The year is 1997. The Undertaker just won the WWE title from Psycho Sid at Wrestlemania 13. His first challenger is Mankind, with Taker’s former manager Paul Bearer in his corner. On the Superstars episode before In Your House: Revenge of the Taker, Mankind throws a fireball at the Undertaker, blinding him. At the PPV, the Undertaker retains in a wild brawl and throws a fireball in Paul Bearer’s face.
When Bearer returns a few weeks later, it is not the same Paul Bearer: his formerly jet-black hair is now a regular brown and his white makeup is gone. He reveals that he knows the Undertaker’s darkest secret, but gives the Deadman a choice: if he lets Paul manage him again, the secret will remain a secret. If not, the secret will be told. Reluctantly, the Undertaker agrees to do Paul Bearer’s bidding.
Of course, the two don’t get along. After a title defense at King of the Ring against Faarooq, Bearer instructs the Undertaker to further punish his opponent, until Ahmed Johnson – Farooq’s arch nemesis – comes to the rescue. Emotionally torn, the Undertaker lunges for Ahmed, but receives the Pearl River Plunge. Once he sits up again, the champion chases Bearer to the back.
Finally, on the June 23 episode of Raw, the Undertaker has enough of Paul Bearer. In retaliation, Paul reveals the secret the following week: as a teenager, the Undertaker had caused a fire in his parents’ funeral home. His parents, as well as Taker’s brother Kane, were burned alive. The Undertaker confirms the accusations, but says it was an accident. He explains that this was the reason why he calls himself the Undertaker: it is the spirit of the dead that gives him his strength.
The Undertaker defeats Bearer’s protégé Vader at In Your House: Canadian Stampede. The next night on Raw, instead of apologizing for calling the Undertaker a murderer, Bearer says it is all true – Kane told him so! Yes, Kane was still alive, but horribly disfigured – and hoping to come face to face with his brother one day.
Time passes. Doubts rise whether Kane is really alive. Has Bearer just been bluffing?
The Undertaker eventually loses his title to Bret Hart at Summerslam thanks to Shawn Michaels. As a result, Taker and Shawn face off in the first ever Hell in a Cell match at In Your House: Badd Blood. The match is brutal. At one point, Shawn beats up a cameraman who has to be stretchered out of the cage. This gives HBK the opportunity to get away from the Undertaker, who chases Michaels out of the cage. Shawn gets busted open and thrown off the side off the cage through the announcer’s table.
When the Undertaker signals for the Tombstone, the lights go out. Organ music starts playing. A wall of fire goes off at the entrance and Paul Bearer appears – and behind him walks a 7-foot tall, masked giant. “That’s gotta be Kane!”
Kane rips the door off its hinges and enters the cell as the Undertaker looks on in disbelief. Eventually, Kane picks up his perplexed brother and hits a tombstone – Undertaker’s own move. Kane and Bearer leave the scene as Michaels picks up the victory.
Instead of vowing revenge, The Undertaker states that he will never fight his brother. No matter how much Kane and Paul Bearer rampage through the WWE – the Deadman will not agree to fight his brother. However, as the Royal Rumble nears, Paul Bearer disappears. On an episode of Raw, the Undertaker even helps Kane against DX. Kane returns the favor a week later.
At the Royal Rumble, the Undertaker challenges Shawn Michaels for the WWE championship in a casket match. Towards the end, a group of wrestlers come to the ring and attack the Undertaker until Kane comes out. Kane helps his brother – only to knock him down and chokeslam Taker into the casket. Together with a returning Paul Bearer, Kane locks the casket shut. It was a setup all along!
Bearer and Kane move the casket to the entrance. Kane takes an ax, chops away at the casket, and pours gasoline all over it. Then he sets the casket – and his brother inside – on fire!
On an episode of Raw in March, druids bring a casket onto the ramp, while Paul Bearer and Kane are in the ring. Lightning strikes the casket – and the Undertaker rises, vowing to finally take on Kane.
The match takes place at Wrestlemania XIV. It will take three tombstones – unheard of! – to just barely hold Kane down for the three count. After the match, Kane attacks an exhausted Undertaker with a chair and tombstones him on the metal.
The two square off in a rematch at In Your House: Unforgiven the next month, this time in an Inferno Match: to win the match, you have to set your opponent on fire. Again, the Undertaker is victorious when Kane’s arm catches fire. Kane rushes out of the arena as the flames consume his arm. While the Undertaker was victorious that day, the rivalry between the two brothers would continue – and the next time, a shot at the WWF championship would be at stake.