The NWO invented the cool heel faction, which D Generation X later copied and used to great effect. The history books now portray DX as the great innovators, with NWO's legacy being focused upon for its later failures. In truth, NWO actually borrowed the concept from New Japan, with Eric Bischoff picking up on the revolutionary NJPW versus UWF storyline. The WCW chief reinterpreted it in a North American context, with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash coming in as outsiders in spring 1996. They then formed the NWO with Hulk Hogan, the story being that they didn't operate under the jurisdiction of WCW. They were there to take over. When D Generation X arrived on the scene in the summer of 1997, the NWO had already been in action for a year, and they had set the tone for what a rebellious group should be. Even the DX merchandise was black like the NWO gear. Vince and WWE had borrowed massively from the WCW faction.
