker and Michaels signed up to meet in the first-ever Hell in a Cell Match at WWE In Your House: Badd Blood.
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October 5, 1997 – a date that will live in infamy. A sold-out St. Louis crowd witnessed history in the making as Undertaker and Michaels tore each other limb from limb both inside and out of the custom made steel structure. As they embarked on one of the most dangerous and grueling encounters ever in sports entertainment, Undertaker’s mind was cluttered with thoughts of impending doom. As a bloodied Michaels lay semi-conscious in a pool of his own blood, the arena went pitch black and a thunderous explosion echoed through the crowd. A dreary organ music hit and dim red lights portentously lit the scene. A seven-foot monster dressed completely in red and black with a matching mask paced towards the cage and mightily tore the door right off of it. Looking at each other for the first time in decades, Kane and Taker stood toe to toe during a chilling stare down until finally he kicked Undertaker in the stomach and Tombstoned him in the center of the ring. These actions easily allowed the beaten and battered Shawn Michaels to pin the Phenom and pick up the victory.

When Undertaker recovered, he appeared emotionally distraught and did everything he could to avoid a battle with his younger brother. Throughout the following months, he absolutely refused to fight his sibling, citing that it was too personal and that he would not wage war against his own flesh and blood in front of a public audience. Led by manager Paul Bearer, Kane walked through “hell, fire, and brimstone” on a rampage leaving behind a trail of destruction. He managed to defeat numerous opponents in the company carving his name into the elite list of title contenders. But what Kane was really looking for was not a title, but a confrontation with his brother. Bearer threatened Undertaker by saying that Kane would destroy everyone in WWE until he got what he wanted. Bearer began to scheme of a way to break Undertaker down and get the siblings in the ring against each other. The plan began when Kane came out after one of Taker’s matches while he was still in the ring. Kane dropped to one knee saluting him and Taker responded by saluting back, while the jaws of onlookers hit the floor. Speculation began running rampant as to whether the eccentric siblings had buried their differences and formed a bond or if it was all just part of an even bigger master plan to gain Undertaker’s trust. Still wanting to enrage the Deadman, Paul revealed a story of how he got lonely one night at the funeral parlor and had an affair with Undertaker’s mother –he went on to reveal that Kane was actually his son, making Kane and the Undertakers only half brothers.

In the time that Undertaker was mixed up with Kane, Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart for the WWE Championship in controversial fashion at Survivor Series ’97. Undertaker still had unfinished business with HBK for costing him the title. And as usual, Undertaker upped the ante by challenging Michaels to a Casket Match for the title at the 1998 Royal Rumble. Just like their previous encounter, Michaels and Taker pulled no stops in an attempt to finish each other off. In fact, it was in this very match that Michaels injured his back severely enough to shorten his career. Michaels used everything from salt in the eyes to steel ring steps to assistance from his D-Generation X teammates, but Undertaker just kept coming. At one point in the contest, both combatants were locked in the casket at the same time, all the while still pummeling each other. After delivering one of the nastiest Chokeslams from Hell, Undertaker gained the advantage and delivered a Tombstone piledriver right into the casket. But before he could slam the lid, a bevy of WWE Superstars ran out and attacked the Deadman. However, just as they began pummeling him, the lights went out, pyro exploded from entrance way and Kane rushed to the ring. Within seconds, Kane cleaned house and saved Undertaker from what would have been a severe beating, but just as soon as he’d saved his hide, Kane attacked him. Kane chokeslammed Taker into the casket and looked on as Michaels and Triple H slammed the lid shut for the victory. But Kane wasn’t finished there. As his older brother lay helpless in the casket, Kane wheeled the death chamber to the entranceway and doused it in gasoline. Just then, Bearer lit up a pack of matches and threw it onto the casket causing it to seemingly explode onto fire. Just as he had been burned during his youth, Kane dished out a measure of revenge against his familial perpetrator.

For approximately one month, nobody saw nor heard from the Man from the Dark Side. But much to the surprise of Bearer and Kane, he returned in February a changed man. Even though Taker swore he’d never lay a hand on his brother, Kane’s actions at the Royal Rumble sent him over the edge and he vowed to now ignore their blood ties and seek revenge at WrestleMania XIV. On March 28, 1998, the two brothers finally faced off at the FleetCenter in Boston. After another chilling stare down, the two began exchanging blows while taking the double-reinforced ring to its limits. Paul Bearer watched on as his protégé absorbed an extraordinary amount of pain and raised back up for more. After three consecutive Tombstones, Undertaker was finally able to cover Kane for the three count. As Taker triumphantly made his way to the dressing room, there was little doubt that this sibling rivalry was far from over.

Just a month later at WWE In Your House: Unforgiven, Taker and Kane met in one of the most dangerous matches ever –an Inferno Match. The lights were turned off and the ring was surrounded by a scorching hot fire that increased in both size and intensity each time that one of the Superstars hit the canvas. The brothers locked it up in the blazing hot squared circle, hoping to set each other on fire until finally Kane was set ablaze and the Undertaker was victorious. Now that he had gotten two huge wins over Kane, Taker felt the rivalry was cooling down and he decided to move on to bigger and better things. So after he demanded a title shot, Vince McMahon concocted a match between the brothers where the winner would become No. 1 contender and go on to battle the champion, Stone Cold Steve Austin at the 1998 King of the Ring. With the aid of Mankind, Kane won the encounter and earned his opportunity to compete for the WWE Championship.

On the same night when his brother was to receive a title shot against Austin, Undertaker met his old nemesis Mankind in what is still to this day considered the single most brutal match in WWE history - Hell in a Cell. When the combatants were freed from the cage, they climbed atop the fifteen-foot steel structure where they continued beating each other senseless. But as Mankind ran towards Taker to attack him, the Deadman sidestepped and sent “Mrs. Foley’s baby boy” flying through the air and crashing through and announcers' table. The scene at ringside resembled a car wreck and Mankind was completely totaled. Sporting a dislocated shoulder, severe concussion and missing teeth, Foley refused medical attention and climbed back up the cage to continue the fight. But as fast as Foley had climbed the cage, he was sent crashing though it again, right back into the center of the ring. With Mankind now barely more than bloody pile of flesh and bones, Undertaker looked through the open panel of the cage’s roof at his accomplishment. Yet again Foley waived off his sympathizers and in an act of sheer insanity poured thousands of thumbtacks all over the mat. In his weakened state, it took Undertaker a chokeslam and a Tombstone piledriver onto the thumbtacks before all was said and done.

On that unforgettable night, Undertaker had shown the world just how evil and heartless he could be. He’d taken a cult hero and literally shaved years off of his career. But Undertaker was not finished there, he still had unfinished business to attend to. Later that night, Kane and Austin clashed in a First Blood Match – where the first competitor to make his opponent bleed wins the match. As an added stipulation, Kane promised that if he lost the contest, he’d set himself on fire. This kind of match gave Kane a distinct advantage being that he wore a mask and had most of his body covered by his red ring attire, making it difficult to tell if he was bleeding or not. During the match, the referee was knocked out and Undertaker bolted to the ring to interfere. He missed a chair shot that appeared to have been meant for Kane, and nailed Austin across the top of the head, busting him wide open. Even bloodied Austin continued his assault on Kane, but when the referee came to, he awarded Kane the match. Undertaker later revealed that he really had intended to bust Stone Cold open so that Kane would not set himself on fire.

In one of the shortest runs ever, Kane lost the title back to Austin the next night on Raw. And a short while later, Kane and Mankind became the World Tag Team Champions by upending the New Age Outlaws. Suddenly, Undertaker and Austin were forced to team together to make viable competition for the new Tag Team Champions. Despite their open hatred for each other, the two ruffians actually formed a formidable tandem and surprised themselves by winning the titles at Fully Loaded. But immediately after winning the championships, Undertaker grabbed both the titles and walked back to the dressing room with them.

Naturally, the uncooperative duo didn’t last long at the top and Kane and Mankind soon reclaimed the titles. It also became evident that Austin and Undertaker were destined for a collision course. Upon agreeing to meet at SummerSlam, the road to their encounter was properly deemed the “Highway to Hell.” Oddly enough, it was right around this time that a rumor began circulating backstage citing that Kane and Undertaker had settled their vendetta and were secretly in cahoots.

IX. The Brothers of Destruction
Questions were raised for weeks about the possible alliance, but nobody was speaking up. Even Stone Cold was unsure about their relationship and warned Undertaker about having his brother interfere in their personal vendetta. But Taker was steadfast and assured the “Texas Rattlesnake” that nobody would get involved. Then on August 24, Raw took a shocking twist. The show began with Kane and Undertaker walking down to the ring side by side for the first time ever. Kane immediately severed all ties with his father by brutally attacking the pudgy Paul Bearer. Next, he and Taker delivered a spike piledriver to Kane’s tag team partner Mankind. They were sending out a message that blood was thicker than water and by working as a team, the brothers of destruction were an unstoppable force.

At SummerSlam ’98, Kane was scheduled to pair up with Mankind and defend the World Tag Team Championship against the New Age Outlaws. But when he failed to appear, Mankind was at a distinct disadvantage. Suddenly Kane dashed out of a dumpster and smacked Foley in the face with a sledgehammer costing himself and Mankind the win. Later that evening while Undertaker was competing against Austin, Kane again emerged from the back. But instead of allowing his younger brother to help him defeat Austin, Taker kept his word and sent the seven-foot monster away from ringside. After an intense battle that mostly favored Undertaker, Austin nailed Taker with a low blow while he was walking the top rope. Just one Stone Cold Stunner later, Undertaker found himself staring at the lights while the referee counted to three. A gracious Undertaker then grabbed the title from the referee and handed it over to Austin.

As the summer wore down, Undertaker and Kane began their reign of terror by demolishing everyone who stood in their way. After working out a business deal with Vince McMahon, Kane and Undertaker were entered into a triple threat title match against Stone Cold Steve Austin at Breakdown with a stipulation stating that the only way they could win the title would be to defeat Austin and not each other. Kane and Taker worked together throughout the match, trying to destroy the Texas Rattlesnake and they eventually succeeded. But the brothers simultaneously pinned Austin and were both awarded the contest, leaving a questionable ending. The next night on Raw, Mr. McMahon promised to name one of the brothers as the new champion, but as he was about to make his announcement, Austin drove a zamboni to the ring and assaulted him. Later that night, McMahon was fuming about Undertaker and Kane not holding up to their end of the bargain by defending him against Austin. He then decided that he wasn’t going to hold up to his end of the bargain either and ordered the siblings face each other at Judgment Day for the vacant championship with Stone Cold as the special referee. But as McMahon continued to push their buttons and insult the brothers, a melee ensued. Undertaker and Kane systematically tore Mr. McMahon apart and crushed his ankle in between the ring steps, sending the maniacal owner away for a lengthy hospital stay. These twin titans were out to prove that even if you did own the company they worked for, nobody was safe from their wrath.

It quickly became evident that Austin was not going to properly officiate Kane and Undertaker’s WWE Championship match at Judgment Day. When he began bating and antagonizing the brothers, they soon turned their attention to putting him out of action in hopes of getting a different referee to officiate the contest instead. Meanwhile Paul Bearer returned from his lengthy absence and came to ringside pretending to be trying and patch things up with Kane. After Kane chokeslammed Taker, Paul Bearer asked Kane for permission to finish off the Phenom with a chair. But at the last minute he turned and nailed Kane instead. When Kane attempted to seek retribution, his brother came from behind and crushed him with a steel chair. And eventually the match was thrown out when Austin attacked both competitors, declared himself the victor of the bout, and left with the WWE Championship.

X. Ministry Of Darkness
After two years of separation and turmoil, Undertaker and Paul Bearer were finally on the same team again. The next night on Raw, they revealed that they had once again formed an “Unholy Union.” Paul stoically stated that he had come home to lead the Ministry of Darkness into conquering WWE. Undertaker then grabbed the microphone and admitted that he purposely started the fire that burned Kane’s face beyond recognition and killed their parents. Taker went on to say that he would never be allow Kane to join the Ministry because he was weak and that this assemblage was only going to be made of individuals who were strong of body and mind.

Without anyone to control his actions, Kane quickly became unbalanced and out of control. In fact during a match between Undertaker and X-Pac, Kane came to the ring and threw a fireball at Taker. But as the Deadman dodged the object, it struck X-Pac instead. Although he showed remorse for his actions, Kane continued to randomly interfere in other Superstars matches to release his frustration. The WWE Championship was still vacant, and at Survivor Series there was a 14-man “Deadly Games Championship Tournament” to crown a new champion. After receiving a first round bye, Undertaker met Kane in the second round. The Deadman was victorious but was knocked out in the second round after his brother interfered in the contest and chokeslammed his opponent, The Rock. But “The Great One” didn’t mind the easy victory, he simply stood back watched as the siblings fought their way into the back.

As the year grew older, Undertaker became more and more evil. He viciously attacked Austin with a shovel, causing the Bionic Redneck to suffer blackouts that forced him to check into a hospital. Taker then followed Austin to the infirmary, captured him and drove him to a cemetery in a hearse. Once they reached the eternal resting ground, he and Bearer considered burying Austin alive before deciding on a more fitting ending that involved taking him back to their quarters to embalm and sacrifice him. An unconscious Austin was laid out as Undertaker leaned over him to make an incision. Luckily for Austin, Kane interfered and allowed him to escape before Undertaker could use the scalpel to open him up. But Undertaker swore that he wasn’t finished with Austin yet and declared that he would make sure Austin burned in hell. A short time later, Taker knocked Austin out with a chair, tied him to his symbol and crucified him in front of a national audience.

Undertaker’s sadistic actions led to a confrontation between he and Austin at In Your House: Rock Bottom where they met in a Buried Alive Match. Throughout the epic encounter, Austin and Undertaker used a variety of foreign objects to gain the advantage. But just when it appeared that Austin had finished Taker with a Stone Cold Stunner, he decided to chase down the meaty manager instead of burying the Deadman. This mistake gave Undertaker more than enough time to recover. But Kane raced out, assaulted his brother and delivered a graveside Tombstone before dropping his limp carcass into the six-foot hole. Suddenly Austin reappeared from the back in a backhoe that he used to level the dirt pile, fill the grave to the brim and bury Undertaker alive.

After a brief absence, the Man from the Dark Side returned with a brand new look that perfectly suited his altered personality. He wore an all black gown with a hood and chanted out demonic phrases. Soon he began recruiting lost souls to join his Ministry of Darkness. First he and Bearer captured Phineas I. Godwinn, who they brutalized and performed a ceremony where they brainwashed him into acting subservient and answering to the name of Mideon. Their next targets were Faarooq and Bradshaw, who they appropriately deemed the Acolytes. Before long, The Brood –Gangrel, Edge, Christian – and Viscera were added to the Deadman’s menagerie. Week after week, Taker claimed than he and his minions were simply doing the bidding of their “higher power.”

At St. Valentines Day Massacre, Undertaker tried to capture the enforcer of Mr. McMahon’s Corporation, the Big Boss Man, but Boss Man escaped before being sacrificed. Taker’s actions made Mr. McMahon furious leading him to begin scheming up ways to stop Undertaker from overtaking his company. One of McMahon’s ideas was to have Undertaker meet his brother in a second Inferno Match. While Mr. McMahon sat at ringside to enjoy the action, Paul Bearer came down and delivered a special package which contained an old, beaten up teddy bear. As soon as Undertaker won the match by setting his younger brother’s leg on fire, he went over to McMahon, grabbed the stuffed bear and set it ablaze. As the show came to a conclusion, McMahon was on his knees, wailing and crying over the burning plush that apparently held an arcane meaning.

Vince looked to the Big Boss Man for redemption by assigning the former prison guard with the dutiful task of meeting the Deadman at WrestleMania XV in a Hell in a Cell Match. A few weeks before the gala-event, Taker attempted to thwart his upcoming challenge by trying to hang the Boss Man on his symbol. Thankfully a group of WWE Superstars foiled his malicious plan before the local police enforcement arrested the Deadman and sentenced him to a night in jail. At WrestleMania XV, Boss Man dished out his own brand of punishment by handcuffing Taker to the cage and pummeling him with his nightstick. Eventually Undertaker broke free and delivered a Tombstone to the Boss Man for the victory. But Undertaker wasn’t finished with his foe. Immediately after the finish, the Brood dropped from the rafters and broke into the cell. Once inside, they lowered a noose for Taker to wrap around the Boss Man’s neck.

Soon it was revealed that Undertaker had his eyes on Mr. McMahon’s daughter Stephanie. Week after week, the Phenom stalked Vince’s family and threatened to kidnap his prized offspring. Out of sheer desperation, McMahon enlisted the aid of Ken Shamrock – who had his sister Ryan kidnapped by the Ministry – to punish Undertaker at Backlash ’99. Although Shamrock did inflict some damage to Taker’s legs, the Deadman prevailed over the mixed martial arts expert. Aside from his important victory, Undertaker accomplished what he’d been constantly intimating throughout the preceding weeks –he kidnapped Stephanie McMahon. The following night on Raw, the Ministry brought Undertaker’s bride to be, Stephanie, out to the ring on the Ministry symbol to take part in a dark wedding. But before the ceremony was finished, Austin rushed to the ring, cleared house and rescued the reluctant bride.

In an even more shocking turn of events, Shane McMahon revealed that he was secretly in cahoots with Undertaker and his Ministry. This alliance morphed Shane’s Corporation – without Vince McMahon – and Taker’s Ministry into one all-powerful faction known as the Corporate Ministry. As the groups meshed and took control of WWE, Undertaker revealed that in the very near future, the higher power would make his presence known. In the meantime, Undertaker received a title shot against Stone Cold with both Vince and Shane McMahon as special referees. During the contest, the father and son began bickering and Shane shoved his father into Undertaker, who fell on top of Austin. Shane quickly dropped to the mat and delivered an extremely fast three-count, awarding Undertaker with his third WWE Championship.

On June 7, 1999, millions of viewers tuned in to witness the disclosure of the higher power that Undertaker had been referring to for the past few months. There was speculation ranging from Jake “The Snake” Roberts to the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. But the questions were all answered when the mysterious druid slowly made his way to the ring and revealed himself as none other than Vince McMahon. Immediately Vince’s face lit up with a sadistic smile as he expressed how his deep-seated hatred for Austin had left him no other choice than to fool everybody – including his own family – in order to screw Stone Cold.
At the King of the Ring, Undertaker successfully defended his title against The Rock but the next night on Raw, he was defeated by Stone Cold Steve Austin. The crafty owner then decided needed to put everything on the line in order to make Austin’s life a living hell. To achieve his goal, McMahon created a First Blood End of an Era Match with stipulations that cited if Undertaker won the match Austin would never receive another shot at the title, but if Austin were victorious, then Mr. McMahon would have to leave WWE. In the time leading up to Fully Loaded, Taker and Austin took turns attacking each other leaving both their heads vulnerable with unhealed wounds. As Taker came down to the ring to battle Austin, his head was still practically dripping blood from where Austin had busted him open earlier in the evening. With such a clear advantage, it was just a matter of time until the referee stopped the match and awarded it to Austin. Undertaker had failed his boss and the “Austin/ McMahon Era” was officially over.

XI. An Apprentice of Mammoth Proportions
As a new era in WWE began, Undertaker somewhat disbanded the Ministry and began looking for badder cohorts to watch his back. After having patched things up with his brother prior to Fully Loaded, Taker asked Kane to break his union with X-Pac and join him on the dark side. In the meantime, Undertaker revealed his secret association with the Big Show – whom he’d taken under his wing in an almost apprentice-like relationship – knowing full well that a trio involving Kane as well would be virtually unstoppable. Kane pondered the offer but eventually chose to stand faithfully by X-Pac’s side. Hoping to teach the “Red Monster” a lesson for making a bad business decision, Taker and Big Show unleashed their anger on Kane’s big-hearted friend. The vicious attack sent X-Pac to the hospital and Kane off the deep end. Before too long, the four Superstars agreed to settle their differences through the use of violence.

At SummerSlam ’99, Taker and Show – managed by Paul Bearer – battled X-Pac and Kane for the World Tag Team Championship. In a skirmish that involved three giants, X-Pac was severely out of place and unable to match strength with the colossal titans. Eventually this weak link was exploited as Undertaker and Big Show captured the titles. But their reign only lasted eight days after they were defeated by the Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection comprised of The Rock and Mankind. The titles went back to Taker and Show again in the first week of September when the tandem defeated the Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection on SmackDown! in a Buried Alive Match. In a scheduled “Dark Side Rules” match, Undertaker ordered Mideon and Viscera to act as his substitute and team with the Big Show to defend their title. But Taker’s three cohorts were unsuccessful as Foley and The Rock re-captured the prize.

XII. The Exodus
Upon seeing Undertaker’s irresponsible actions, Vince McMahon ordered him to battle Triple H in a Casket Match the following week on SmackDown!, but Undertaker wanted no part of it. He then let Vince know that despite him owning WWE, nobody could tell Undertaker what to do or when to do it. This defiance angered McMahon enough to remove him from an upcoming “Six-Pack Challenge” for the WWE Championship at the upcoming Unforgiven. Very calmly Undertaker told Vince that if he wanted to stop him from competing in the contest, then maybe he wouldn’t be participating in WWE at all anymore. And with that statement, Undertaker walked out of the building and ended a successful nine-year run without even looking back.