THORN, short for The Hyland Organization for Rakghoul Neutralization, functioned as a charitable foundation with the goal of wiping out the widespread rakghoul pandemic. Founded by Addalar Hyland, who was the CEO of Galactic Solutions Industries, the organization's mission extended to both discovering a treatment for the plague and getting rid of planetary outbreaks. Individuals working for the group were often referred to as "Neutralizers," and a number of them were skilled volunteers.