Professor Martin Torque

Professor Martin Torque is a character in the TaleSpin episode, "From Here to Machinery".

Personality
Professor Torque is a sinister, mean, cruel, sneaky, selfish, and devious inventor with a goal to have his robots do the aviation jobs for him.

Appearance
He is a tall brown dog wearing a grey suit and fedora.

From Here to Machinery
Professor Torque is first seen asking Louie about who are the best pilots: the Freelancers or 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 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. She 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 then apologizes to the Professor and introduces himself to him 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. Unlike some pilots, his robot pilot, which is considered ultimate, obedient, and efficient (and stupid by Baloo), never deviates from its flight plan.

Just as Baloo is starting to like this robot by giving it a pat on the back, Baloo gets electrocuted by it and the Professor explains that the robot 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.

Then, the Professor 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 suggest that the rbot can fly. 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 that his robot flies day and night, never eats or sleeps, and never deviates; despite Baloo protesting about the robot's way of handling situations like Air pirates, storms, and stuff like that, and calls Baloo and his kind of pilots "dinosaurs decaying, defective, and defunct." As retribution, Baloo gives him 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. Torque refers to Baloo as a mindless idiot and that his test is complete and his machine is perfect. The Professor offers him a dozen Auto Aviators 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 goign to believe that bum." Khan assures him that if there were a test between his robot pilot and a real pilot and the robot won, he might consider buying thousands of them.

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. The Robot wins and Shere Khan buys the Professor's robots (therefore, replacing his own pilots as well). As a result, shipping companies are grounded and pilots are out of work. Even Torque's robot is considered the best pilot ever.

Just then, Don Karnage is impressed with what he sees in the papers. Knowing these robot pilots never deviate, he has an idea to use this as an advantage to put his piracy skills to good work. Later, Baloo leaves and Rebecca regrets her decision about letting Torque use Baloo's plane.

Torque is next seen drinking a toast with a soda pop with Shere Khan on a plane. But then, their celebration is interrupted when Don Karnage speaks to them on the radio about intercepting, shooting, and looting them with his men. When Shere Khan asks Torque to instruct his robot to change course and evade the 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 threatens to hurt him with his claws unless he calls for help. Torque panics when calling for help until Khan throws him aside and explains the situation; 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 control his robot about deviation but to no avail. Even Shere Khan is beginning to lose his patience with the Professor. When they hear a knock on the door, th Professor thinks it's the Pirates until he is smashed by the door and Baloo enters instead. Shere Khan asks for his assistance and Baloo accepts. Baloo destroys the robot with soda pop; much to the Professor's protest and dismay. When Torque tries to attack Baloo, Shere Khan snatches him, asks him to be quiet, and throws him aside again. After defeating the Pirates, Shere Khan, disappointed and deceived, offers a solution for Torque. Khan offers to give him back all his useless contraptions 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. All Torque's robots are thrown out of Khan Industries, pilots are told to report back to work, and Baloo is back to being the best; much to their joy. As part of Khan's solution, Torque is made a penniless robot servant salesman selling his robots known as Mechano Maids now in a cold region of the world.