D Generation X

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"If you're not down with this page, we got two words for ya..."

"Suck it!"

D Generation X is a Professional Wrestling Power Stable that began in the Attitude Era of the Monday Night Wars (roughly late 1997) and ended in March 2010, after many incarnations. It also has close ties to The Kliq (due to Real Life Writes the Plot) and the New World Order (in the sense that both stables were very similar in their Refuge in Audacity tendencies).

Now, that's the boring answer. So, are you ready?, No TV Tropes, I said ARE YOU READY? Break it down!. Ahem, D-Generation X exemplified the Refuge in Vulgarity craziness of the late 1990s WWF. It consisted of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, X-Pac, Chyna, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, Rick Rude, and Tori. As you can see, not every member of D-X was successful, but its legacy and the lengthy bond between all (well, most) of them changed the careers of everyone involved and in many ways wrestling forever.

D Generation X provides examples of the following tropes:

"You know and I know, that Shawn Michaels and his boy-toy Hunter Helmsley are the one responsible for all the problems right now."

    • When your catchphrase is "Let's get ready to suck it!", this trope is pretty much inevitable.
  • Appropriated Appellation: Bret Hart called them a pack of degenerates, so they took on that name for themselves.
  • Breakup Breakout: Triple H, who went from a smart-assed comic-relief type to a guy called "the Cerebral Assassin" and a thirteen-time world champion.
  • But You Screw One Goat!: One one episode of Smackdown, DX puts together a recap package of them humiliating various superstars they were in feuds with such as The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kane. A short clip of two lions mating appears on the tape and Road Dogg claims 'it was his mom's old tape'.
  • Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: From 1999-2000, DX was a revolving door.
  • Cool Old Guy: Shawn and Hunter in the final incarnation of DX firmly hit this trope.
  • Crowd Song: "We got two words for ya: SUCK IT!" and these two for the New Age Outlaws:
    • "Oh you didn't know?! Yo' ass better caaaaaall somebodyyyyyy!" (Even when it was removed from Road Dogg's entrance theme, the crowd would still do it.)
    • "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, D-Generation X proudly presents to you the World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Champions of the Wooooorld...The Road Dogg Jesse James! Bad Ass Billy Gunn! THE NEW! AGE! OUTLAWS!"
  • Deadpan Snarker: Triple H, hell, the main reason he got pushed was because Shawn Michaels thought Trips was hilarious, the audience certainly agreed.
  • Delinquents: Their major gimmick, due to Shawn Michaels and Triple H's Real Life backstage hijinks.
  • Depraved Bisexuals: Hunter and Shawn most notably.
  • Early Installment Weirdness: The original, very brief, and easily forgotten DX incarnation featuring Rick Rude as the group Enforcer. This roster only lasted about three months before Rude split for WCW and famously appeared on Raw and Nitro on the same night. Soon after Shawn Michaels went on indefinite leave because of injuries, DX brought in Chyna as their new Enforcer and the New Age Outlaws as full-time members, evolving from sophomoric jokes and insults into the revolutionary "DX Army" incarnation they're best remembered for.
  • Mr. Fanservice: Shawn. Just - Shawn, and to a lesser but still significant extent, Triple H.
  • Fanon Discontinuity: Hornswoggle in DX? What is this that you speak of?
    • For some people, any part of DX that involved X-Pac.
  • Five-Bad Band
  • Five-Man Band
    • The (Anti) Hero: Triple H
    • The Lancer: X-Pac
    • The Smart Guy: Road Dogg
      • Roadie's greatest plan ever involved a one fall match that had three teams facing each other for the Tag Titles. LOD 2000 and Disciples of Apocalypse did most of the fighting while the Outlaws stood on the corner until finally LOD and DOA had enough and tagged BOTH Outlaws into the match, forcing the tag team champs to fight. Road Dogg would end up laying down for Billy Gunn and got the easy pin and title retention to the absolute horror of the other two teams. The next time the Outlaws had a title defense, the commentary team has mentioned that the Outlaws' loophole had been closed and that two partners could not be tagged in at the same time.
    • The Big Guy/TheChick: Bad Ass Billy Gunn
    • The Chick/TheBigGuy: Chyna
      • Billy Gunn was pushed as the WWF's best pure athlete in 1998-99 all while calling himself Mr. Ass. Chyna was the bodyguard of Hunter Hearst Helmsley and that role evolved into The Enforcer of DX, but her doctor would constantly evolve her with improvements to the point where she was a Playboy covergirl. So, those last two roles are pretty much interchangeable.
  • Hostile Show Takeover
  • Ho Yay: Just look at the page. Though it doesn't get more blatant than Shawn and Hunter kissing in the middle of the ring and Hunter's response to the question of whether or not he was bilingual:

I'm bi- a lot of things. Lingual ain't one of them.

  • Kick the Dog: One of the most cruel acts committed by DX was during the Thanksgiving '99 episode of Smackdown when they invited a group of homeless into the arena for a Thanksgiving feast. Instead of offering them the food, DX tortured the homeless people by waving food in front of their faces. Of course, the whole segment was played for laughs.
  • Merchandise-Driven: DX circa 2010 ran off of this trope, at least they made it funny.
  • No Fourth Wall: All the damn time.
    • On a segment posted on WWE.com:

Hunter: For the thousands in attendance, for the millions who, five minutes ago, were watching at home- *crowd boos* Guys, it's like, 11:08, we're off the air!

Shawn: Man, that baby looks familiar, but I just can't put my finger on it. *taps Triple H on the shoulder*

  • Only Sane Man: Chyna, most of the time.
  • Pirate: X-Pac certainly looked like one.
  • Popularity Power: Enough to get Shawn Michaels ("for one night only") cheered in Montreal.
  • Power Stable
  • Putting the Band Back Together: Shawn and Hunter, post-2000. They teased a DX reunion during Shawn's original 2002 comeback, but that lead to a heel turn for Hunter and a three-year rivalry. They finally pulled the trigger in mid-2006, and ran with it until Shawn's retirement in 2010.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Hot-Blooded, egomaniac Shawn, and the laid back, snide Hunter fit this trope perfectly.
    • Inverted in the reunion with Triple H making all the bawdy jokes and a mellowed-out Shawn cringing off to the side.
  • Refuge in Audacity: Their signature. Among many instances:
    • The time they hijacked a tank and invaded a WCW live show.
    • Any of their excellent parodies (the Nation, The Corporation, the McMahon family).
    • Takeovers of shows (which was also a staple of rival group the nWo) and messing with the production truck, pyrotechnics, microphones, etc.
    • The time they played strip poker in the middle of the ring.
    • DX's "Christmas Present to the World" - let's say it involved Shawn and Hunter dressed only in thongs.
    • Raining crap on Vince, Shane, and the Spirit Squad.
    • Shawn sticking the Canadian flag up his nose . . . in Calgary.
  • Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Played with Shawn Michaels and Triple H's run from 2006-2010.
  • Sickly Green Glow: Part of the DX aesthetic was bright neon green letters, arena lighting, merchandise and glowsticks.
  • Sixth Ranger: In late 1998 to 1999, Mankind was a unofficial member of the group during their war with the Corporation and, in fact, DX was watching Mankind's back during his famous first world title win. After the match, DX hoisted him on their shoulders with smiles too big not to be real.
    • Kane could have been considered one during DX's Dork Age in 1999.
  • Spotlight-Stealing Squad: All the damn time.
  • Stripperiffic: Any time Shawn Michaels was in the ring, but for maximum tropage:
    • The time Shawn, Hunter, and Chyna played strip poker in the middle of the ring.
    • The time Shawn and Hunter stripped down to mistletoe-covered thongs for Christmas. (complete with "Merry DXMas" written on their asses).
  • This Is Sparta: "ARE? YOU?? REEEAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDYYYYYY???????"
  • Those Two Bad Guys: Road Dogg and Billy Gunn.
  • Too Dumb to Live: During their late 1999 heel run, the group had the opportunity to bring Kane into the fold who was tagging with X-Pac at the time. For whatever reason, D-X decided it'd be great if instead they'd turn on the hulking yet loyal monster and make an enemy out of him.
  • True Companions: DX was born out of a Real Life group of these in The Kliq.
  • Wacky Fratboy Hijinx: Probably the poster children for this trope. If we tried to list all of DX's juvenile pranks, promos, and segments, we'd be here all year decade.
  • X Makes Anything Cool
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