Little is know of Woodley Allen's life and career prior to 1941 when Starman, an aspiring super-hero sent him a letter containing a small pen inviting him to contact the hero in situation of dire national emergency. The first of these occured when the Brotherhood of the Electron seized control of the power grid affecting New York City. Gambling on his new connection, Allen summoned Starman to a lonely shack he owned in the Adirondack mountains.  Initially thinking he had been hoaxed, Allen was astonished with Starman descended from the skies and introduced himself.  Quickly brought up to speed, Starman affirmed Allen's hopes when he brought the Brotherhood and their leader Dr. Doog to heel (Adventure Comics #61).

From that point, Allen maintained a tight relationship with Starman, usually using  the shack as a meeting point.  Allen was also the uncle of Doris Lee, Starman's love interest, tho the exact nature of the family relationship was unclear.  Allen's proximity to Starman occasionally resulted in his own involvement in the hero's case work.  He was shrunk to doll size along side his colleague Dr. Selby by the Light (Adventure Comics #62).  He had to summoned Starman all the way to Central America when he and his stowaway niece pursued Nazi scientist Captain Vurm who had created an earthquake machine (Adventure Comics #63).  He fell victim to the cursed camera of Cuthbert Cain which forced him to commit crimes in the criminal's interest until Starman destroyed the device (Adventure Comics #66).   

Often called "FBI Chief" in recorded texts, it is more likely he was more a regional or branch chief as J. Edgar Hoover, as in most time lines, was known to the head of the FBI on Earth-Two.  He also enjoyed special appointments, including one over naval justice when a group known as the Octopus League threatened East Coast shipping and was revealed to be an agency of the Light (Adventure Comics #65).  And while Allen enjoyed his relationship with Starman, he did occasionally become frustrated and attempt to solve casework himself lest he be accused of over reliance on Starman, as he did in the case of the Arab Avenger (Adventure Comics #72).

Allen is known to have been with the FBI until at least 1943 and whether he ever understood that his niece's boyfriend and Starman were one in the same is unrevealed. The later career and ultimate fate of Woodley Allen on Earth-Two is unknown.