Alvin Taylor was born in the early 20th century, a distant relative of Hetty Taylor, an  extremely wealthy eccentric.  Her father's death during the California Gold Rush poisoned her mind to the entire state, causing her will to stipulate that any relative that died on Californian soil would be disinherited.

In 1942, Hetty died and her will began the process of probate.  A sensationalized event, her stipulations became public knowledge and the public was later shocked to learn the a major heir, Clifford Taylor, was found dead in San Francisco, invalidating his and his heirs claims.   His death was particularly problematic as Taylor had been seen on the East Coast three hours before, perplexing authorities on how he had gotten to California so quickly. In  the aftermath, the Taylor and Doris meet Lt. Governor Alvin Taylor, a distant relative and gambling addict who is also a remote hero to the Hetty Taylor estate.

Meanwhile Doris Lee and Ted Knight are at the Hunt Club Race Track to watch Knight ride his thoroughbred stallion Fleetwing alongside Matt Taylor and his son Jim.  As the race began, FBI Agent Woodley Allen summons Starman, causing Knight to fake a fall and be carried off the green where he changed into his Starman uniform and meets with Allen.  After hearing details of Taylor's death, Starman flies to California. There he finds New Jersey clay on the deceased's shoe and flies back East.

In the meantime, news has reached Matt Taylor of his brother's death.  Now the sole heir, he races home but he, Doris and Jim are kidnapped by unknown assailants.  A Starman returns he sees a speeding car wherein the kidnappers have deduced that Doris is no one of interest and fling her from the moving vehicle.  Starman rescues her and catches the car when it flies off a bridge.  After subduing the thugs inside, he learns that a criminal known as The Hooded Hunchback is behind the kidnappings and after reviving Jim Taylor, the head for the Hunchback's lair.

As the arrive, the intercepted by more goons and Starman is caught off-guard and subdued.  Carted inside, it is revealed that the Hood Hunchback as constructed a giant rocket launcher the flings men into the atmosphere and suffocates them, then lands in California.  After launching Matt Taylor into space, Starman is also loaded into a rocket and fired.  In flight Starman managed to escape and then release Taylor, tho both suffer from the anoxia.  Dropping quickly, the regain their breathe and Starman races back to the Hunchback.  He arrives just as Jim Taylor is about to fired and used the power of his gravity rod to fuse the rocket before it can be launched.    The Hooded Huncback is then quickly defeated and revealed to be Alvin Taylor, who had used his state position to fund his gambling habit and concocted the rocket scheme to eliminate heirs ahead of him to the Taylor fortune.  Defeated, he is carted off to jail (Adventure Comics #73).

The later activities of the Hooded Hunchback are unknown.