Storyline Suggestion- What if The Undertaker had a son?

[Mr_Wrestling_Number_7]

I have often thought about this angle. I've never seen anyone talk about it so forgive me if I have over stepped.

In thinking about this angle, the person picked to be Undertaker's Son is no doubt made for life. The con to this is that THAT person is forever stuck as this character unless they write it in later, in which I could not see them doing. I used to think there is no way someone could live year in and year out portraying this. However, as we've seen with Kane, the WWE has done pretty well with consistency as far as their 'stories' go. So, I think an Undertaker's Son story arc has potential to be absolutely huge. It also eventually does a few things for you.

1. It allows Taker to officially pass the torch when retirement comes.

2. It allows Taker to officially pass the torch, at Wrestlemania, to a character that would be 'understood by the fans' as to being the only one 'with the power' to beat him, IF they chose for him ever to lose it.

3. Most important, it still gives you that dark, on the fringe type character long after Taker has gone.

4. Gives interesting possibilities for side stories with Kane.

Naturally, I could see where fans would not want to touch this for fear of it flopping. And I understand 100%, I wouldn't want them to even consider such an idea unless the WWE creative team had all their ducks in a row to make it as flawless as possible. And of course, the huge task of finding the right person to be his Son would be nerve racking enough. And chances are it would have to be someone who is absolutely new, they could not be a repackaged talent.

As to the problem of how The Undertaker could possibly have a son as he is supposedly more of a ghostly demonic entity in human form. If you have ever read any amount of comics (particularly Ghost Rider), you know it is very easy to create 'offspring' without the need for a female character being the mother. One could simply explain over time that his Son was created 'in spirit' from him, to be his eventual successor as Guardian of The Grave. The possibilities of a new breed of 'Undertaker'-younger, faster, stronger, able to 'sit up' and have the same mystical powers is extremely intriquing to me.

I know this is one of those delicate areas that either has some legs to it or risks getting tomato'd right off the stage. But I do think it deserves some discussion.

 

[Dagger Dias]

In thinking about this angle, the person picked to be Undertaker's Son is no doubt made for life. The con to this is that THAT person is forever stuck as this character unless they write it in later, in which I could not see them doing. I used to think there is no way someone could live year in and year out portraying this. However, as we've seen with Kane, the WWE has done pretty well with consistency as far as their 'stories' go. So, I think an Undertaker's Son story arc has potential to be absolutely huge. It also eventually does a few things for you.

This does have the potential to be huge.... BUT.... this guy would also have a nearly impossible legacy to live up to, even if he was a storyline son. The Undertaker is a legend among legends and this guy would be stuck in the shadow of Taker, people thinking he can't be as good as his "dad".

1. It allows Taker to officially pass the torch when retirement comes.

True. We all know he will pass the torch some day. Whoever he passes it to, they will have an awesome moment to remember forever, as will the fans who see it.

2. It allows Taker to officially pass the torch, at Wrestlemania, to a character that would be 'understood by the fans' as to being the only one 'with the power' to beat him, IF they chose for him ever to lose it.

Would it have to be at Wrestlemania though? He is undefeated there and it should remain that way. Maybe have the guy booked strong in the match only to lose in the end. I dunno.

3. Most important, it still gives you that dark, on the fringe type character long after Taker has gone.

That character works for Taker, but how do we know it will work for this guy? What if the fans turn on him saying that the gimmick is too cheesy for him? I know that's a double standard, but Taker gets away with it for being a legend who earned it. Unfortunately that's how it works sometimes.

4. Gives interesting possibilities for side stories with Kane.

It does, but then he would be overshadowed by Taker AND Kane. It makes for a couple of really interesting angles, but in the end this guy will have to remain over when Taker and Kane are gone, and it might be difficult.

Naturally, I could see where fans would not want to touch this for fear of it flopping. And I understand 100%, I wouldn't want them to even consider such an idea unless the WWE creative team had all their ducks in a row to make it as flawless as possible. And of course, the huge task of finding the right person to be his Son would be nerve racking enough. And chances are it would have to be someone who is absolutely new, they could not be a repackaged talent.

Taking a risk with someone new would be even more against what WWE would probably do. Why would they risk giving a guy a huge push through Taker if they don't know that he will stick around? If Taker were to pass the torch for nothing, then that'd be awful.

I know this is one of those delicate areas that either has some legs to it or risks getting tomato'd right off the stage. But I do think it deserves some discussion.

It's an idea worth giving a second thought, I just don't think it will happen because there are too many risks involved. WWE would probably want to have someone who they know will remain over and still stay with the company for many years, and that's if they even consider this storyline. I would be interested in seeing it play out because it could be interesting, but I really doubt it would ever happen.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

While this does sound good in theory, I don't think it would work out. Who ever is Taker's son would have huge footsteps to follow in. I don't think Vince would be willing to give a young guy a tremendous push like this. There would be way too many problems if this doesn't work out. Imagine if WWE decides to scrap this storyline, where does that leave Taker's son? I know guys get repackaged all the time, but when you're the son of The Undertaker, and that doesn't work out, where can this guy go from there? If he couldn't pull something as big as this off, then WWE would probably cut him in a heartbeat.

Then you have to consider the birth of his son. I know you said he can be created through spirit form, but I think that would be to far fetched. It could work, but WWE writers would have to be careful not to go to over the top with the storyline.The only other way Taker could have a son is with a woman. I don't think WWE fans could picture Taker having "relations" with a woman. It would be weird.

 

[hArdyPUNKmArk]

Hmm, I think it could work, but as you said, only if the WWE creative team is hands down buisness time. They would have to work pretty hard to get a credible story and a talented enough new guy to play the part.

I was thinking about someone like Danielson, not necessarily him but someone from ROH that WWE knows has enough talent to do it. I also think Mark Callaway would have to endorse the guy that plays his son. With the backing of Callaway it could happen.

It has many risks though, if it doesn't work it will hurt Taker's legacy to a certain extent.

Great idea for discussion and I would be keen to see them try it if they were serious about it but I'm not so sure WWE would go through with it.

 

[gully side adidja]

What exactly is he gonna do? Roll his little eyes in the back of his head, bring his lunch box to the ring, and inside it will contain the urn? Or how about locking hornswoggle in a casket?

Jokes aside it won't work. Undertaker is a deadman who has no feelings or emotion at all. So if his son would be, let's say kidnapped, he would have to show feeling's and emotion. Unless this was badass/big evil undertaker, it won't work.

 

[Mr_Wrestling_Number_7]

In answer to the part about how the son came to be. The way I'd handle it, is sometimes the best mysteries left unsolved provide all the back story you need.

Here is how I would set it up. First RAW after Wrestlemania during a match, the lights 'flicker' and the Titantron glitches for just a second and everything continues. Maybe King and Cole hardly mention it. Brush it off and continue on with the show. This routine would happen randomly across all 3 shows for a while. This would be a YEAR LONG build up. (This would symbolize Son trying to breach into the 'mortal' world; which that in and of itself could be explained later through dialogue.) Showing more and more strange phenomena, all the while making sure it DOESN'T happen during a Taker or Kane match. It happens during a Kane PPV match and it costs him a win. And when I say 'it' I mean weird stuff. His own pyro going off with out him triggering it..fog..lights in and out. He leaves the ring in a panic selling 'scared' as it dawns on him what this all means. You have to understand, some of this would be one of those things where the twists in the story wouldn't show until the perfect time to do so, leaving the fans thirsty for more of this story arc.

To make a long story short, Son shows up to finally confront Taker. I'd have someone at least 6'8" hopefully 6'9". Fast, agile, nasty. A more modern apparel that resembles Taker's old black with grey gloves and grey boot coverings, just more modernized.

As for his birth, I don't know if any of you ever read the old Undertaker comics that came out back in the 90's but it explained how his job was to guard Kane, who was in a prison in hell. You could use that as an angle, perhaps the son is to take Taker's place for doing letting souls escape? There is a plethora of ways you could explain Son's existence. But I'd take my sweet time letting little bits of the mystery get out. I'm talking at least 3+ years. I think Creative could take a queue from Drama series like Heroes, etc. for this story line. Which is; give them something to nibble on, then blow their minds at the end of the show, craving more all week long.

Again, I realize this would never come to be. For one, I think Taker probably doesn't want to wait that long to help send the kid over. And two, who you got to be his son would be the ultimate and near impossible obstacle to overcome. Not to mention then asking him to immediately put on the matches of his lifetime right out of the gate. Again, its just a fun what-if story to kick around.

 

[Klown_Karnage]

Hey, I think you've got something here, but you'd have to really search to find a person with just the right look...but then it wouldn't have to be another giant. Why not go completely contrary to the typical Undertaker family? After all, they've already done something like this with the whole Kane angle, and there's still the mother to consider. Why not bring him in as a dark and foreboding, but a bit more energetic and perhaps even more sinister figure, a middleweight or even a cruserweight? It would make the son have an even greater obstacle to overcome and would certainly lead to a story involving Kane attempting to be the bullying and abusive uncle as the son is really coming into his power, going through Kane before getting to the Undertaker.

Still, as far as I'm concerned, I don't know if a son is the right way for 'Taker to hand off the torch. I'd lean more towards 'Taker choosing an apprentice, following through a storyline of training him up, perhaps the two of them taking the tag-team titles at one point, and then the whole "apprentice becomes the master" bit and actually defeats 'Taker in a match with retirement stipulations.

 

[Mr_Wrestling_Number_7]

While this does sound good in theory, I don't think it would work out. Who ever is Taker's son would have huge footsteps to follow in. I don't think Vince would be willing to give a young guy a tremendous push like this. There would be way too many problems if this doesn't work out. Imagine if WWE decides to scrap this storyline, where does that leave Taker's son? I know guys get repackaged all the time, but when you're the son of The Undertaker, and that doesn't work out, where can this guy go from there? If he couldn't pull something as big as this off, then WWE would probably cut him in a heartbeat.

Well naturally, a decision this epic would be an all or nothing deal. Creative would have to be committed to this from start to retirement for this guy. A tremendous task indeed I agree. That's why they would have to have everything single little detail hashed out before they even started this.

Then you have to consider the birth of his son. I know you said he can be created through spirit form, but I think that would be to far fetched. It could work, but WWE writers would have to be careful not to go to over the top with the storyline.The only other way Taker could have a son is with a woman. I don't think WWE fans could picture Taker having "relations" with a woman. It would be weird.

The question of how would be so intriguing that I wouldn't even answer it for a couple of years, if I were creative. Leave it a mystery. That adds to his character and gives him less to explain. This buys him time to work on his craft and form some mic skills.

This does have the potential to be huge.... BUT.... this guy would also have a nearly impossible legacy to live up to, even if he was a storyline son. The Undertaker is a legend among legends and this guy would be stuck in the shadow of Taker, people thinking he can't be as good as his "dad".

I think once he arrived and both Kane and Taker started selling 'worried' maybe even a hint of 'fear', it would instantly put Son on a level playing field. There's so many elements you could touch on here that would help solidify his existence. The father to son relationship. I envision the back story being that Taker was here in the WWE the whole time to hold off Son from arriving. In other words it would be the 'he knew this day was coming' deal. And no doubt, the guy would have to be extremely agile. I wouldn't have him rip off any of Taker's moves except for one. The guy trying out for it wouldn't get the job until he could do 'oldschool' flawlessly. That is the one move I'd let him borrow. The rest would be of his own invention.

That character works for Taker, but how do we know it will work for this guy? What if the fans turn on him saying that the gimmick is too cheesy for him? I know that's a double standard, but Taker gets away with it for being a legend who earned it. Unfortunately that's how it works sometimes.

I think the idea of him having a storyline son would be so huge that fans would check their brains at the door for this one and allow it through. For THIS ONE occasion. This is where I admit my own bias comes in to play. The spirit of the Undertaker is so big now almost to the point, IMO, of being bigger than the man portraying him. I think the WWE could do well living off of the the Spirit of the Undertaker, long after Mark has hung it up. What better way to do that than through 'his son'. Again, I know this is going nowhere, but you have to admit it is a very interesting angle. If done right, it could be the biggest storyline in Wrestling history, even dwarfing the Hogan Heel turn of the 90's, which actually made real news if I remember right.

It does, but then he would be overshadowed by Taker AND Kane. It makes for a couple of really interesting angles, but in the end this guy will have to remain over when Taker and Kane are gone, and it might be difficult.

I think the fact that everyone would know where he came from, while at the same time coveting that similar persona of his 'dad' would give him all the longevity of his own. Have Kane sell 'absolutely terrified of him'. Let him start his own Wrestlemania streak against some midcards to start with. His own Hell in a Cell moments, etc.

Taking a risk with someone new would be even more against what WWE would probably do. Why would they risk giving a guy a huge push through Taker if they don't know that he will stick around? If Taker were to pass the torch for nothing, then that'd be awful.

As to why would they? Remember who the owner of the company is lol. This is a guy who faked his own death. I wouldn't put it past him to do ANYTHING anymore. I agree with your point though, and like I said I would not want to tarnish anything from The Undertaker himself. If anything, this is WHY I'd do it. Because I wouldn't want his character to ever retire. Think of it more as a 'spinoff'. Son could walk his own path after the initial clash between him and his father.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I think once he arrived and both Kane and Taker started selling 'worried' maybe even a hint of 'fear', it would instantly put Son on a level playing field. There's so many elements you could touch on here that would help solidify his existence. The father to son relationship. I envision the back story being that Taker was here in the WWE the whole time to hold off Son from arriving. In other words it would be the 'he knew this day was coming' deal.

You know what? That's not a bad idea. Kane and Taker both being concerned about this guy and Taker being there a long time to prevent him entering the WWE would be an excellent backstory to give this character. I would add onto this by having him do taped segments so we will know sort of what he will be like. Just some short intimidating Taker style promos.

And no doubt, the guy would have to be extremely agile. I wouldn't have him rip off any of Taker's moves except for one. The guy trying out for it wouldn't get the job until he could do 'oldschool' flawlessly. That is the one move I'd let him borrow. The rest would be of his own invention.

Agreed on him needing to be extremely agile. I never quite understood the oldschool move. Why don't people just pull Taker off the rope and not let him walk it? That aside.... if he was going to borrow a move then it absolutely must be the Tombstone Piledriver. Just imagine him hitting Taker or Kane with it. Like father, like son. Wow, that'd be cool!

I think the idea of him having a storyline son would be so huge that fans would check their brains at the door for this one and allow it through. For THIS ONE occasion. This is where I admit my own bias comes in to play. The spirit of the Undertaker is so big now almost to the point, IMO, of being bigger than the man portraying him. I think the WWE could do well living off of the the Spirit of the Undertaker, long after Mark has hung it up. What better way to do that than through 'his son'. Again, I know this is going nowhere, but you have to admit it is a very interesting angle. If done right, it could be the biggest storyline in Wrestling history, even dwarfing the Hogan Heel turn of the 90's, which actually made real news if I remember right.

Yes and no. It would be a great way to continue Taker's legacy. It also would be a really good storyline if they get the right guy to play the character. However, it wouldn't be bigger than Hogan's NWO heel turn. In order to beat that, Taker's "son" would have to end the streak. THAT would be the biggest wrestling moment ever that finally dwarfs Hogan's NWO heel turn. It would make the real news too just like Hogan did because they advertise Taker's streak so much that many people know he never loses at Wrestlemania. Once again, they absolutely MUST get the right guy for it or else it destroys all the buildup and potential.

I think the fact that everyone would know where he came from, while at the same time coveting that similar persona of his 'dad' would give him all the longevity of his own. Have Kane sell 'absolutely terrified of him'. Let him start his own Wrestlemania streak against some midcards to start with. His own Hell in a Cell moments, etc.

Agreed on scaring Kane and giving this character some cool Hell in a Cell moments. Starting his own streak would be good, but that would still be overshadowed by Taker's streak because it came first. Younger fans would buy into it, but older fans would likely shrug it off saying he's just copying his father.

As to why would they? Remember who the owner of the company is lol. This is a guy who faked his own death. I wouldn't put it past him to do ANYTHING anymore. I agree with your point though, and like I said I would not want to tarnish anything from The Undertaker himself. If anything, this is WHY I'd do it. Because I wouldn't want his character to ever retire. Think of it more as a 'spinoff'. Son could walk his own path after the initial clash between him and his father.

I still agree that this is a good idea, but when it comes down to it.... there's such big risks involved because they might not get the right guy for it, he might leave or get injured, and fans might not accept him. I'm not saying it can't happen, it'd be rather interesting.... but there are so many risks involved because a lot of things could potentially mess this up severely, laving Taker's legacy tarnished either a little or completely.

 

[Toroc102]

I love this idea, and think its a great way of carrying on UT's legacy in some shape or form into the future. I don't think that a character like this will work anymore unles they are in someway related to the Undertaker, probably won't be accepted by the fans if they're introduced independantly.

Also the character has to be a bigger guy, or atleast a strong as a bull type of guy, imo someone atleast as big as John Cena, and ideally atleast two inches taller. I think the best way to bring this character in is obviously as a monster, and even if the fans we're to get behind a small guy in this role, we all know Vince McMahon is never going to let a cruiserweight or even a Shawn Michaels/Jericho sized star dominate his stars from the get go.

Anyhow, I never apply logic to Vince McMahon, especially when it comes to monsters. I mean everyone does realize that Sheamus is the champ right now right? He put the Great Khali over pretty much everyone as soon as he came in. You get the guy with the right look and the right voice(and maybe the political support of UT himself) to play this part and Vince will put him over.

 

[King Douche]

I say have the guy be based off a horror icon...Look at Taker and Kane...Clearly Kane is based off Jason with the mask on his face to cover himself, well use to have the mask on his face, and for some reason Taker reminds me of Hellraiser. So have the new guy be something like a Micheal Myers....He barely talks but when he does its something special your witnessing. If done right could be greater then great.

As for some saying have a middleweight/cruiserweight like guy? Why? Vince does not push little people or short people for that matter to be main eventers. Their lucky to be midcarders most of them. Their mainly jobbers at best. Go with a big guy as you know if he really good Vince will push him for sure.

 

[Tastycles]

It's quite a good idea, but I'm not sure that the audience would buy it. Who would the mother be? And short of that, the WWE would be unlikely to illustrate how old one of its wrestlers really was by letting him have an adult child.

That kind of consideration aside, it is a good idea in principle. However, it would almost certainly be necessary for the right wrestler to become available first. The guy would have to look a bit like Taker, but more importantly they would have to be able to fight with similar mannerisms etc, otherwise it won't be bought. Forcing this onto a random signing is a recipe for disaster, to say the least.

So, theoretically, brilliant idea, but putting it into effect seems unlikely, to be honest with you.

 

[Billie Jean]

In thinking about this angle, the person picked to be Undertaker's Son is no doubt made for life. The con to this is that THAT person is forever stuck as this character unless they write it in later, in which I could not see them doing. I used to think there is no way someone could live year in and year out portraying this. However, as we've seen with Kane, the WWE has done pretty well with consistency as far as their 'stories' go. So, I think an Undertaker's Son story arc has potential to be absolutely huge. It also eventually does a few things for you.

Great idea and creativity. This angle would have never crossed my mind and it never would. But, like Digger said, it could be huge, but it could potentially be a flop too, as in the history of the WWE it has been proven of happening.

1. It allows Taker to officially pass the torch when retirement comes.

Yeah I kind of agree here. But what this means is that the superstar would have t catapulted into the Main Event straight away. I mean, beating the Undertaker would be huge for nay new superstar never mind the angle. Maybe the pressure could all just mount up on them, but you never know. Shamues has made me a half believer in this angle.

Another slight problem would be that with Taker's age, all it takes is one little injury and his career is indefinitely over, which would be tragic. But where would this leave the new superstar? It would be one of the biggest what ifs in pro wrestling history if it were to happen. What could the angle have been? Thats the questions I would be answering.

2. It allows Taker to officially pass the torch, at Wrestlemania, to a character that would be 'understood by the fans' as to being the only one 'with the power' to beat him, IF they chose for him ever to lose it.

Yeah again I suppose. But nowadays the gimmick would have to be out of this world. Could this new wrestler be that good we would not make comparisons? I also don't think a lot of fans would buy a new guy ending the streak, no matter how mystical his powers are made out to be. But again, if handle properly it is entirely passable.

3. Most important, it still gives you that dark, on the fringe type character long after Taker has gone.

There is too things I think that would make it difficult to work. Would the WWE relay want a dark death threatening character in the business again. Would they see it as a tribute to the Undertaker or just a plain boring carbon copy? And with WWE being PG and all now, could it work. That is assuming the time it happens, as WWE cannot stay PG forever.

Like I said at the start, I think it is a great idea, I just think there are a few holes in the plot. But all holes can be filled.

 

[TLC]

This is actually a very imaginative idea. Very creative thinking. It would be a could be a good storyline if actually put into effect. The downside is that there are two many holes in it which Billie Jean has already pointed out.

One thing though is that i'm not totally sure if the audience would believe in it. Also the audience may not like it as they are getting compared to the legend that is The Undertaker. They would have to have near enough the same mannerisms, fighting style, look, way they speak and range other things. If they got that almost perfect then I could see it being an actuall good idea.

In theory its good but I wouldn't see it working unless they had everything spot on.

 

[DecayNYFX]

Love the idea. I'd be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind & it's always great to see how many of us think alike. I've been a big horror fan as long as I've been a big wrestling fan (since I was around 5 or 6), and I've done quite a bit of work in the film business - - namely horror - - writing, special make-up FX, and prop design, and when 'Taker made his debut, I was more than enthralled. Something like this that would dip into his past & demonic abilities would give him the kind of storyline we haven't seen since Kane made his debut. Hell, I've been hoping for a 'Taker film for more than a decade & started salivating when I read about it being discussed a couple months ago. Giving him an offspring is a gun loaded with potential, but yes, if it's aimed wrong, it could easily fire just as much disaster.

1) Origin. Starting with a nice, prolonged build-up (4 - 6 months) of supernatural occurrences, as has been mentioned, have him ascend from Hell, straight out of the grave, literally. Make it more elaborate than anything they've ever done before, take it into Jason Voorhees/Freddy Krueger territory.

Get 'Taker involved in a storyline with someone willing to go to any lengths to defeat him. Remember when Booker T tried using voodoo & visited a priestess for aid? Whoever it is, discovers that 'Taker had a son, maybe they can bring back Paul Bearer to reveal that bit of info, and the kid was stillborn. He goes to a cemetery & digs up the grave to find a small skeleton buried there. Lightening strikes the grave & a full-grown man emerges from the smoke & totally decimates whoever it is that dug him up.

Or maybe have 'Taker himself do it. Have him say something to the effect of his powers are waning, but his legacy will continue, so HE digs this child up, and summons the lightening. We don't see anything after that, but from that point on, strange things start happening in the arena every week for a few months. Then finally have him appear, to either make a save or cost a match for dear ol' dad.

2) The Player. While I don't think it should be cruiserweight, I think there should definitely be a physical contrast between the two. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in being more sinister & sadistic. I think someone the size of Randy Orton would be perfect because he's extremely agile & has a solid enough muscular build. If it were eight years ago, I'd say Orton would be great for the job, because he's got such a great look for it - - face it, when he loses his shit & goes psycho, the look in his eyes packs one hell of a punch and anyone that takes on this role would have to look downright cold & evil.

He'd also have to pretty much make a lifetime commitment to the WWE & the part, and be able to flawlessly pull off 'Taker's signature moves. The ring attire should be either a black singlet & black pants (like Jeff Hardy) or the pants & a black t-shirt or even a black button down with the sleeves ripped off. Long hair tied back in a pony tail, either dark brown/black or deep red. Maybe a half or quarter mask would be cool? Definitely a black trench coat, not sure about the hat though, maybe a barbed-wire crown?

This is a character called Rellik (long before the TNA version) that I designed & created in '02 for a film called The Tenement (you can read more about him on www.lightanddark.net or the IMDB). My instructions were to make something along the lines of Kane, Undertaker, and Leatherface and here's the result:

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From a visual standpoint, what do you think of something along these lines for this potential character?

3) The Legacy. Most importantly of all, should he or should he not topple the Phenom at Wrestlemania? If he did, I don't think it's something that should happen at his first 'Mania appearance. I'd say have him officially debut, maybe at the Rumble, win it (perhaps have him eliminate 'Taker?), and main event WM with either Cena, HHH, or whomever happens to be champion at the time. Then use the following year to build something up between him & 'Taker that would culminate the next year at the following WM.

In all seriousness, this would be the kind of Undertaker storyline the likes of which we haven't seen in over a decade, and one that could work out incredibly well, permanently establish a new icon & be loads of fun for guys like us. Or, if they don't play it damn near perfectly, it'll be a horrible flop that they'll have to bust ass to sweep under the carpet & pretend never happened.

 

[King Douche]

Love the idea. I'd be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind & it's always great to see how many of us think alike. I've been a big horror fan as long as I've been a big wrestling fan (since I was around 5 or 6), and I've done quite a bit of work in the film business - - namely horror - - writing, special make-up FX, and prop design, and when 'Taker made his debut, I was more than enthralled. Something like this that would dip into his past & demonic abilities would give him the kind of storyline we haven't seen since Kane made his debut. Hell, I've been hoping for a 'Taker film for more than a decade & started salivating when I read about it being discussed a couple months ago. Giving him an offspring is a gun loaded with potential, but yes, if it's aimed wrong, it could easily fire just as much disaster.

1) Origin. Starting with a nice, prolonged build-up (4 - 6 months) of supernatural occurrences, as has been mentioned, have him ascend from Hell, straight out of the grave, literally. Make it more elaborate than anything they've ever done before, take it into Jason Voorhees/Freddy Krueger territory.

Get 'Taker involved in a storyline with someone willing to go to any lengths to defeat him. Remember when Booker T tried using voodoo & visited a priestess for aid? Whoever it is, discovers that 'Taker had a son, maybe they can bring back Paul Bearer to reveal that bit of info, and the kid was stillborn. He goes to a cemetery & digs up the grave to find a small skeleton buried there. Lightening strikes the grave & a full-grown man emerges from the smoke & totally decimates whoever it is that dug him up.

Or maybe have 'Taker himself do it. Have him say something to the effect of his powers are waning, but his legacy will continue, so HE digs this child up, and summons the lightening. We don't see anything after that, but from that point on, strange things start happening in the arena every week for a few months. Then finally have him appear, to either make a save or cost a match for dear ol' dad.

2) The Player. While I don't think it should be cruiserweight, I think there should definitely be a physical contrast between the two. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in being more sinister & sadistic. I think someone the size of Randy Orton would be perfect because he's extremely agile & has a solid enough muscular build. If it were eight years ago, I'd say Orton would be great for the job, because he's got such a great look for it - - face it, when he loses his shit & goes psycho, the look in his eyes packs one hell of a punch and anyone that takes on this role would have to look downright cold & evil.

He'd also have to pretty much make a lifetime commitment to the WWE & the part, and be able to flawlessly pull off 'Taker's signature moves. The ring attire should be either a black singlet & black pants (like Jeff Hardy) or the pants & a black t-shirt or even a black button down with the sleeves ripped off. Long hair tied back in a pony tail, either dark brown/black or deep red. Maybe a half or quarter mask would be cool? Definitely a black trench coat, not sure about the hat though, maybe a barbed-wire crown?

This is a character called Rellik (long before the TNA version) that I designed & created in '02 for a film called The Tenement (you can read more about him on www.lightanddark.net or the IMDB). My instructions were to make something along the lines of Kane, Undertaker, and Leatherface and here's the result:

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From a visual standpoint, what do you think of something along these lines for this potential character?

3) The Legacy. Most importantly of all, should he or should he not topple the Phenom at Wrestlemania? If he did, I don't think it's something that should happen at his first 'Mania appearance. I'd say have him officially debut, maybe at the Rumble, win it (perhaps have him eliminate 'Taker?), and main event WM with either Cena, HHH, or whomever happens to be champion at the time. Then use the following year to build something up between him & 'Taker that would culminate the next year at the following WM.

In all seriousness, this would be the kind of Undertaker storyline the likes of which we haven't seen in over a decade, and one that could work out incredibly well, permanently establish a new icon & be loads of fun for guys like us. Or, if they don't play it damn near perfectly, it'll be a horrible flop that they'll have to bust ass to sweep under the carpet & pretend never happened.

Wow long read, but that would of been awesome if Randy Orton was The Undertaker's son, but people knew him already as Bob Orton's son so that would not of worked out. It have to be an unknown wrestler that nobody ever heard of before to pull it off. Character/storylines could be great but WWE writers are lazy so the whole thing will be an epic failure.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

I'd like to swing to the opposite direction on this idea if I may. How about if Undertaker had a daughter?? I know..don't boo yet. But this rogue girl shows up and dominates on RAW, ECW, and SMACKDOWN. Then a rumor starts that she is a Legacy type person. But no one can figure it out. Then on a SUPER show where all the stars are working on one arena, perhaps (Batista, Punk, Orton, Cena..whoever is hot at the moment) gets scheduled after flirting with the girl about wanting to take out Undertaker in the most memorable way in Hell In A Cell in a No DQ anything Goes and he wants her out there in his corner. She comes out to cheer opponent on. Then some other person comes out to try to interfere and distracts referee at cageside while opponent wants 'girl' to get in and help. Girl sneaks in cell with key and has a large metal chain in her pocket. Guy smiles as she starts to hand it to him. She first stops and starts to take her tank top off to reveal a sport top that says "Daddy's Girl." with a pic of TAKER on it. She then wraps the chain around guy's neck as Taker gets up and tombstones him for Victory. It would then start a stable called Freaky Family. lol

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

I honestly think this is an absolutely awful idea and if I were the Head of the Creative team, I would have crumbled this suggestion up in front of the person suggesting it, and have given them a ton of static.

The Undertaker is supposed to be "dead". Never explained how or when he actually died, but regardless we think of him as "dead". Therefore, trying to connect him to some long lost son is more than likely not going to be accepted by the fans, and would rather be scoffed at.

Kane and Taker being brothers is bad enough as it is, and fortunately WWE doesn't play that one up for everything they have, either.

Blurring the lines between Kayfabe and Reality is often quite difficult in this day and age. Some people like their wrestling realistic, where as others don't mind suspending disbelief in the case of a good storyline. However, there are people that view this philosophy as conditional.

For example: having wrestlers in the WWE as vampire characters is acceptable because the fans know that it is just a gimmick. Much like having a character like The Undertaker is acceptable to the fans, because they also know its a gimmick.

However, having someone portray the son of The Undertaker in a storyline is not acceptable, because the fans know too much about Mark Calloway, the wrestler, and blur the Undertaker character with Mark Calloway himself. They know he doesn't have a son, and therefore would reject the storyline.

Wrestling fans can be very tricky in trying to figure out, because often times, their standards are very conditional as pointed out. But the key is to figure out what those conditions are that they either tolerate or reject. And I have no doubt in my mind that this one would be rejected, simply because people know too much about The Undertaker, the person, as it is to accept it.

 

[King Douche]

I do not see the problem Sidious with Kane being Taker's brother at all. It was a great angle and storyline set up for Kane back in the late 1990s.

However the son angle can be a hit or miss. A huge hit or miss though. I know it's never gonna happen, and if it did it would fail cause the writers suck. Nuff said peoples.

 

[TheMainEvent]

Interesting storyline idea, but I agree that it is ultimatly flawed because of the permanent damage that it causes on storyline context and the difficulty of pulling it off. Potentially it could be pulled off to some extent if the storyline could play out that he is the son of the Undertaker and "haunts" him but at the end of the storyline it is all a ruse and a plot to get the new wrestler exposure etc...

If Taker were to be interrupted by creepy video packages during matches with gothic images, baby crying noises, etc and a creepy voiceover for a few weeks to setup the arrival of this Prodigal Son. I would have the son be a "non-giant" and bring in a manager as someone who raised him. So this is a little out there but here goes: Have the "son" be someone like ROH star Tyler Black recast as The Prodigal Son Damian Black aligned with The Sinister Minister James Mitchell who raised him. They haunt Taker and Kane with Black scarring Kane's face forcing him to remask, Black feuds with Taker and as the feud draws out Taker can kidnap Mitchell, etc. Finally after a blowoff match have some sort of reveal that it was all a setup by Mitchell to get to Undertaker and Damian Black becomes Tyler Black, etc. First let me state that I am not familiar with Black enough to know his talents etc but for whatever reason he was first to pop into my head for this character so I ran with it. The contrast would be interesting with him and Taker in style, size, and presentation as well. Again this is all running off the top of my head so its a little rough but an idea nontheless.

 

[King Douche]

Interesting storyline idea, but I agree that it is ultimatly flawed because of the permanent damage that it causes on storyline context and the difficulty of pulling it off. Potentially it could be pulled off to some extent if the storyline could play out that he is the son of the Undertaker and "haunts" him but at the end of the storyline it is all a ruse and a plot to get the new wrestler exposure etc...

If Taker were to be interrupted by creepy video packages during matches with gothic images, baby crying noises, etc and a creepy voiceover for a few weeks to setup the arrival of this Prodigal Son. I would have the son be a "non-giant" and bring in a manager as someone who raised him. So this is a little out there but here goes: Have the "son" be someone like ROH star Tyler Black recast as The Prodigal Son Damian Black aligned with The Sinister Minister James Mitchell who raised him. They haunt Taker and Kane with Black scarring Kane's face forcing him to remask, Black feuds with Taker and as the feud draws out Taker can kidnap Mitchell, etc. Finally after a blowoff match have some sort of reveal that it was all a setup by Mitchell to get to Undertaker and Damian Black becomes Tyler Black, etc. First let me state that I am not familiar with Black enough to know his talents etc but for whatever reason he was first to pop into my head for this character so I ran with it. The contrast would be interesting with him and Taker in style, size, and presentation as well. Again this is all running off the top of my head so its a little rough but an idea nontheless.

Why not Kane have a son? It will be much easier then it being Taker's son, also it would be like the old skool Kane but better and scarier. Maybe that Tyler Black dude could be Kane's son and James Mitchell his mentor/manager. Black could feud with both Kane and Taker beating them to make him a main eventer.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

To me...everything seems a bit sexist...why not have it be a someone that no one really expects?

Trish Stratus was a dominant force for someone so tiny and was able to do her thang. Keep in mind its just entertainment. Its more the shock factor that to this day there are still some questions that have never been answered in the first damn place. Like why did Mark Henry even fall for Moolah or whoever that bag of wrinkles was in the first place? Whatever became of that small chapter between Orton and Kelly Kelly? Or that small thing with Batista and Kelly Kelly? There are a ton of storylines that get started and finished with no explanation. Then there are some that get started and don't even get finished.

Everyone anticipates either Kane or Undertaker having a son. Then this chick shows up and cleans house. She then helps whoever is picking on Kane or Taker at the moment, and turns on them. Everyone can automatically know that its always gonna be a Cena-HHH-Orton type craptastic title matches nowadays. Or with DX, we know that Hornswoggle will help out for the win... Anytime that happens, I get sick of it and am like... they should take a page outta their olden days and just throw something in there that someone doesn't expect. Besides, if it was a daughter, she'd have a kickin theme song like "Living Dead Girl" by Rob Zombie or something.

 

[axelsteel21]

You could go with, 'The Undertaker' Being a title, for a wrestler who fills certain parameters, and do a storyline where the 'role' is passed over.

this allows for Mark Callaway's Undertaker to remain in folk lore as the original undertaker but for the new breed of young WWE Fans to experience an undertaker until the character is irrelevant.

 

[Stuntz]

The idea is great however I dont necessarily believe it has to be a son. They can however go the brain washing angle with anyone they really wanted to. Saying that Taker wants someone to carry on his legacy as the Dead one, brain wash any one he or creative wants and eventually have that person turn on taker keeping some of the dark qualities that remind you of Taker. Anything is possible and they can work and angle out anyway they really want with whoever they want......But i think Orton could actually pull it off but it cant be anything long term with him.

 

[Dagger Dias]

You could go with, 'The Undertaker' Being a title, for a wrestler who fills certain parameters, and do a storyline where the 'role' is passed over.

this allows for Mark Callaway's Undertaker to remain in folk lore as the original undertaker but for the new breed of young WWE Fans to experience an undertaker until the character is irrelevant.

That would be a bad idea. They have tried to pass on gimmicks to others before, such as Diesel and Razor Ramon when Nash and Hall went to WCW. That didn't go so well back then and it would be far worse if someone else was going to be "The Undertaker" when that will forever be Mark Callaway's character and no one else's. When a wrestler has found success with a certain gimmick, it should remain his forever. This thread's idea of Undertaker having his (kayfabe) son show up in a storyline is a better way to keep his character relevant after he leaves because that way the name lives on but Callaway will not have to worry about someone else playing his actual character since it's his character's son instead.