The late nineties were a strange time for The Undertaker. WWF and wrestling as a whole had transitioned from the cartoonish silliness that typified the late-eighties/early-nineties into a more reality driven form of entertainment, but one of their biggest stars was a supernatural mortician who supposed to be undead. How do you make that guy fit into your new revolutionary era? The freedom of The Attitude Era opened The Undertakers up to more of the Satanic elements inherent in his character, and it was his feud with Austin where things got really dark. He first got involved with Austin at King of the Ring 1998 where he cost Stone Cold a first blood match against his brother Kane, and the WWF Championship in the process, but he didnt turn maniacally evil until later in the year when he formed The Ministry of Darkness. As leader of The Ministry, he recruited disciples and inducted them with blood rituals and incantations, and thats just what he did to people he liked. Over the course of his feud with Austin, he tried to embalm The Rattlesnake alive, and strapped his prone body up in a crucifix position on a custom built cross shaped like The Undertaker logo. Unfortunately, The Undertaker took a backseat in his own feud when it was revealed Vince McMahon was the Higher Power of The Ministry all along. From then on, and retroactively, The Undertaker was McMahons hired goon in the boss ongoing revenge quest against Austin, but it didnt diminish the groundbreaking and envelope pushing antics of earlier in the feud.
