10 Times WWE Ruined Kane

Contrasting mightily with the realism of Steve Austin's character and the harder-edge to D-Generation X, Kane felt like a throwback. Debuting in October of 1997, the character was more akin to cartoonish creations of the 1980's and early 1990's than the WWF's brand new 'Attitude', but something about it clicked with fans.

When the persona was introduced, Kane refreshed the character of The Undertaker, one that had become a stalwart of the promotion. It made sense to allow a new performer to gain the rub from working with 'Taker, whilst simultaneously providing fans with a story more entrenched in the realms of fantasy.

The initial backstory of Kane was far-fetched, yet simple and foreboding. Burned in a fire by Undertaker, he was badly scarred, unable to talk and seeking vengeance. It was brilliantly straightforward and dramatic, at least until those in charge ran out of ideas.

One of the longest-running characters in the entire company, Kane hasn't always been used to maximum effect in WWE. There have been numerous occasions when he has been completely undermined, in fact.

Let's look at 10 such moments, ones that did little to sell the original concept of the infamous gimmick...

Introduced as a character that didn't need speech to make a statement, Kane's first words should have been special. The whole thing was botched from the get-go, the writing team slotting in an electrolarynx for the man's first few promos. The explanation given directly played into the reason he had shown up in the first place.

The WWF reasoned that Kane's vocal cords had been damaged beyond repair in a fire set by The Undertaker. Therefore, he'd require the voice box to talk at all, never mind clearly. That speech aid would be tossed away on the August 9, 1999 episode of Raw Is War, the date Kane first talked without it on television.

Aligned with X-Pac in an odd couple tag-team, the pair - along with Road Dogg - addressed the audience. X-Pac told Kane he didn't need the electrolarynx any longer, and he managed to gargle 'Suck It' using his own voice. Admittedly, the crowd erupted at the utterance of the iconic catchphrase.

Sadly, this completely ruined the original story and did more damage in the long-run than it first seemed. Less than two years into his run, WWE were already tampering with Kane's gimmick.