Doctor Abraham Cornelius worked for the Weapon X project as the lead scientist responsible for experimentation and commandeering captured and enlisted mutants for field missions at the bidding of the organization. Doctor Cornelius joined Colonel Wraith in the missions of his organization and eventually helped commandeer and capture the X Men to be used as a pawns for an eventual coup against General Ross. After the coup failed, Doctor Cornelius managed to escape while the rest of his colleagues were captured, killed or escaped to parts unknown.

As revenge for destroying the Weapon X Project, having him sent to a federal prison, and forcing him to go into hiding, Dr. Cornelius transformed and mutated a paralyzed teenager into a cyborg assassin named Deathstrike to kill Wolverine. Doctor Cornelius pursued Wolverine and Storm in a helicopter but the helicopter was brought down during the pursuit