Before he became The Rock's comedy fall-guy and began incorporating a sock into his finishing move, Mankind was unquestionably the most disturbing of Mick Foley's personas. Introduced in 1996 as a squealing, boiler room-dwelling psycho who would regularly rip out his own hair, Mankind was a deeply unsettling character. A figure who enjoyed both inflicting and receiving pain, he built his reputation in several gimmick matches - including the first ever Buried Alive match, surely the most horrific concept for a stipulation in wrestling history. Foley deviated from the Mankind character, appearing as both Dude Love and Cactus Jack (the gimmick that made him famous in ECW), before eventually reverting in 1998. This time a babyface, wearing a scruffy shirt and tie as opposed to his earlier rags, Mankind was still able to maintain an intimidating presence. He brought back his mask, a torturous-looking leather contraption, and got himself over as a deranged figure willing to take even the most dangerous risks. The infamous Hell in a Cell match at King of the Ring 1998 arguably ended Foley's ability to portray a scary character. No matter how much he brutalised future opponents, he had already endeared himself far much to the fans to be considered truly terrifying again.
