Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton Morphing into Premier Duo After WWE Survivor Series 2016

Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton emerged from the wreckage of a chaotic battle at WWE Survivor Series 2016 with runaway momentum.

After Team Raw and Team SmackDown tore into each other at Sunday's pay-per-view, leaving broken tables and splintered friendships in their wake, Wyatt celebrated in the ring on his knees. His right-hand monster Luke Harper lurked at his side. A banged-up Orton posed in the corner.

The Wyatt Family reigned.

The male Survivor Series elimination match ended with Wyatt's men bearing their fangs with victors' grins. They were unified, menacing, powerful. That image and that moment is what this faction has been missing.

It's long been hard to take Wyatt's threats seriously.

He has promised the apocalypse only to deliver defeat. He has talked about ending Roman Reigns, Undertaker and John Cena, but in the biggest matches has fallen short. 

Wyatt is 0-2 at WrestleMania and two months removed from loss to a 51-year-old Kane at Backlash.

And the audience had reason to doubt whether Orton was really a committed member of The Wyatt Family. Since The Viper pledged his allegiance to his rival in late October, many have waited for him to turn on the stable's patriarch. This alliance couldn't be more than a ruse.

Or so we thought.

Orton not only worked well under Wyatt's command at Survivor Series but sacrificed himself in the match. Reigns barreled toward Wyatt, but The Viper stepped in and took the Spear instead. That act of selflessness, the instinctive protection of his father figure, proved his loyalty. 

As Orton lay clutching his ribs, Wyatt leaped on Reigns, wrenched his neck and drove Reigns' head into the mat with a Sister Abigail. That ended any hopes of a comeback for Team Raw.

And it punctuated an impressive win in a high-profile bout on a major PPV for Orton and Wyatt. This was no fluke victory, no sigh-inducing case of overbooking, as we have seen with The Wyatt Family before. This was a statement win that reshaped fans' perception of these prowling beasts. 

The guys from the New Age Insiders podcast rightly called it Wyatt's biggest win to date:

The heels took out three-fifths of Team Raw. 

Orton RKO'd Chris Jericho to send him packing. The Wyatt Family eliminated Seth Rollins. Lastly, Wyatt left Reigns out cold on the canvas.

The Wyatt Family's trajectory changed with that victory. 

It established the faction as a formidable force in the SmackDown landscape. It painted them as destroyers. 

As Chair Shot Reality host Josh Isenberg noted, it was a win Wyatt needed:

Earlier on the PPV, American Alpha, The Usos and the rest of the SmackDown tag team division fell to Team Raw in a 10-on-10 contest. That only furthered the idea that Orton and Wyatt are poised to rule the blue brand.  

While fans waited for Orton to lay out his supposed leader leading up to this match, they may have missed out on how compelling a story this revamping of The Wyatt Family has become. 

At first, Orton seemed like an ill-suited choice to follow The Eater of Worlds' lead, but the odd pairing is working.

Credit: WWE.com

The Viper has maintained some autonomy in the group. He hasn't donned Wyatt Family-style tattered gear. He still poses like a Greek statue in the corner instead of standing behind Wyatt during their entrance.

That makes sense. Orton has always been a loner and his own man.

To see him slowly embrace his darkest side and give in to the voices in his head, though, has been powerful. Wyatt has left Orton spellbound. A predator has been tamed.

This transition has spotlighted Wyatt's charisma. It has left the faction's leader looking more like a snake-charmer ruling over a nest of serpents.

That's a smart use of Wyatt's gimmick and a compelling path to take Orton down.

WWE must build on what's been brewing. The company has to follow up this noteworthy Survivor Series win with more victories, more dominance, more havoc.

Wyatt and Orton should outlast American Alpha in an intense feud. They should either rip the tag team titles from Heath Slater and Rhyno's grip, or Orton should back Wyatt as he charges toward the WWE World Championship.

There is not only a stellar story to tell here, but also a chance to elevate Wyatt as a top-tier star.

Survivor Series lit the fuse. It's time for the explosion.