Origin
In 1945,in the closing days of War II, Nick Fury and his troops enter a concentration camp which the Invaders have just freed. Fury orders his men to search the camp. After a while, he grows impatient and starts to look for a guy named Thorton. Some soldiers goofing off tell Fury that they call him “the Professor” nowadays and he’s in the main building of the camp. Fury finds him and starts yelling at the Professor, who explains he was admiring the camp’s architecture. Fury doesn’t care and orders the Professor to take two soldiers with him and search deeper into the building.
The Professor reluctantly does as told, arguing with the soldiers as they go deeper. They find a complete lab, where something obviously has gone wrong. The Professor is fascinated but the two soldiers are apathetic, though one does compare it to “Frankenstein’s laboratory“. The Professor tells them to leave, he’ll search the lab himself. Thorton finds journals detailing the experiments of a Nathan Essex ( Mr. Sinister). The files the Professor holds contain information about Namor McKenzie, the Sub-Mariner (the first known mutant) and James Howlett (Wolverine’s true name). These peak Thorton’s interest.
Sometime later, the Professor becomes the Weapon Plus scientist who creates Weapon X – the Adamantium laced Wolverine. He is there the day Wolverine receives his Adamantium skeleton, and the day he escaped. Wolverine and others assumed Thortron had died that day but Thorton and his work keep popping up.
Character Evolution
When Thorton was first introduced in Marvel Comics Presents #72 he is the main person behind Experiment X, although he has mysterious superiors he keeps referring to. Much like many of character’s from Wolverines past, Thorton’s true history and actions are mixed with false memories and lies
Major Story Arcs
Weapon X
Professor Thorton black mails Dr. Cornelius into working for him, and along with Carol Hines they formed Weapon X. When they were brought what they thought was a regual human, they experimented on him. Unknown to Thorton this Experiment X, had an extraordinary healing factor. They then laced his bones with Adamantium and under orders of Thorton, Dr. Cornelius erased his memories.
Then later when Experiment X goes berserk, Dr Cornelius blames Thorton, but Thorton passes the blame onto his superiors. At this point Thorton has both his hands cut off. Then after it appears that Experiment has killed everyone connected to Weapon X, it is revealed that Experiment X’s rampage was all in his head and Professor Thorton and his crew were watching safely from a bunker.
Shiva Scenario
For more information see: Shiva Scenario
Professor Thorton is killed by Silver Fox
Sabretooth Reborn
Professor Thorton is seen standing next to Romulus when he is watching Wolverine get his Adamantium for the first time. Romulus tells the Professor to remove Wolverine’s memory, particularly those of Remus
Alternate Versions
Earth 4011 (Wolverine: The End)
In this alternate reality Professor Thorton was not killed by Wolverine. He lived out his days rich and on a beach somewhere.