The Asylum

So, I was reading the Brian Pillman bio "Crazy Like A Fox" a few months ago, and part of it spoke about how, at one point during his WCW run as one of the 4 Horsemen, there had been talk of him and Chris Benoit splintering to form their own "Generation X Horsemen" or "Apocalypse". I also read that Pillman was regular WCW travel buddies with tag partner and later rival, real life best friend Steve Austin and Scotty the Body (Raven) at the time. 

I found it interesting that all 3 of them started getting noticed as cocky "California"/Hollywood heel type gimmicks, but later gained more main event cred after being reinvented with more "antihero" or rebellious personas. Flyin Brian became the Loose Cannon (If not for the hummer accident and aftermath, he'd most likely have been a world champ), Stunning Steve became Stone Cold, and Scotty the Body became Raven. That, in turn, got me thinking how cool a "Kliq" style stable they would be as real life friends forming an on air stable of main eventers. They all had one thing in common with the antihero personas, BUT are also different enough to make the combo really interesting. You have the moody and depressed but violent genius, the perpetually untamable hothead, and the unrepenting laughing trolling psychopath. 

That, in turn, got me thinking, .......depression, anger, happiness......a hypothetical 4th member (going off the Horsemen model) should represent fear (ie: a paranoid schizophrenic like Mankind). BUT, I thought the 4th member should be a giant or "big guy" to round it out. What better choice than.......Kane? Back when he first started, he wore the mask and would enter the ring at very random times to choke slam people, both wrestlers and non, alike. He was paranoid about people not seeing his "deformed" face.

My idea was that, Paul Bearer would never have turned on Taker. Undertaker as a face World Champ was feudinig with a heel Raven, and Taker would blast Raven as being a manipulative narcissist who used people. And as a result of this feud, Taker emotionally reveals the story of his younger "deceased" brother "Glenn" who had been used by such a person a long time ago. Taker says he would dedicate his upcoming PPV defense against Raven (No DQ match) to younger brother Glenn (the story about supposedly "dying in a fire" still cannon).

Kane initially started showing up in the WWE, and noone even knew who he was or that he had any connection to Taker. An older heel Jake Roberts would be seen speaking to him and accompanying him to ringside. Roberts speaking for him cryptically saying "his identity? things will be revealed in due time." His outfit would be a tad different. Think more Leatherface. Slacks, bloody shirt, etc. His mask looking more like the one from Scream, but red with devil horns. He wails more than speaks (at least at first).

All of this got me thinking again, because I had wanted a female in the group. I went back to the psychology theme (different emotions), and thought about the "6 basic emotions" put forth by psychologist Paul Ekman sometime in the 70s: fear, anger, happiness, sadness, disgust and surprise.

Surprise......that got me thinking about Daffney (WCW's "Scream Queen"). She was oft quoted as a great actress. My idea was that she'd be wrestling's version of "Crazy Jane" from Doom Patrol. Multiple personalities. You were never certain what to expect from her, and she'd sometimes even "switch" and be shocked herself at what "she" had done. Though, not always disappointed. At the PPV, Daffney confronts Taker's wife backstage and basically is "triggered" to spaz out on her and lay her out. So, before the PPV even begins, Taker's wife is being carried to the local hospital and his mind is distracted. 

Then, I was thinking "disgust".....moral disgust. Maybe a "righteous heel" (like the Hart Foundation stable). Papa Shango. I'd have tweaked his gimmick a bit. His outfit more resembling Baron Samidi (from Haitian voodoo). His persona kinda based more around Jigsaw from the Saw movies. He'd still be a "voodoo" character but he'd speak more normal and less cartoonish. He'd also target flaws in "faces" or heroes and make them targets simply out of spite or to teach them a lesson. Remember when Shango was "Kama, the Supreme Fighting Machine", and he stole Taker's urn to melt it down and make a gold necklace? I'd have Shango show unannounced with the "necklace", smiling, smoking a cigar, and acting like he was draining power from Taker during the bout....to make him more vulnerable. Shango doesn't like Taker because he says "we're both fans of that kind of "power" (dark magic) but you hold back. Kiss ass to these people who aren't really like us." Yada yada, etc etc.

At the same time, Austin and Pillman had been feuding and by this point, had traded the world title back and forth a couple times. Pillman being the heel, but lately they've been teasing a role swap. As Austin's been showing heelish tendencies in tag matches pitting Taker and Austin against Pillman and Raven. Pillman's been acting as if Austin's "always had a tendency to let his anger control him." and almost seems like he was taking Taker's side, to the annoyance of tag partner, Raven. Well, at the PPV, Austin runs out when both men are bloody and is about to blast Taker with a chair when Pillman, grabbing another chair, goes to counter/stop Austin......then, swerve BOTH of them blast Taker and high five. The "Hollywood Blondes" reunited, though no longer the "Blondes".

Taker continues to get back up anyway. Raven DDTs him on a chair many times and is frustrated by Taker's resilience against ridiculous odds. Raven gets on the mike and screams "Jake. Time for the final step."

Out comes this large guy Jake's been managing. (Jake, btw, as the 7th member, represents "centered". Cold, claculating emotionless. Sort of an old mentor/Flair role for the group) This giant looks into the eyes of a tired, beaten Taker as Raven yells "Look at him. See anything familiar?" Taker, shocked, says "G....Glenn?" "Glenn is dead.....call me KANE!" He chokeslams Taker through a table and Raven pins him to become the new World Champion. After the match, the proceeding promo brands this new stable as "The Asylum". As in the "inmates are running the asylum". Raven goes into a poetic promo and talks about how he had to launch a multitiered assault on Taker's "mind, body and spirit".

Jim Ross, in addition to commentary about the Kane situation, puts over the fact that "NOONE has treated Taker like this. But, mark my words. He will NOT stay down. And when he does rise, there will be hell to pay for every one of these men. You can take that to the bank."

Now, after grieving over his brother and wife situations, the stage is set for Taker to take the group on, taking them out one by one, until he gets vengeance on Raven and hopefully "reaches" his little brother.

Any thoughts on this? Yay or nay?