Gary Gilfreid was a dashing adventurer and inventor who made a fortune in the automotive industry. He retired from his travels to Gotham, where he decided to create a group of vigilantes to fight off the very real threats of villainy that thrived there. This group was known as The Victorian Legion. Gilfreid adopted the code name of “Captain Hero” to lead this group.

After his retirement from being a vigilante, Gilfried slowly wasted away holed up in what was left of the Victorian Legion's headquarters. In his later life, he disappeared into madness and refused to be seen in public. He refused to cut his hair or nails and insisted on eating only crackers and bacon. He grew obese and sickly. He was eventually found dead in the Legion headquarters - a rotting corpse in a puddle of his own vomit and feces on the floor. Since Gilfreid had no heirs or living relatives, it is unknown what ultimately happened to his considerable fortune after his passing.