Engels was a human who held the position of officer within the Galactic Empire's military forces. During the early stages of the rebellion against the Empire, he possessed the captain's rank. He oversaw the entire production of a metal fabrication plant that was situated in the atmosphere above Dooma 4.
As a human, Engels served as an officer in the Galactic Empire's military and held command of a metal manufacturing facility within the atmosphere of Dooma 4. At one point in time, the notorious rebel Saw Gerrera and his Partisans launched an assault on the factory, with the intention of acquiring classified information. Engels delegated the command of the stormtroopers and Death troopers against the rebels to a subordinate, while he observed the conflict through security camera feeds. As the battle intensified outside, the captain's forces managed to capture Gerrera's lieutenant, Megyn Soone, who had recently planted explosive devices inside the factory. Having studied numerous files about Gerrera and his past—including the unfortunate death of his sister Steela—Engels intended to exploit Soone's capture for his own purposes.
Via comlink, Engels made direct contact with Gerrera, informing him that Soone was in their custody, and they would release her in exchange for the location of the explosive charges. Gerrera responded by offering Engels what appeared to be a more advantageous proposition: he would personally deliver the detonator for the charges, and surrender himself to take Soone's place. At their designated meeting spot, Engels arrived, confident in proceeding with the exchange. However, instead of surrendering, Gerrera triggered the detonator. The resulting explosions destroyed the stabilizers responsible for keeping the factory aloft.
As the station began to plummet with everyone still aboard, Engels denounced Gerrera as insane, believing that he had essentially committed suicide. However, the rebel had foreseen this, as an allied U-wing created an escape route for him and Soone by blasting a hole in the station's wall. The Imperial captain tried to escape, but Gerrera seized him by the leg, leading to a brief skirmish during which the Rebel succeeded in taking Engels' code cylinder. At the last possible moment, Gerrera and Soone boarded the hovering U-wing, abandoning the collapsing station and leaving Engels to face his demise.
Engels possessed a broad build, light complexion, blue eyes, a prominent nose, and a strong jawline. Despite being either completely bald or having a shaved head, the officer had black eyebrows and a reddish-brown mustache. Even when conversing with an enemy, Engels maintained a demeanor of calmness and friendliness, which only dissipated when the station began to crash.