The most well-known incarnation of Toyman isWinslow Schott, a criminal who usestoy-based or toy-themed devices and gimmicks in his various crimes.[1] Toyman made frequent appearances inGolden Age comics, but has appeared infrequently since then.
In the succeeding years,Jack Nimball briefly took up the mantle after Schott retired whileHiro Okamura uses the name while operating as a superhero despite Schott coming out of retirement by then.
Schott, Nimball, and Okamura have made several appearances in DC-related media, with Schott appearing in television series set in theDC Animated Universe, in which he is voiced byBud Cort, and thelive-action television seriesSmallville, portrayed byChris Gauthier. Additionally, Schott along with his son and series original character Winslow "Winn" Schott Jr. appear in the live-actionArrowverse television seriesSupergirl, portrayed byHenry Czerny andJeremy Jordan respectively.
The Winslow Schott version of Toyman first appeared inAction Comics #64 (September 1943) and was created by Don Cameron and Ed Dobrotka.[2] The first Silver Age appearance of Toyman was in Superman issue #182 from 1966.
The Jack Nimball version of Toyman first appeared inAction Comics #432 (February 1974) and was created byCary Bates andCurt Swan.[3]
The Hiro Okamura version of Toyman first appeared inSuperman (vol. 2) #127 (February 2002) and was created byJeph Loeb andEd McGuinness.[4]
Toyman vs. Superman, from the cover ofAction Comics #64, art byJoe Shuster
Toyman first appeared in 1943 and appeared in severalGolden AgeSuperman stories.[5] Schott appeared less frequently in comics published after the early 1950s, but remained a semi-regular foe during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
While at first more of a nuisance, Toyman gradually grew more emotionally unstable and paranoid over time, his toys following suit by becoming a lot more dangerous. Although Winslow Schott in his civilian persona was a rather sweet, humble, quirky (if socially withdrawn) person, as Toyman he turned into a childish, destructive megalomaniac. During the 1970s, Schott was effectively retired from crime, but he kept contact with Superman and even helped out to take down Jack Nimball, who he felt sullied the Toyman legacy.
This retirement proved to be short, as not long after Winslow put some of his toys on display, the entire museum exhibition was wrecked. Sightings reported this to be the work of a man in blue tights flying at great speeds. Thinking he has been played for a fool by Superman, Schott swore to destroy everything that Superman cared about to avenge his life's work. It is revealed that the real culprit wasBizarro, in search of a duplicator ray, but by then it was already too late: Schott had already returned to his criminal ways, murdered Jack Nimball, and built a giant robot to terrorize the city. After this incident, Schott's mental state grew even worse, and while he often made several legitimate attempts to atone for his crimes, he would often relapse back into madness.
After 1985's miniseriesCrisis on Infinite Earths andJohn Byrne'sMan of Steel miniseries, Toyman's history was revised, and thePost-Crisis version of the character first appeared inSuperman (vol. 2) #13 (January 1988). In this version, Winslow Schott is an unemployed British toymaker who blamesLex Luthor and his company,LexCorp, for being fired from the toy company that he is working for. He uses his toymaking talents to seek revenge, which causes him to cross paths with the British heroGodiva and Superman himself. Toyman continues to commit various crimes inMetropolis, including engaging inchild abduction.
Toyman later became a much more sinister figure, shaving his head, wearing black and getting advice in his head from "Mother". This was prompted by him being told that a range of Supermanaction figures would not include him, as he was not "edgy" enough.[6] While this seems to begin as a pose of what he thought people expect of a villain, it rapidly became a genuinepsychotic break. While in this state he abducted and later murdered Adam Morgan, the son ofDaily Planet reporterCat Grant.[7]
Toyman's history was later revised inAction Comics #865, byGeoff Johns andJesus Merino. Winslow Schott tellsJimmy 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 that his toys can reach, he refused. When Mary was killed in a car accident a few weeks later, Schott agreed to the purchase. However, the businessman lied and gave his technologically advanced toy plans to arms manufacturers. Schott proceeded to bomb the business with an explosiveteddy bear. A twist at the end of the story reveals that Mary was one of his first robotic creations.[8]
Schott reveals to Jimmy Olsen that 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 a hatred of children, and that Schott's repeated attempts to contact the robot resulted in it suffering from delusions of "Mother". This was confirmed inSuperman Secret Files and Origins 2009, although Jimmy initially expressed doubt that Schott was telling the truth.
In theSupergirl series while inArkham Asylum, Toyman is visited by Cat Grant and Supergirl. Grant interrogates him about children who have been kidnapped with dolls left behind. Toyman claims that he is innocent and the robotic dolls attack him. Supergirl saves him and gets him to medical care. When Grant returns home, she is confronted by theDollmaker. He identifies himself asAnton Schott, implying that he is related to Toyman.[9] The Dollmaker reveals himself to be the abandoned son of Winslow, who has been kidnapping and enslaving children. He tells Grant that he wants her to become his new mother, and that he wishes to serve as a replacement for her murdered son, but Grant violently rejects him.[10]
In the 1970s,Jack Nimball assumes the identity of the second Toyman during a period in which Schott had retired from his criminal career. Nimball first appeared inAction Comics #432 (February 1974).[11] Nimball wore ajester costume and used a similar modus operandi to the original Toyman. However, this version of Toyman proved short-lived. Schott killed Nimball with a mechanical toy bird and resumed his criminal career inSuperman #305 (November 1976).[12] Nimball was restored to continuity following theDC Rebirth relaunch.[13]
Hiro Okamura (岡村 ヒロ,Okamura Hiro) is a teenage mechanical genius fromJapan first appearing as Toyman inSuperman (vol. 2) #177 (February 2002) byJeph Loeb andEd McGuinness. He shows up in Metropolis in a giant Superman Robot fightingMetallo, claiming that the cyborg's body was based on material stolen from his grandfather.[14]
He later becomes an ally to Superman andBatman. In theSuperman/Batman series, he aids the two in destroying akryptonite meteor that threatens Earth. He strikes a deal with Batman to provide him with various technological implements.[15] Okamura uses more technologically advanced devices than the traditionally-constructed contrivances that Schott uses and his work is largely whimsical in nature. Many of his inventions are inspired byanime andmanga, including giantmechas).[16]
InSuperman/Batman #26, Okamura fakes his own kidnapping at the hands of Winslow Schott.Superboy andRobin attempt to rescue Okamura, but offer their friendship to him after learning of his scheme and realizing that he is lonely.[17][18] Okamura attends Superboy's funeral atTitans Tower after he is killed bySuperboy-Prime.[17]
A future version of Okamura, allied with a power-hungry group of Titans, travels back in time to the modern day to cement their power-base inTeen Titans (vol. 3) #52 (January 2008).[19]
In 2011,The New 52 rebooted the DC Comics universe. Hiro Okamura operates as theToymaster.[20] He appears as a confidant at his Toymaster Gameshop for a witness named Condesa to Clark Kent and Lois Lane's story on HODOR_Root, in which he agrees to help them.[21]
Winslow Schott possesses an incredible technological prowess and expertise inrobotics, as well as knowledge ofbiological weaponry. Despite the childish motif which he usually insists on incorporating, his creations are highly sophisticated, destructive, and dangerous. In addition, most of these inventions have an innocuous or even comical appearance that disconcerts his opponents.[22]
The second Toyman possesses skills identical to Winslow Schott.[23]
Hiro Okamura is an excellent engineer, able to fix most machinery (such as giant robots and computer hardware).
His appearance, inspired by the character'sSuperman: The Animated Series incarnation,[citation needed] is that of a child-sized doll. This Toyman mentions meetingHiro Okamura in Japan and stealing one of hisSuperman robots. 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.
InJustice League of America (vol. 2) #13, Toyman appears as a member of theInjustice League.
A female version of Toyman namedToywoman appears inSuperman #349 (July 1980). She is a gender-inverted version of Winslow Schott created byMister Mxyzptlk to serve as an enemy to his creationSuperwoman. Once Superman tricks Mxyzptlk into saying his name backwards, Superwoman and Toywoman are erased from existence.[24]
ABizarro counterpart of Toyman appears inAction Comics #856 (November 2007). He was created by the original Bizarro, who gained the ability to clone himself and create Bizarro lifeforms after being infused with radiation from a blue sun.[25]
An older Hiro Okamura appears in theTitans Tomorrow reality as a member of the Titans Army who utilizes a suit of orange-and-bluemanga-themed battle armor.[19]
Toyman appears inWhatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, where he and Prankster are unwittingly manipulated byMister Mxyzptlk to discover Superman's secret identity. They succeed after kidnappingPete Ross and torturing the information out of him, then killing him. After managing to unmask Clark Kent in front ofLana Lang and others, Toyman and Prankster are captured.[26]
Toyman appears inJustice. This version is a member of theLegion of Doom who communicates through a human-sized marionette resembling Jack Nimball, became obese and infected withBrainiac's cybernetics, and is based in a city resembling a funhouse and populated primarily by children and families that he has taken hostage.[27]
Toyman was meant to appear in theSuper Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show episode "The Case of the Dreadful Dolls", but was declared off-limits and replaced by series original villain the Dollmaker (not to be confused with theBatman villain of the same name). In a nod to Toyman, the Dollmaker's lair is located in Schott's Toymaking Factory.[28]
The Winslow Schott incarnation of Toyman appears in series set in theDC Animated Universe (DCAU), voiced primarily byBud Cort, and byCorey Burton inJustice League.[29] This version, also known as Winslow Schott Jr., is the son of Winslow Schott Sr., who dreamed of building a toy factory but lacked capital. Crime bossBruno Mannheim offered to bankroll him to secretly use the factory as a front for anumbers racket. When the police discovered the scheme, the gangsters left Schott Sr. to take the fall. As a result, he was falsely imprisoned for 10 years and died in prison before he could be paroled. Meanwhile, Schott Jr. spent several years in abusive and neglectfulfoster homes, which left him a deranged adult.
Schott Jr. first appears inSuperman: The Animated Series. Throughout the episodes "Fun and Games" and "Obsession", he creates an android named Darci Mason and seeks revenge against Mannheim for wronging his father as well as Superman for foiling his schemes before he and Darci are seemingly killed in the latter episode.
Schott Jr. resurfaces in theStatic Shock episode "Toys in the Hood". Having survived the events of "Obsession", he and Darci turn up in Dakota to captureStatic's friendDaisy Watkins and use her as a model for Darci's newnanite-constructed body. After Superman and Static join forces to confront Schott Jr. and rescue Daisy, Darci betrays him and tries to escape, only to be killed by a failsafe device he created to destroy her if she ever did so. Subsequently, Schott Jr. is taken to jail.
Schott Jr. appears in theJustice League episode "Hereafter" as a member of theSuperman Revenge Squad. During their fight with theJustice League, he uses an experimental machine resembling a giant toy robot to seemingly kill Superman, but unknowingly transports him to a post-apocalyptic future.
Schott Jr. appears inJustice League Unlimited as a member ofGorilla Grodd'sSecret Society. Prior to and during the episodes "Alive!" and "Destroyer", Lex Luthor takes command of the Society, but Grodd mounts a mutiny. In the ensuing battle, Schott Jr. sides with the former beforeDarkseid attacks and kills most of the Society. Luthor, Schott Jr., and the survivors subsequently return to Earth and work with the Justice League to foil Darkseid's invasion.
The Jack Nimball incarnation of Toyman makes a cameo appearance inThe Batman episode "Lost Heroes", voiced byRichard Green.[29]
Winslow Schott appears in theMy Adventures with Superman episode "Two Lanes Diverged", voiced by Michael Yurchak.[29] This version is an elderly pawn shop owner, a robotics and demolitions expert, and an old friend ofSam Lane.
A villainous version of Hiro Okamura / Toyman appears inBat-Fam, voiced by Kailen Jude.[29]
An original incarnation of Toyman namedOrlich Hoffman appears in theWonder Woman episode "The Deadly Toys", portrayed byFrank Gorshin.
A character based on Toyman calledNick Knack appears inSuperboy, portrayed byGilbert Gottfried. He is an electronics genius who dresses in child-like clothes.
Winslow P. Schott appears in theLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman episode "Seasons Greedings", portrayed bySherman Hemsley. This version has a similar background to the post-Crisis incarnation of Schott and displays a genuine love for children, which contributes to him reforming by the end of the episode. Though the character is never referred to as Toyman, episode writerDean Cain confirmed that he based him on Toyman while acknowledging that he differs from his comic book portrayal.[32] A second Toyman,Harold Kripstly, was portrayed byGrant Shaud in the series' fourth season.
The Winslow Schott incarnation of Toyman appears inSmallville, portrayed byChris Gauthier. This version originally worked forS.T.A.R. Labs before he was hired byOliver Queen to work forQueen Industries, subsequently fired for putting explosives in his toys, and found work withLex Luthor. After a string of failures that lead to him being arrested, Schott establishes Marionette Ventures, an organization dedicated to controlling Smallville's waterfront properties, to challengeClark Kent and the Justice League.
Several characters based on Toyman appear inSupergirl:
Introduced in the episode "Childish Things", the Winslow Schott incarnation of Toyman (portrayed byHenry Czerny)[33][34][35][36] tried to kill his boss Chester Dunholz for his perceived theft of his projects 10 years prior to the series, but Dunholz survived while six innocents were killed. After learning what happened, his sonWinslow "Winn" Schott Jr. (portrayed byJeremy Jordan) never forgave him for giving in to his rage. In the present, Schott escapes from prison and forces Winn to help him make another attempt on Dunholz's life beforeSupergirl defeats him. As of the episode "Schott Through the Heart", Schott has died. In the two-part episode "Back from the Future", Winn encounters a digital consciousness based on his father while attempting to stop the digital consciousness of a villainous doppelgänger of himself. After Winn reluctantly agrees to let Schott help, the latter sacrifices himself to delete the alternate Winn's consciousness.
"Schott Through the Heart" also introduces a female version of Jack Nimball namedJacqueline Nimball / Toywoman, portrayed byBrooke Smith. Following Schott's death, his protégé Nimball targets his ex-wife Mary and Winn, though they work with Supergirl to defeat her.[37]
"Back from the Future" also features an alternate universe version of Winn (also portrayed by Jordan) who took on the mantle of Toyman following his father's death. AfterBrainiac 5 frees him from prison onLex Luthor's behalf, Toyman attempts to frame Winn for terrorism in the future by uploading his mind into theDepartment of Extranormal Operations (DEO)'s computers to invade the Internet. With help from a digital copy of his father's consciousness, Winn hacks the system and deletes both of the Toymen's consciousnesses. As he had joined theLegion by this time, Winn changes his Legionnaire codename from "Computer Lad" to "Toyman" in his father's memory and to do good in his name.
An unidentified Toyman appears in the unproducedBatman vs. Superman. This version would have been a reformed criminal that Batman interrogates and tortures to locate theJoker. When they are attacked by one of the Joker's deadly gadgets, Batman narrowly escapes, leaving Toyman to be caught in an explosion. His fate is not revealed in the script.[38]
The Winslow Schott incarnation of Toyman appears inSuperman: Doomsday, voiced byJohn DiMaggio.[29] This version is more deranged and unkempt than other incarnations and possesses aGoth aesthetic. Following Superman's apparent death while fightingDoomsday, Toyman holds a school bus full of children hostage while robbing a bank until a clone of Superman defeats him. Following this, Toyman becomes a fugitive and kills an innocent before the police recapture him. After learning this, the Superman clone kills Toyman.
TheSmallville incarnation of Winslow Schott and Hiro Okamura appear inSmallville Season 11. After foiling criminals wearing teleportation vests that were stolen in a previous LexCorp robbery, Superman and Lex Luthor reluctantly join forces to solve the mystery. They initially suspect Schott, who is incarcerated atStryker's Island in "hyper-solitary". Upon being interviewed byLois Lane about thePrankster, Schott reveals they used to work together at Queen Industries' R&D department before he transferred to LexCorp and Prankster is a cheat who stole his idea for kryptonite bullets. Additionally, Schott modifiedJohn Corben's kryptonite heart to give him the ability to absorb kryptonite radiation.[43]
^Fleisher, Michael L. (2007).The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes Volume Three: Superman. DC Comics. pp. 470–474.ISBN978-1-4012-1389-3.
^Eury, Michael (2006).The Krypton Companion. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 96.ISBN9781893905610.
^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016).The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 311.ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
^Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010).The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. pp. 444–445.ISBN978-0-345-50108-0.
^"1970s".DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle.Dorling Kindersley. 2010. p. 158.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.Writer Cary Bates and artist Curt Swan gave Superman all the 'fun' he could handle with the savvy new Toyman inAction Comics #432.
^Commentary for "The Case of the Dreadful Dolls" on the DVDSuper Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show.
^abcdefghijk"Toyman / Winslow Schott Voices (Superman)". Behind The Voice Actors. RetrievedNovember 30, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
^ab"Toyman / Hiro Okamura Voices (Superman)". Behind The Voice Actors. RetrievedNovember 30, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
^Cain, Dean (2006).Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Second Season DVD Boxed Set (2006), "Season's Greedings" commentary.Warner Bros. Entertainment.
.png)
