No, this has nothing to do with the heel faction – although that's where it all started, really...

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Hold on a second – what's this guy doing here?! I thought he only ever did the SmackDown! Reports...

You can relax – this isn't a brand new weekly column or anything. Once in a while I get inspired, though, to do more than the SD Report – like now. After doing Widro a small favor (that I'm still cleaning up after), he ultimately gave me the forum to spout off about something I noticed a couple nights ago...

"I watched a change in you; it's like you never had wings. Now you feel so alive." – Deftones, "Change (In The House Of Flies)"

On the January 5 edition of RAW, Kane came out to the ring to explain his actions as of late. He stated that he was out to finally win the Royal Rumble after many years of losing due to pandering to the fans. He also cited trusting his "brother", The Undertaker at last year's Rumble – and getting tossed as a result. Kane also explained his reasoning for attacking Booker T the week before – at last year's WrestleMania, Booker got the shot at the World Title that should have belonged to Kane. The Big Red Machine stated his desire to finally become the World Champion in earnest.

The segment was met by generally apathy among the internet crowd, with the possible exception of Booker calling Kane "Uncle Fester".  Another Kane promo, why is Booker being wasted, blah blah blah. The same old song and dance – except for a key bit of character development that was completely overlooked.

Many have gotten on WWE Creative's case for months now over a number of inconsistencies in various segments and angles. One of the biggest complaints has been the lack of continuity shown from one episode to the next. Kane's interview on RAW this past Monday, however, was a fine display of not only continuity, but of the evolution of Kane.

Kane was, at one point, a happy-go-lucky big man with a mask who was starting to find a personality as somewhat of a comedian. On June 23 of last year, Creative did to Kane what Eric Bischoff did to WCW Nitro in April of 2000 – blow it up and start all over. Kane lost a mask vs. title bout to Triple-H on RAW that night, and removed his mask for the first time since his debut in 1997. And while admittedly some of the angles involving Kane could have been done better since then, a subtle transformation has taken place in Kane. He has gone from a mindless monster to one with reasons and motives to, now, one with motives and desires.

When Kane was unmasked last summer, his immediate reaction was to destroy everything and everyone in sight. No one was safe – from friends like Rob Van Dam to enemies like Eric Bischoff. Anyone in Kane's path was laid to waste. It was Eric Bischoff that planted the seed that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was responsible for Kane losing his mask and, indirectly, Linda McMahon for bringing Austin on as a co-General Manager.

During an infamous interview with Jim Ross, a new twist was added to Kane's character – he saw himself as a hideously burned and scarred monster, despite the fact that no scars were visible. A psychological reasoning was introduced behind Kane's actions – was he really convinced that he was a "monster", or was the mask only a crutch? Kane now had a perfect excuse to cause destruction at will, disguised as being a victim of a society that ridiculed him. This destruction came to a head when he cornered and tombstoned Linda McMahon on RAW.

Linda's son, Shane McMahon, would not stand idly by while his mother was gravely injured. Shane was after revenge, despite the fact that Kane was unstoppable. The evidence of how much Kane enjoyed inflicting pain and suffering was no more prevalent than the torture he put Shane through, ultimately beating him within an inch of his life at the Survivor Series.

From being a mindless brute after losing his mask, Kane now had a reason (a cruel society tormenting his disfigurement) and motives (to punish those responsible for the loss of his mask and the sheer pleasure of nihilism) added to what he was. It was at the Survivor Series where Kane took the next step in his evolution.

In addition to sending Shane McMahon to the hospital, Kane also ensured victory for Vince McMahon in his Buried Alive match against Kane's "brother", The Undertaker. The reason given during a guest appearance on the following SmackDown was that The Undertaker still pandered to the fans and was no longer a "monster" like Kane was. Two months later on RAW, another reason would become clear as Kane moved into the realm of memories and desires.

In early December, Kane hounded Goldberg in pursuit of the World Title. Kane was given his shot at the championship, but lost the Triple Threat match at Armageddon against Goldberg and Triple-H. After Armageddon, Kane inexplicably attacked Booker T during an Intercontinental Title match. There was no reason for Kane to attack Booker T at all – or so we thought.

Kane was still after the proverbial "20 pounds of gold", but now had to go through 30 other superstars at the Royal Rumble to get there. He would have won last year but was cost that chance and watched it go to someone else. He had taken care of the man that cost him the Rumble last year, now it was time to eliminate the man who already had his chance last year. Kane's memory and motivation were added on to his character, adding a few more strokes onto the complete portrait of Kane.

From what was before to what is now, Kane's character has been completely redone. It is not finished yet as Kane has more steps to take in his evolution yet. But, despite some mis-steps (such as the burning of Jim Ross and the non-effects of such stunts as falling in a burning dumpster and a horrid limousine wreck), Kane has clearly evolved in just over half a year. The moves and transitions haven't been obvious, but they have been there – and completely overlooked.

Kane's future is up in the air as no one knows which turn the character will take next. But keep a close eye on what happens because, if you look beyond who's jobbing and who's going over, you'll see WWE's Creative Team actually building a fully realized character one episode at a time. We've all watched a change in Kane, and the character has never been more alive.

L8
Michael Melchor.

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