10 Things About The Higher Power Storyline That Made No Sense

The Higher Power storyline was the biggest angle in WWE for the entire year of 1999. WWE made big changes to the character of The Undertaker leading the Ministry of Darkness faction. Undertaker claimed he was following the orders of a “higher power” when targeting Steve Austin in the ring and attempting to abduct Stephanie McMahon when feuding with Vince.

Many wrestlers and fans have insulted the Higher Power angle for having one of the worst reveals in WWE history. Vince being the mystery man under the hood turned him back heel after a short face run. There were too many flaws in the logic to make it come off as a foolish idea. Almost none of the Higher Power storyline made sense.

10 Undertaker and Steve Austin Feuding with Vince at Same Time

The storylines for Vince McMahon heading into WrestleMania 15 led to a conflict in how fans were meant to perceive him. McMahon was still trying to stop Steve Austin from winning the WWE Championship and had The Rock representing him in this feud.

The Undertaker was a heel when he started targeting Vince and the Corporation around the same time. Fans were unsure why Vince was sympathetic against Undertaker but still portrayed as the ruthless evil heel trying to hold down Austin.

9 The Big Boss Man Facing Undertaker at WM 15

Vince McMahon had The Corporation faction backing him up when The Undertaker started to go after the boss. WrestleMania 15 saw The Big Boss Man selected to face off with Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match and getting destroyed.

The logic made no sense why Boss Man was the pick to face Undertaker since he rarely won major matches against relevant talents. Undertaker using the noose in the cell after the match was what fans remember most from the otherwise pointless outing.

8 Vince Breaking Script

Vince McMahon was a great heel during the Attitude Era when feuding against Steve Austin. The dynamic was different with The Undertaker once he got Vince’s family involved. Vince delivered a rare shoot promo of the time calling out Undertaker.

The real name of Undertaker was used, and Vince flat out said Undertaker was living the gimmick too much by implying everything else was fake. This concept made little sense since the family element already made it personal. Fans were just left confused about what was actually going on.

7 The Brood's Involvement

The Brood joining the Ministry of Darkness happened due to their gimmicks as vampires fitting into the stable. However, there was no chemistry there and The Brood already showed more potential on their own.

The Undertaker bossing around Gangrel, Edge, and Christian just made them all look foolish taking such a step back in WWE. All three members left when Undertaker wanted to punish Christian for giving up the location of Stephanie McMahon when Ken Shamrock attacked him. It worked out for the best as Edge and Christian were allowed to break out.

6 The Corporation and Ministry of Darkness Merging

Shane McMahon’s role in The Corporation saw him uniting with The Undertaker to merge both groups. This was portrayed as Shane betraying his family to gain more power in WWE. Everyone knows that Vince also joining added that layer for a super heel group.

There was little chemistry between the members of both factions. The spooky characters from the Ministry of Darkness following the boss’ orders felt off. It was even worse when Triple H joined The Corporation as the expected leader but now was a sidekick to Undertaker.

5 Vince Tormenting Stephanie

The debut of Stephanie McMahon as a character saw her revealed as the target of The Undertaker. Vince was shocked that Undertaker made it that personal until everyone realized he was the one pulling the strings as the Higher Power figure.

The storyline dictated that Vince loved his daughter Stephanie and was trying to use her to betray Steve Austin more than hurt her. WWE added little depth to why Vince felt so comfortable tormenting his favorite child in an idea that could have easily put her in the loop.

4 Stephanie and Linda Selling Shares to Steve Austin

Linda and Stephanie McMahon were livid that Vince and Shane put Stephanie through hell with the whole Higher Power angle. The two faces at the time could have easily run the company against their relatives by doing the right thing.

WWE went the route of having Linda and Stephanie sell their shares to Austin. The move was done to make Vince irate, but it made little sense looking back. Stephanie and Linda could have reacted stronger by keeping their spots to level the playing field. Also, they somehow knew to sell their shares to Austin before Vince revealed himself as the Higher Power.

3 Austin vs McMahons Ladder Match

The entire stake of WWE was put up for grabs in a ladder match at King of the Ring 1999 with Steve Austin facing both Vince and Shane McMahon. Everyone involved looked foolish in this one with the briefcase magically being raised too high whenever Austin came close to winning.

Vince and Shane picking The Undertaker or Triple H would have made either heel a bigger part of the storyline. WWE looked silly with this chapter of the storyline leading to an all-time disappointing ladder match.

2 Ministry Faction Ending Without Explanation

The Ministry of Darkness was a powerful heel faction in the main event picture of the most popular time in wrestling history, but it never gets remembered as an all-time great stable. Part of the reason for the lack of a legacy is how it ended without much importance.

The Undertaker losing enough matches to Steve Austin removed him from the title picture and into a disappointing tag team with Big Show. The rest of the members moved into other roles while Triple H remained associated with Shane McMahon. WWE not having a strong ending for the faction birthed from the Higher Power makes the angle look even worse today.

1 Undertaker Losing Power

The Undertaker rejuvenated his career with the new look and new character during his time leading the Ministry of Darkness. WWE added the Higher Power to add a mystery, but the idea of Undertaker “following orders” defeated the purpose of his new character.

Vince’s reveal was right when fans started to lose interest in The Undertaker during this chapter of his career. The Higher Power even existing, in theory, may have been a mistake since Undertaker was doing such a great job as a top heel in 1999.

NEXT: 10 Things About The Undertaker's Career That Made No Sense