7. Crucifying Steve Austin - Raw - December 7th, 1998
The Attitude Era saw a bit of a dark shift for The Undertaker, if it's even possible for a man who is technically portraying a zombie with supernatural powers to have a "dark shift". Leading his stable, the Ministry Of Darkness, there was an awful lot of "satanic" elements to his character, with people comparing him to the Devil, and his stable to Devil Worshipers. It was a new wrinkle that was added, and he played the role very well. On December 7th, 1998, during an episode of Monday Night Raw, The Undertaker took a beaten and battered "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and carried him away as druids carried out a giant Undertaker symbol, which looked like a twisted version of a Cross. With eerie druid chants heard throughout the arena, Austin was tied to the symbol with his arms outstretched, and the symbol was raised towards the ceiling, suspending Austin in the air. It closely resembled the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and religious groups around the world were outraged. It was another moment during the Attitude Era that pushed boundaries and left a certain viewing demographic upset enough to protest and complain. It helped to put the character change firmly on the map, though, and fans knew they were getting a different, edgier version of The Undertaker than they were used to.