10 Worst Supernatural Gimmicks
3. The Undertaker (1999)
Nostalgia will always be kind to The Undertaker, but reminiscing on low points makes some of the company's transgressions with the character hard to brush aside.
Repeated reinvention has been credited for sustaining the longevity of his storied WWE career, but his period as the satanic and malevolent leader of an evil 'Ministry of Darkness' stable remains a creative nadir beyond even the worst checkpoints of his divisive 'American Bad Ass' reincarnation.
Deemed no longer relevant as a babyface in the burgeoning Attitude Era, the Russofication of his gimmick took hold in late-1998, when a clunky heel turn and realignment with Paul Bearer resulted in a 'Buried Alive' loss to Stone Cold Steve Austin at December's Rock Bottom pay-per-view.
His return in January saw a shift in aesthetics and motivation, with a more demonic 'Deadman' aiming to take down owner Vince McMahon amidst assembling an army of warriors devoted to his cause.
Only, Mideon, Visera and The Acolytes weren't really all that threatening. And his grand plan (and the months of television time devoted to it) saw two separate twists emasculate Undertaker as the ruler of his stable and render the entire personality shift moot.
First collaborating with Shane McMahon's Corporation, the entire 'Corporate Ministry' were then established as pawns in a convoluted game of chess between Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Motorcycle emptiness soon beckoned, with Undertaker abandoning the persona midway through an equally stupid tag team run with The Big Show later that summer.