In January of 1999, Undertaker returned to WWE television after a short hiatus and appeared to be completely reformed. Under a long cloak and speaking in tongues, he had undergone a character transformation, now serving as the leader of the cult-like Ministry of Darkness. He sacrificed Mideon on a live edition of Raw and recruited the likes of Bradshaw and Faarooq, Viscera and the Brood to join him in a takeover of WWE. Undertaker began targeting Mr. McMahon almost immediately, making veiled threats and even showing up at the McMahon family home in Greenwich, where they waited for "her" to arrive. Who "her" was, no one knew. That is, until it was revealed that Vince's daughter Stephanie had been abducted by the Ministry. Luckily for her, Ken Shamrock would force her whereabouts out of Christian and rescue her before any mental or physical damage could be done. She would not be so lucky the next time. At the Backlash pay-per-view, Stephanie was rushed into a limousine to prevent the Ministry from getting their hands on her again. Seemingly safe, the window rolled down and the driver was revealed to be the Deadman himself. "Where to, Stephanie?" he asked in a moment that stands out as both corny and awesome some 15 years later. The following night on Raw, Undertaker lured Vince out of the arena and proceeded to have Stephanie carried to the ring on his symbol for what would be an unholy union. Stephanie screamed and pleaded for Undertaker not to go through with his plans but her cries did little to persuade him. Paul Bearer handled the proceedings and, despite interruptions by Shamrock, Test, Mankind and Big Show, they continued. That is, until Steve Austin hit the ring and ended the ceremony. Though his plans were not fully carried out, the unholy wedding segment between he and Stephanie showcased just how twisted and disturbing the character was becoming and the lengths to which he was willing to go to get what he wanted. It was the height of Undertaker's despicable behavior as the leader of the dangerous Ministry of Darkness.
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.
