One of Ex Nihilo's top human lieutenants, Vernon would burglarize the houses of the coma patients with his crews and also provided her with muscle. He has come into direct conflict with numerous personas assumed by Nelson Jent and Manteau and shot the H Dial in the phonebooth, breaking it. When the Squid joined Nelson to stop the Abyss, they're first step was to rescue Manteau and Vernon happily took the chance to shoot the already weakened Squid only to be knocked out shortly thereafter by Nelson.

Following these events and the failure of XN's plan, Vernon took on the identity of Brian Roche and became an accountant, but he was sought out by the Centipede, using the name Mr. Colton, who wanted information on what had happened. With his current existence threatened, Vernon planned a later meeting as an ambush, but was not expecting the Centipede's powers who killed his friends and then delivered a savage beating to him.