Toyman

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caption=The Toyman. Art by Jesus Merino.
comic_color=background:#8080ff
character_name=Toyman
real_name=Winslow Percival Schott
publisher=DC Comics
debut="Action Comics" #64, September 1943
creators=Jerry Siegel
Joe Shuster
alliance_color=background:#c0c0ff
alliances=Superman Revenge Squad The Society
Injustice League
aliases=
powers=Mechanical genius manifests in the form of many violent, destructive, and dangerous toys.|The Toyman is the name of three comic book supervillains and one adolescent superhero in the DC Comics universe. They mostly appear in Superman stories. The first Toyman appeared in "Action Comics" #64 (September 1943). His traditional identity is Winslow Schott.

The Toyman uses toy-based or toy-themed devices and gimmicks in his various crimes. The Toyman's weapons, while sometimes comical, are also very dangerous. The Toyman's creations include devices such as life-sized wind-up tanks, acid-spraying water pistols, and toy soldiers that carry real guns. The Toyman usually dresses in a flamboyant costume. The Toyman made frequent appearances in the Golden Age comics, but has appeared infrequently in Superman stories since then.

Winslow Schott

The Toyman first appeared in 1943 and appeared in several Golden Age Superman stories. Schott appeared less frequently in comics published after the early 1950s, but remained a semi-regular foe during the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

After 1985's miniseries "Crisis on Infinite Earths" and John Byrne's "Man of Steel" miniseries, the Toyman's history was revised, and the post-"Crisis" version of the character first appeared in "Superman" (vol. 2) #13 (January 1988). In this version, Winslow Schott is an unemployed British toymaker who blames Lex Luthor and his company, LexCorp, for being fired from the toy company he is working for. He uses his toymaking talents to seek revenge, which eventually causes him to cross paths with the British hero Godiva, and subsequently, Superman himself. The Toyman continues to commit various crimes in Metropolis, including engaging in child abduction.

The Toyman later became a much more sinister figure, shaving his head and getting advice from "Mother". This was prompted by being told that a range of Superman action figures would not include him as he is not "edgy" enough. While this seems to begin as a pose of what he thought people expect of a villain, it rapidly became a genuine psychotic break. While in this state he abducts and later murdered Adam Morgan, the son of "Daily Planet" reporter Cat Grant. Adam and several other children captured by Toyman tried to escape, but Schott found out and stabbed Adam to death for being the leader of the group. This caused Schott to develop a hatred of children, as he blamed them for not appreciating his toys. At the time, Schott shows no remorse for what he had done. When Cat Grant later confronts him in prison he cruelly tells her "You were a bad mommy. I'm glad I killed your son."

The Toyman later seemingly recovered, and Superman showed him that children did appreciate old-fashioned toys, arranging parole in an orphanage; it was later revealed, however, that this was all a hallucination caused when Zatanna attempts to cure him and he had, in fact, returned to child abduction.

In the 1997 "Speed Force Special", the Max Mercury story "Child's Play", set in 19th century New York, featured the Schott Toy Company run by Archimedes Schott, a crooked businessman who resembles Winslow. Any relationship between them is unknown.

Winslow was seen in the "Infinite Crisis: Villains United" special, preparing for the Blackgate Prison break by lacing the dinner stew with Venom and Velocity 9 to increase the prisoners' strength, speed and aggression. Unfortunately, some guards also ate the drugged stew and fought the super-heroes who showed up to stop the criminals.

He was later seen as a member of the Injustice League in the "Justice League of America Wedding Special."

Toyman's history was later revised in "Action Comics" #865, by Geoff Johns and Jesus Merino. Winslow Schott tells Jimmy Olsen that he was a toymaker who lived with his wife Mary. When a businessman offered to buy his shop to expand the number of children his toys can reach, he refused. When Mary is killed in a car accident a few weeks later, Schott agrees to the purchase. However, the businessman lied and gave his technologically advanced toy plans to arms manufacturers. Schott proceeds to bomb the business with an explosive teddy bear.

Following his first confrontation with Superman, Schott met the Prankster for the first time. The Prankster is a cruel, callous man who commits crimes "because it's fun". He repeatedly asked Schott to "team up", but Schott refused.

Schott reveals to Jimmy that the Toyman who killed Adam Grant was a robot created by Schott to replace him in the event that he was ever incarcerated and that a glitch in the robot's programming resulted in it developing a personality, (and later a hatred of children), and that Schott's repeated attempts to contact the robot resulted in it suffering from delusions of "Mother". Schott also reveals that his successors, (Jack Nimball, Hiro Okamura, the Toyboy robot, and a figure resembling Schott's 1940s incarnation), were all robots created by Schott himself. this cannot be taken at face value because toyman claims to have been married to a woman who died in a car accident but is relieved to be a robot he made implying he is delusional

Alternate Appearances

The Toyman appears as part of the new Legion of Doom in Alex Ross' mini-series "Justice". He is one of several super-villains who've been secretly infected with microscopic robots by the alien Brainiac, causing him to have supposedly dreams in which the Earth is destroyed, and the super-heroes are unable to save the world's populace. Thus, the Toyman is driven to aid in a scheme to sidetrack the Justice League while also helping to build mobile cities which supposedly will serve as interstellar arks, one such ark being a massive amusement park for the children being "rescued". The Toyman operates mostly through a remote-controlled arsenal and robots which resemble the Jack Nimball Toyman as a life-sized (or gigantic) puppet. The Toyman is only fully seen in the last issue -- he is the Winslow Schott version, but now morbidly obese, having been kept immobile by cybernetic connections which give him control over his toys.

Jack Nimball

In the 1970s, a man named Jack Nimball assumes the identity of the second Toyman during a period in which Schott retires from his criminal career and first appeared in "Action Comics" #432 (February 1974). Nimball, wore a jester costume and used a similar modus operandi to the original Toyman. However, this version of Toyman proved short-lived when Schott killed Nimball and resumed his crime career in "Superman" (vol. 1) #305. The version of the Toyman who appears in "Challenge of the Superfriends" was based o the Nimball incarnation of Toyman.

Hiro Okamura

Hiro Okamura, is a teenage mechanical genius from Japan first appearing as Toyman in "Superman" #177 (February 2002). He targets Metallo, claiming the cyborg's body was based on a material stolen from his grandfather.

He later becomes an ally to Superman and Batman. In the "Superman/Batman" series, he aids the two in destroying a kryptonite meteor that threatens the Earth ("Superman/Batman" #1-6). He strikes a deal with Batman to provide him with various technological implements ("Superman/Batman" #7). Okamura uses more technologically advanced devices than the traditionally-constructed contrivances Schott uses and his work is largely whimsical in nature. Many of his inventions are inspired by anime and manga, including giant mecha (notably his giant Composite Batman-Superman robot).

Okamura appears only a few times in the "Superman/Batman" comic book, and his activities are limited to Japan. Winslow Schott remains active as the Toyman in the United States. In the Sam Loeb-penned memorial issue "Superman/Batman" #26, Okamura fakes his own kidnapping at the hands of Schott, forcing Superboy and Robin to search through his complex to save his life. Realizing his loneliness, Superboy and Robin extend their friendship to the boy. Okamura joins Robin and the other Teen Titans at the Titans Tower for Superboy's funeral, clutching a Superboy Action Figure.

In "Superman/Batman" #45, he offers to assists the duo in their quest to rid the world of Kryptonite, using spider-like nanobots to collect Kryptonite molecules in the air. His offer becomes a necessity as Lana Lang, in a last-ditch effort to get rid of Kryptonians and keep Lexcorp afloat, turns a set of Kryptonite caches into "dirty bombs", which irradiate the entire planet. Hiro comes to the save, settling for a Power Girl-bot to "date". Instead, he gets his dream date, a dinner in Paris with the real Kara, and the status of honorary member of the Justice League.

A future version of Hiro, allied with a power-hungry group of Titans, travels back in time to modern day to cement their power-base in "Teen Titans" #52 (Jan. 2008).

Hiro appears as one of Schott's androids in Action Comics #865.

Toyman (robot)

A robot Toyman surfaces in Metropolis and allies with Lex Luthor in "Action Comics" #837 (May 2006). His appearance, inspired by the character's "" incarnation, is that of a child-sized doll. As part of his bargain with Luthor, he is given the information needed to find his creator Winslow Schott in exchange for assistance in a plot against Superman.

This Toyman, renamed Toyboy, is shown amongst Schott's other robots in "Action Comics" #865.

On the cover of "Justice League of America" (vol. 2) #13, it shows this Toyman as a member of the Injustice League.

In other media

Classic Animation

* The Toyman first appears in animated form in "The New Adventures of Superman" animated series from 1966. This particular Toyman is the original Winslow Schott version.
* The Toyman is a recurring villain on the "Challenge of the Super Friends" television cartoon, as one of the members of Lex Luthor's Legion of Doom. The Toyman is voiced by Frank Welker. This series used the Nimball version of the Toyman, with an extraterrestrial originFact|date=February 2007. This version of the Toyman often dresses like a jester and wears a domino mask.
* The Toyman later appears in an episode of "The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show", simply titled "Toyman." Although still dressed like a jester, his costume is now red, green and yellow, and he has a wind up spring on his back.

Live action

"Superboy"

The "Superboy" live-action television series features a villain named Nick Knack, a reference to the Toyman. The character, played by Gilbert Gottfried, wears childlike clothing. Gottfried appeared in two episodes and wrote a story featuring the character for the Superboy tie-in comics series.

"Lois and Clark: The New adventures of Superman"

A character named Winslow P. Schott appears in the "" Christmas episode "Seasons Greedings". With a similar background to the post-Crisis Schott in the comics, he creates a toy that causes children to become selfish and adults to act like children. He is referred to only once as being "a toyman" in passing onscreen, and is played by Sherman Hemsley. A later episode features a childlike Toyman played by Grant Shaud, who abducts children.

DC animated universe

"Batman: The Animated Series"

The episode "Beware the Gray Ghost" of "" features a villain called 'The Mad Bomber', who was possibly influenced by Toyman (although he might also have been influenced by the Puppet Master, a villain fought by the Golden Age Batman and Robin in "Detective Comics" vol. 1, #212), who uses customized toys based on a line of Gray Ghost (voiced by Adam West, who portrayed Batman in the 1960s television show) merchandise to carry bombs and hold Gotham City's economic centers ransom. He becomes more Toyman-like as the episode progresses, stating his delusional belief that toys are a powerful all-purpose tool. The Bomber is voiced by (and also resembles) the series' designer/producer Bruce Timm.

"Superman: The Animated Series"

A much more disturbing and creepy Toyman appears in the 1990s series "", voiced by Bud Cort. He is an insane man who wears an eversmiling mask similar to a doll's head, which he is never seen without. His arsenal of weapons includes a giant superball that can smash concrete and an "inescapable" bubble-blower. In this version, Winslow Schott, Jr. is the son of a kindly toymaker, who spends all day in his father's shop watching him make toys. Gangsters take over the shop and use it as a front for a numbers racket. When the police uncover the scheme, the gangsters flee, leaving the elder Schott to be framed for running the operation and falsely imprisoned for embezzlement. Winslow is left on his own, and he spends several years in abusive and neglectful foster homes. By the time he reaches adulthood, Winslow is mentally ill. Making use of his natural aptitude for mechanics, he decides to make up for his ruined childhood by terrorizing the world and stealing money to amass his own personal fortunes. He appears in two episodes: "Fun and Games" and "Obsession." His plans revolve around Darcy, a lifelike android created to be his companion, but he also seeks revenge against Bruno Mannheim, the criminal who wronged his father, and against Superman.

"Static Shock"

This Toyman also appears in "Static Shock", again voiced by Bud Cort. In the episode "Toys in the Hood," Toyman (who is revealed to have survived the events of "Obsession" after his helicopter is destroyed) orders Darcy to capture Static's friend Daisy so she can be Darcy's new body. After Superman and Static confront Toyman, Darcy betrays Toyman and tries to escape, only to discover that Toyman had implanted a fail-safe device programmed to destroy her if she turns on him. Darcy's body melts, and Toyman is taken to jail.

"Justice League"

In "Hereafter", an episode of "Justice League", Toyman (voiced by Corey Burton) is a member of the Superman Revenge Squad, and during their attack on the city of Metropolis, he uses an experimental machine (which resembles a giant toy robot) that can fire blasts of energy from its "chest". Toyman first targets innocent bystanders before trying to blast Superman. Toyman then fires a blast at Batman and the injured Wonder Woman. To save his friends, Superman flies straight into the blast and is sent 30,000 years into the future. Everyone, including Toyman himself, believes that Superman had been vaporized. Batman was the only one not to believe Superman was dead as he deduced that there would be remains. It was later revealed that Superman had been sent to the future but came back thanks to a time machine invented by Vandal Savage.

"Justice League Unlimited"

In "Justice League Unlimited", Toyman is a member of Grodd's new Secret Society. He is prominently featured in the episode "Alive!", in which he becomes the pilot of the Legion of Doom's spaceship. When a riot erupts and divides the villains into two factions, he holds his own and defeats Killer Frost with a decent headbutt, cracking his mask on the side, and a few tricks with a heavily rigged yo-yo. In the following "Justice League Unlimited" episode "Destroyer", the series finale, Toyman is briefly shown firing what appear to resemble Nerf darts at Darkseid's henchmen. What makes these darts deadly is that they explode shortly after being fired. Bud Cort reprises him here.

In other animation

"Superman: Doomsday"

Toyman appears as a minor villain in the DTV movie, "", voiced by John DiMaggio. Like most of the characters in this film, his appearance differs from that of the DCAU Toyman, and he is portrayed in a more deranged and unkempt form. In the movie, Toyman appears after Superman dies during a fight with Doomsday. Toyman (referred to in this movie as Winslow Schott) first uses a giant spider-like robot to hold a school bus full of children hostage. After a secret clone of Superman defeats him, he attempts to go on the lam. And, although police do recapture him, he kills a four-year-old girl offscreen. The Superman clone, upon hearing the news, angrily takes Toyman from police and drops him to his death from high above the city.

"The Batman"

Toyman appears briefly in the season five episode of "The Batman" entitled "Lost Heroes" (Part One), and is voiced by Richard Green. This incarnation wears a jester's costume, likely a nod to the early and brief Nimball version. His costume is red, yellow and green, much like the costume he is wearing in "Plastic Man", but a little different in design. Batman muses that Freud would have a field day with Toyman, though Superman warns not to underestimate him. He faces off against Batman and Superman with his toys and high-tech punching gloves. It is possible that like other versions, he is partially insane or fully. He ends up knocked out by some bombs. He should not be confused with Toymaker, another character created specifically for the show and who shares his toy-based M.O.

ee also

* List of Superman enemies

External links

* [http://superman.nu/wiki/index.php/Toyman Supermanica entry on the pre-Crisis Toyman]