The FIRST TIME Wrestlers Had Their Million Dollar Idea
5. "The DX Army"
It was at WrestleMania XIV one night prior where D-Generation X's presentation levelled all the way up with the "X" pyro that would come to define their entrance for decades to come, but a key line in Triple H's promo the following night paved the way for what the group was about to become in its second chapter.
After assuming control from a now-retired Shawn Michaels and outright blaming him for the group's decision to trust Mike Tyson with keeping the WWE Championship, the European Champion rather shockingly reintroduced Sean Waltman back to the company ahead of bringing the New Age Outlaws on board later that night. He spoke of turning to friends, turning to The Kliq, and most notably "starting an army".
This resonated in ways presumably unexpected by WWE's creative chiefs at the time. The group were booked as heels for the first month of their run, but the "two words: Suck It" call and response was getting louder than any cheers for any of their alleged babyface rivals. The army stuff was just more and more on point by the week - conversations of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash being prisoners of war in WCW, audiences wanting to join them in whatever war they were waging, and naturally lots of discussions of privates. It was already a perfect storm before the April 27th 1998 edition of Raw, where the group donned fatigues and took a military car and cannon (not a tank) to the Norfolk Scope where Nitro was taking place.
This was the precise moment WWE knew it was easier to lean in than push back - the new DX were outlandish jock babyfaces in an era that couldn't have suited them more, camos and all.