History Wrestling / MinistryOfDarkness

* EvilPlan: Vince [=McMahon=] sending the Ministry to abduct Stephanie just to screw Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin.

* PrimalFear: Referenced in one promo by the Undertaker, as he said he would show everyone why they were afraid of the dark.

* LoserLeavesTown: Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin successfully retained his title at ''Fully Loaded 1999''. As a result per stipulation, Vince [=McMahon=] was "banished" and could no longer interfere with WWE business, thus putting and end to the Corporate Ministry and the Austin vs [=McMahon=] feud, which had been the main storyline of WWE for over a year. This didn't last too long as Vince came back two months later.

* RuleOfThree: Three attempts were made to rescue Stephanie from the wedding to the Undertaker. The first two, by Wrestling/KenShamrock and Wrestling/Big show, failed; the third, by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, was successful.

* RuleOfThree: Three attempts were made to rescue Stephanie from the wedding to the Undertaker. The first two, by Wrestling/BigShow and Wrestling/KenShamrock, failed; the third, by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, was successful.

* RuleOfThree: Three attempts were made to rescue Stephanie from the wedding to the Undertaker. The first two, by Wrestling/BigShow and Wrestling/KenShamrock, failed while the third, by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, was successful.

It was then revealed that The Undertaker's goal was to take control of the WWF from Wrestling/VinceMcMahon, [[EvilVersusEvil starting a feud with]] Wrestling/TheCorporation, as well as reveal that he was taking orders from a [[TheManBehindTheMan "Higher Power"]]. The Ministry then threatened Vince's daughter Wrestling/{{Stephanie|McMahon}}, prompting Vince to go into PapaWolf mode and eventually a HeelFaceTurn. The Ministry then abducted Stephanie and The Undertaker [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty attempted to marry her]], but [[BigDamnHeroes this was thwarted by]] Vince's own ArchEnemy, Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin. After this it was revealed that Vince's son Shane (who had taken over the Corporation) was in cahoots with The Undertaker the whole time, and the Corporation merged with the Ministry to become the Corporate Ministry. It was then finally revealed that the "Higher Power" who masterminded the whole thing was none other than... Vince [=McMahon=], and [[HijackedByGanon it was all part of a plan]] to get the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWF World Heavyweight Title]] off of Austin once more. [[note]] Vince wasn't planned from the beginning to be the Higher Power, as should be obvious. The twist was due to no one else really being able to fill the role at the time ''but'' Vince. One possibility was to have Wrestling/MickFoley be the Higher Power, but he backed out.[[/note]]

The Ministry collapsed after Vince was "banished" from the WWF when Steve Austin was appointed CEO of the company by Linda [=McMahon=], though a few members continued to follow the Undertaker until he took time off to heal injuries, then came back with his Biker gimmick. The Brood ultimately went their separate ways to varying degrees of success, and the Acolytes continued to exist as a tag team in the form of the APA (Acolyte Protection Agency) for a few more years. However, the group briefly resurfaced in 2004, when former member Bradshaw (now called Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield with a {{Rich B|itch}}astard gimmick) hired Gangrel and Viscera to attack the Undertaker. They were simply known as The Ministry. They didn't last long at all, as The Undertaker took both of them out quickly, though Viscera did linger on for a time before changing his gimmick. Undertaker referenced the gimmick again a couple weeks later by [[UnwillingSuspension making a sacrifice of Orlando Jordan on his symbol]] to play mind games with JBL.

* BigBadDuumvirate: At first, Shane and Undertaker. At least it seemed this way until TheReveal, where it turned out they were CoDragons to Wrestling/VinceMcMahon. Although, one could've called it a ''[[RuleOfThree tri]]''[[RuleofThree umvirate]] by factoring in Triple H, no pun intended. His role in entrances, promos, and fights, not to mention his ambitions, seemingly mirrored Undertaker's.

* UnwillingSuspension: Their sacrifices usually consisted of tying someone to an Undertaker symbol and hanging them from the rafters. The Undertaker also "hung" the Wrestling/BigBossMan[[note]]who was actually wearing a safety bungee harness underneath his suit when he was attached to a long harness cord disguised as a hangman's noose[[/note]] at ''Wrestling/WrestleMania 15'', at the end of a Hell in the Cell match that most people found very disappointing. Of course, [[UnexplainedRecovery he got better]],[[note]]This was after he got taken down off-camera so that he could get to a hospital for recovery on a stretcher.[[/note]] and in fact nobody ever mentioned it again.

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: All the Ministry followers had this to various degrees, Mideon being te most pronounced.

* UnwillingSuspension: Their sacrifices usually consisted of tying someone to an Undertaker symbol and hanging them from the rafters. The Undertaker also "hung" the Wrestling/BigBossman at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} 15'', at the end of a Hell in the Cell match that most people found very disappointing. Of course, [[UnexplainedRecovery he got better]], and in fact nobody ever mentioned it again.

* WhamLine: '''''"IT'S ME [[Wrestling/{{STONECOLDSTEVEAUSTIN}} AUSTIN]]! IT'S ME AUSTIN! IT WAS ME...ALL ALONG, AUSTIN!"''''' courtesy of Wrestling/VinceMcMahon.

That turned out not to be the case. [[ThoseTwoGuys Bradshaw and Faarooq]] (a.k.a. Wrestling/RonSimmons), as the Acolytes, kidnapped Dennis Knight, and it was revealed that they were now henchmen of the returning Undertaker, who performed a ritual and Knight became "Mideon" and a new member of the Ministry. That same night Undertaker announced his plans to [[TakeOverTheWorld conquer the WWF]]. They later did the same with Mabel, who became Viscera, and the Brood ([[Wrestling/DavidHeath Gangrel]], Wrestling/{{Edge}}, and Wrestling/{{Christian}}) joined as well.

* AscendedExtra: A few of the Ministry's {{Mooks}} went on to become stars in their own right, such as Wrestling/{{Edge}}, Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield, and Wrestling/{{Christian}}.

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: The Brood [[MookFaceTurn defected from the Ministry of Darkness]] for the sake of Wrestling/{{Christian}}, whom Wrestling/{{Edge}} and Gangrel were ordered to help nail to the "symbol" after he [[YouHaveFailedMe failed]] Undertaker.

* YouHaveFailedMe: Wrestling/{{Christian}} suffered this from the Undertaker after giving up Stephanie's location, hanging him from a rope and flogging him. It eventually led to the Brood [[HeelFaceTurn turning against the Ministry]] after the Undertaker tried to force Wrestling/{{Edge}} and Gangrel to help him crucify Christian from his symbol. Nobody else ever jumped ship from the Ministry, by the way, before it dissolved.

* SatanicArchetype: Vince referred to the Higher Power as an "evil, demonic [=SoB=]". Turns out he was [[talking about himself.
* ScaryBlackMan: Viscera stood at over 500 pounds and was willing to brutalize people for Taker's cause.
* SelfMadeOrphan: Undertaker.

It was then revealed that The Undertaker's goal was to take control of the WWF from Wrestling/VinceMcMahon, [[EvilVersusEvil starting a feud with]] Wrestling/TheCorporation, as well as reveal that he was taking orders from a [[TheManBehindTheMan "Higher Power"]]. The Ministry then threatened Vince's daughter Wrestling/{{Stephanie|McMahon}}, prompting Vince to go into PapaWolf mode and eventually a HeelFaceTurn. The Ministry then abducted Stephanie and The Undertaker [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty attempted to marry her]], but [[BigDamnHeroes this was thwarted by]] Vince's own ArchEnemy, Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin. After this it was revealed that Vince's son Shane (who had taken over the Corporation) was in cahoots with The Undertaker the whole time, and the Corporation merged with the Ministry to become the Corporate Ministry. It was then finally revealed that the "Higher Power" who masterminded the whole thing was none other than... Vince [=McMahon=], and [[HijackedByGanon it was all part of a plan]] to get the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWF World Heavyweight Title]] off of Austin once more. [[note]] Vince wasn't planned from the beginning to be the Higher Power, as should be obvious. The ShockingSwerve was due to no one else really being able to fill the role at the time ''but'' Vince. One possibility was to have Wrestling/MickFoley be the Higher Power, but he backed out.[[/note]]