When Kane debuted Oct. 1997, I was immediately

impressed. What a costume! What an entrance! What a monster! Just the fact that he could stand eye-to-eye with the Undertaker said something, but that he could Tombstone him! Come on! I had never seen that before.

Few superstars had made their World Wrestling Federation debut with as much fanfare, and Kane's first appearance lived up to months of hype.

But what's most impressive about Kane, and what I've really come to respect and appreciate over the last few months, is that he has persevered.

I've been a Federation fan for about 20 years now, and I've seen a handful of competitors who were brought in just to "take out" one superstar -- the Undertaker in Kane's case. When the feud ended, so did their careers in the Federation.

But not Kane.

He's defied all the odds, which is particularly impressive when you consider that he wears a mask and rarely speaks -- two factors that, according to widespread belief, greatly hamper the process of "getting over."

Three and a half years after his debut, Kane is still as intimidating a presence as ever. The basic character is the same, the costume has only been modified slightly, and there's still that "through hell, fire and brimstone" entrance, complete with the amazing pyrotechnic display.

The reason I say that the basic character is the same is because the overall character has been given more depth. When he first debuted, Kane was merely an unemotional monster who was hell-bent on destruction. He wanted nothing more than revenge when he faced off with his brother in March and April of 1998. Since then, the Big Red Machine has proved to be anything but unemotional. He has experienced friendship with X-Pac. He has experienced love with Tori. He has been manipulated by Mr. McMahon. We've seen that he can be fragile. He can have his heart broken. And of course, when he wants to be, he can still be a monster.

Why has he been able to grow? What is it about him that has kept him around so long? Even though Kane is unlike any superstar, fellow Federation competitors -- as well as aspiring Federation Superstars -- can learn a great deal by watching the Big Red Machine.

Why has he been given the opportunity to grow beyond a "one-shot" feud with the Undertaker? There are several reasons.

One of them is natural talent. I sometimes forget that Kane is in the 7-foot, 300-pound range. It's easy to forget because he moves around just as well -- or better -- than people a foot shorter and 100 pounds lighter. This is a God-given gift, but it could have easily been lost if he hadn't kept himself in such phenomenal shape. When he first came in, he was already impressive. Now he's just incredible. He's gotten into such good shape over the years that some people are under the impression that there have been two different Kanes. Not true. It's the same guy.

Another reason that Kane has persevered is his versatility. Nobody on the roster is more powerful than Kane. But he can also take to the air as if his name was Kane Hardy. He can battle in an Inferno Match, a Hell in a Cell, or a regular match. He can work in tag teams or in singles.

We've mentioned that Kane rarely speaks, but he can communicate as well as anyone, and that's another reason why his character has continued to develop. It's subtle. The way he turns his head to one side -- like he did at the Royal Rumble just before clobbering the Honky Tonk Man. Or the way he flips his hair back. You can figure out what Kane's thinking, even if he doesn't say it. It's quite a skill for a guy who wears a mask.

Kane has been World Wrestling Federation Champion ... for a grand total of one day. This is a testament to the level of competition in the Federation. It's also evidence that perhaps Kane has been underutilized. Now that the Undertaker seems to have his hands full, on the singles circuit, with Triple H, I hope Kane gets the same opportunity. An unprecedented superstar like the Big Red Machine deserves an unprecedented championship reign.

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