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    Toyman (Schott)

    Character » Toyman (Schott) appears in 332 issues.

    Winslow Schott is a misunderstood villain that uses toys as weapons as the Toyman. He believes that it is the adults that are ruining the world for the children.

    Short summary describing this character.

    Toyman (Schott) last edited by KillerZ on 08/21/23 05:47AM View full history

    Origin

    Winslow Schott used to have his own toy store, Schott's Toys. It was his goal to make the most wonderful toys for children that was possible. He started branching out into mechanical driven toys such as flying birds, teddy bears that could tuck you in, and baby dolls that could grow. Both he and his wife, Mary Schott, dedicated themselves to the happiness of children. They wanted kids of their own but it just wasn't meant to be. One day a man named Walter Dunhill arrived at their home/toy store and made a business proposition. With his resources, Schott's toys would be able to bring happiness to millions of children across the world. It was a tempting offer but it was Mary that reminded him keeping things simpler was always his way.

    Schott turned down the offer. Three weeks later, Mary was killed after getting hit by a car on a dark night. Three weeks after that, Dunhill returned and Schott accepted his offer this time. He was soon disappointed when he discovered that he had been lied to. All of his designs were sold to weapons manufacturers. Dunhill told Schott to take his money, retire, and deal with it. Winslow simply wanted his company back. Dunhill told him that the contract clearly stated that they own him.

    Soon afterward, Dunhill received a teddy bear in a package. When he opened it, it exploded, killing him instantly. Toyman became mixed up in criminal activities. He wanted to punish the adults that deserved it and soon went up against the likes of Superman and Batman. Winslow claims he would never hurt children. In Metropolis children were disappearing and on Halloween it came to an end. At a costume party for children Jimmy Olsen, Cat and Adam Grant arrived for some fun. Later that day Adam had disappeared and a frantic search ensued. The son of Cat Grant, gossip columnist for the Daily Planet, was murdered by the Toyman. Adam's body was later found on the streets of the Suicide Slums section of Metropolis. Winslow confessed to Superman and Cat Grant that he did the killing for revenge "Because in their own way... the nasty, spoiled, ungrateful children of this world had killed me first!" He later confessed to Jimmy Olsen that he didn't kill him. It was a full sized simulation of himself that he had created to take his place in prison if he ever was caught again. They were so lifelike that they even fooled Superman. Jimmy had done some research and discovered that there was no record of Winslow being married. It turned out that Mary was another one of his robot creations. However, Winslow did have a child with an unnamed woman. During the New Krypton crisis, Winslow had a hand in the destruction of New Krypton. Schott was the one who triggered Reactron's self-detonation which killed all of New Krypton's inhabitants including Kara's mother.

    Character Evolution

    Two other individuals have called themselves Toyman in normal continuity. The first, a man named Jack Nimball, took over as Toyman when Schott retired. But when Schott returned to supervillainy, he was killed. This version of the Toyman wears the familiar marionette inspired costume that the Toyman from Super Friends cartoons wore.

    The second, Hiro Okamura, is a young man in Japan. When a large Kryptonite meteor is found hurtling towards Earth, Hiro comes to the attention of Superman and Batman after building a large Composite Superman-based robot to try and stop it. He makes a deal with Batman to provide him with high tech. He later appears at the memorial for Superboy. He also later helped Superman and Batman remove all Kryptonite from Earth, though this may not have happened in average continuity. Schott had a robot of Hiro- it is unknown if Hiro was a robot all along or if the robot was based on him.

    A forth Toyman similar to the Toyman in the DC Animated Universe first appeared during Superman's year away from Metropolis, but was later revealed to be a robot made by the original Toyman, so this may not count as its own Toyman. Schott later retrieved the android, calling it Toyboy.

    Alternate Versions

    Various versions of Toyman are found throughout the Multiverse. On Earth-12, a robotic Toyman lives. For more information, see the other media section below.

    On Earth-31, an elderly version of the Toyman- never referred to as such, merely as Winslow- is contacted by the Joker to provide him with dangerous toys, such as exploding dolls.

    Justice

    Justice Toyman
    Justice Toyman

    In the story Justice, Schott is contacted by Brainiac to help prevent the end of the world- really an attempt to destroy all organic life. Throughout the story, he uses dangerous toys to menace the heroes, including an attempt on Hawkman and Hawkwoman's lives. When they attack his base, they find the Venusian Mindworms that lead them to the villains. By the end of the story, Schott has been reduced a semi-robotic being by the worms, reducing him to a puppet for Brainiac. It should be noted his primary toy throughout the story is a giant marionette based on Jack Nimball.

    Other Media

    Television

    Challenge of the Super Friends

    The Jack Nimball Toyman was a prominent member of the Legion of Doom in the Challenge of the Super Friends.

    The Adventures of Superboy

    While not called Toyman, the character of Nick Knack (played by Gilbert Gottfried) is clearly based on the Winslow Schott/Toyman character. Nick Knack appeared in two episodes of the syndicated show's second season: "Nick Knack" and "Secrets of Superboy." The character is portrayed as a juvenile, immature thief obsessed with toys and uses them in his criminal schemes. In his first appearance, Nick Knack escapes from prison vowing revenge on Superboy for capturing him. He escapes and lures Superboy to his lair where Nick Knack drains Superboy's powers to use in a "super suit" Nick Knack plans to use to rob the gold depository. Superboy escapes and stop the Nick Knack, draining the suit energy back into him.

    His second appearance is simply a clip show where Nick Knack send anonymous presents to Clark Kent, Lana Lang, and Andy MacAlister in the form of Gameboys laced with post-hypnotic suggestions. Lana and Andy are brainwashed into entering Nick Knack's lair where they are strapped to a mind-reading machine and questioned by Nick Knack about Superboy's weaknesses. Nick Knack views Lana and Andy's memories on a television screen (in the form of clips from second season episodes). Clark/Superboy soon discovers the hypnotic messages in his own Gameboy and flies to the rescue and apprehending Nick Knack once more.

    DC Animated Universe

    Winslow Schott Sr.
    Winslow Schott Sr.

    Winslow Schoot Sr. appears in the DCAU, in Superman the Animated Series episode "Fun and Games". This version of Winslow Schott Sr. was a toymaker who wanted to build a factory, but lack of funds prevented this. When Bruno Mannheim backrolled the factory, he used it as a front for a numbers racket. When the police busted the racket, Schott Sr. was sent to prison despite not knowing about it and died in prison. His son Winslow Schott Jr. spent the rest of his adolescent life going from one foster home to the next, and eventually became vastly different version of Toyman.

    Batman: The Brave and the Bold

    A character in Brave and the Bold, Fun Haus, appears based on the Toyman. His modus operandi includes lethal toys and his appearance echoes the Jack Nimball Toyman. He first appears in the episode "Invasion of the Secret Santas!", in which he plans to rob a bank on Christmas. In the end, he is stopped by Batman and the Red Tornado.

    Notably, this character has an exploding doll resembling Baby Doll from Batman: The Animated Series.

    Smallville

    Smallvilles Toyman
    Smallvilles Toyman

    Winslow Schott (played by Chris Gauthier) was a Queen Industry's employee known for his childishness and habit of bringing toys to work with him. Soon after he began placing small explosives in his playthings he was fired. He was thereafter contracted by a severely injured Lex Luthor to use his deadly toys to serve as an assassin in the season 8 episode "Requiem". Schott, who the media dubbed the Toyman, was stopped but escaped custody. He came back for revenge in season 9's "Echo" where he tried to kill Oliver Queen again. This time he was incarcerated, but as seen in season 9's "Prophecy" was still able to enact a scheme to buy out Metropolis's water rights but assembled his own "Legion of Doom". This team appeared to be composed of such foes as the Black Manta, Captain Cold and the Dark Archer. Schott had also developed a type of mind control device that resembled Starro's mini starfish, but would attach behind his victim's ear. At the end of the episode, Schott is still locked up in prison, but his ties to the outside world seemed to have been severed by Clark Kent.

    Supergirl

    No Caption Provided

    In the CBS/CW television series Supergirl, Toyman's son is Winslow "Winn" Schott Jr. He is played by Jeremy Jordan, and appears as both Supergirl's best friend and an IT guy/all-around tech genius at CatCo. His greatest fear is that he might one day fall down the dark path of his father.

    Winn's father, the actual Toyman, is played by Henry Czerny, and appears in the episode "Childish Things". After escaping from prison he attempts to rekindle his relationship with his son. He believes that all of his heinous crimes have been for he and his son's benefit, but Winn wants nothing to do with his father.

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