Professor Torque

Professor Martin Torque is the antagonist of the Talespin episode, "From Here to Machinery". He is an anthropomorphic dog who is bent on driving pilots out of business by replacing them with highly advanced robots called the Auto Aviators.

History
Professor Torque is first seen asking Louie about who are the best pilots: the Freelancers or Shere Khan's pilots. His question is answered when Baloo comes flying with style to Louie's club.

When Louie wants to introduce Baloo to the Professor, the Professor disappears and is seen outside writing down something on a piece of paper. In the morning, he tries to seemingly steal Baloo's plane with the help of a robot pilot he created until Baloo manages to stop him. The Professor asks what does he want and just when Baloo is about to answer, he is stopped by Rebecca, who reveals that the Professor actually rented Baloo's plane for a large amount of money to test his new invention: the Auto Aviator. After a little discussion, Baloo apologizes for the misunderstanding, but the Professor ignores him. When noticing the Profesor fixing his invention, Baloo admires his "gadget" but the Professor simply states that the robot actually represents the future of aviation, as he programs it to be obedient and efficient, and never deviate from its flight plan.

Just as Baloo is starting to like this robot by giving it a pat on the back, he gets electrocuted by it. The Professor explains that the robot has an auto-defense system that repulses any interference to sense hostile attempts. When Baloo reveals that he added some "alterations" to his plane, the Professor asks him like what. Baloo actually tricked the Professor and the robot into pressing the "good" blue button, which whacks the Professor on the head a few times, and not the red one.

Torque then vows that when his test is over, he'll see who's clever. After testing the plane for an hour, Baloo gets a bit jealous when Kit suggests that the robot can fly well. Then, some reporters arrive and the Professor introduces Baloo to the press. The Professor starts okay by complimenting him until he ridicules him by saying that his robot is much better than the "pilot of the past." The Professor continues explaining about his robot's programming, though Baloo objects to this by questioning the robot's capacity to handle more extreme more extreme situations like heavy storms and the Air Pirates. Torque then retaliates by calling Baloo and his kind of pilots as a bunch of "dinosaurs.... decaying, defective, and defunct." Offended by this comment, Baloo gives Torque a punch on the left eye and it goes down on the news.

Shere Khan sees the papers and refers to Baloo as a crude individual during a meeting with Torque, who refers to Baloo as a mindless idiot and that his test is complete and his machine is perfect. Torque offers to mass-produce thousands of Auto Aviators for Khan to drive pilots out of work to make more money, but Khan states he "hasn't said he'd buy anything" and that Baloo may be correct concerning his robot not being able to handle all the situations. The Professor asks if he's going to believe that 'bum', to which Khan assures him that there must be a test between his robot pilot and a real pilot and if the robot won, he might consider buying thousands of them.

Taking the opportunity, the Professor leaves and vows to build a better pilot and to destroy Baloo as well. When Rebecca is expecting an important visit from an important client, the Professor beats her to it, which upsets her very much. Then, Baloo challenges Torque's robot to a contest for the future of aviation. As a result, the winner will be the best pilot. The contest is a race in which the pilots should fly to Tundra City and back to Cape Suzette with the cargo.

At the end of the race, Baloo loses due to sleeping a little and fuel shortage. A triumphant Torque takes the opportunity to publicly sign a deal with Shere Khan, who buys the Professor's robots. As a result, shipping companies are grounded and pilots are out of work, even Khan's own pilots are down in the dumps. Though it seems to Torque that he has finally achieved in his goal, Don Karnage is impressed with what he sees in the papers. Knowing these robot pilots never deviate from their flight programming, Karnage plans to use this as an advantage to put his piracy skills to good work by hijacking Shere Khan's plane during their toast of their success.

Torque is next seen drinking a toast with a soda pop with Shere Khan on their plane. But then, their celebration is interrupted when Don Karnage speaks to them on the radio about intercepting, shooting, and looting their with his men. When Shere Khan asks Torque to instruct his robot to change course and evade the Air Pirates, the robot is unwilling to deviate as it is programmed not to. When the robot refuses, Torque tries to take over only to get electrocuted instead. Unimpressed with the robot's imperfect results and Torque's incapability to control it, Khan orders Torque to call for help. Intercepting a radio signal, Torque cowardly calls for help until Khan throws him aside and calmly explains the situation to the public, promising a huge reward for assistance against the pirates in Mount Berzeka. Luckily, Baloo and his friends are able to get the message and decide to come to the rescue.

Torque tries countless times to make his robot change course but to no avail, and Shere Khan is beginning to lose his patience. When they hear a knock on the door, the Professor thinks it's the Air Pirates until he is smashed by the door and Baloo enters instead. Offering his assistance, Baloo destroys the robot with a bottle of soda pop, much to the Professor's protest and dismay. An angry Torque tries to attack Baloo for destroying his robot, but Shere Khan stops him and tells him to be quiet while allowing Baloo to take control of the plane. After Baloo successfully manages to evade the Pirates, Shere Khan compliments Baloo for a job well done before turning his rage towards Torque for his failure and deceit. Khan then offers a solution: he will give Torque back all his useless robots in return for his money. Shere Khan then opens the door and holds the Professor out; asking him how does that sound truthfully and Torque cowardly admits it sounds fair. As such, the Auto Aviators are declared defunct and all pilots are told to report back to work, much to their delight (including Khan's pilots). As such, Torque is made a penniless robot servant salesman selling his robots known as Mechano Maids now in a cold region of the world.