In early 1999, The Undertaker returned from a brief hiatus with a new attitude and gimmick. Delving deeper into the darkness, he returned as the leader of a cult-like faction known as his Ministry of Darkness. With Superstars such as Viscera, the Acolytes, Mideon and the Brood under his guide, he terrorized WWE and a dark daze to the company. So vile and dangerous was he that he even managed to turn the hated Mr. McMahon into a sympathetic babyface, something most fans would have deemed impossible just months earlier. To do so, the Deadman began targeting the innocent daughter of the chairman, Stephanie. For weeks, Undertaker made cryptic comments referencing "her" and "she," to which most attributed wife Linda or even some mistress of the boss'. When he symbolically burned one of Stephanie's stuffed bears on an episode of Raw, the boss was brought to his knees, proving just how much effect the threats directed at his baby girl were having on the most powerful man in wrestling. Ultimately, Undertaker managed to kidnap the Billion Dollar Princess on two separate occasions. The first time, she was recovered by Ken Shamrock. The second? She was carried to the ring and forced to participate in a dark wedding ceremony with The Undertaker. Had it not been for a last-second interruption from Steve Austin, she may have found herself "Mrs. Deadman." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-c6wDFjQ8I Eventually it was revealed that the Higher Power behind Undertaker's plans to stalk Stephanie was, in fact, father Vince, rendering everything to that point useless in one of the most ridiculously absurd stories in company history.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
