Welcome back to another edition of Demanded Characters. A Christmas tree with toys all around is coming for some of some of us, but in the DCU the master of the toys is not Santa, it is the Toyman. This week lets take a look at this loony tinkerer and see what version the DCUC fans want to see.
Last week it looks like it was a postive showing for Aztek, just like Piffy wanted.
So when the Dark Knight gets a clown as a villain you can’t do the same for the Man of Tomorrow, so a toy maker is the next best thing. Coming from a time when Laurel and Hardy were fighting the bad men with toy soldiers, a villain appeared in a Superman book who took action figures to a whole new level. While he was not as cunning as Lex Luthor, or ruthless like Brainiac, or as strong as Grundy, the Toyman used his mind to try to get one over on the Man of Steel.
Winslow Schott is a toy maker was approached one day by a man named Walter Dunhill. Dunhill wanted to supply Schott with the means to mass produce his toys, and though he was thrilled by the offer, Schott refused. The choice would cost Schott his wife and turn him to a life of crime. After her death, Schott broke down and gave in to the Dunhill deal, not knowing his precious toys would be used for war. By the time Winslow started to learn the truth about the deal, he was already in a downward spiral, which he never recovered from. Schott blamed Dunhill for the death of his wife and the use of his toys for death, and in a twisted plot of revenge, Dunhill received a teddy bear in the mail. Unbeknownst to him, inside was bomb, the first of many cute but deadly toys in this mad man’s arsenal. This would be Schott’s first turn to the dark side of the DCU. Instead of maturing with age it seemed the opposite was true. He had the maturity of a child with the mind of a genius. He built toys that were used in crimes of all kinds instead of being used for play. He was the next gimmick villain of the DCU. For decades he terrorized Metropolis with his innocent looking death machines. Over the years this villain has changed his looks from an unassuming toy shop owner to a jester. Recently, there has also been a hero named Toyman, Hiro Okamura, who has aided Batman and Superman, been a part of the future Titans, and dated Power Girl. It was recently revealed that the other versions of the Toyman may have been robots built by the original Toyman, Winslow Schott.
Let’s take a look at some of the more popular looks of the Toyman through the decades.
The old man look would be something that would be a hard sell, like a Granny Goodness. He seems very Willy Wonka in his appearance and while he would be very comic accurate, at the end of the day he is an old man in a suit.
While most would agree that a cartoon look in this line would be a mistake, this costume was the most recognized look of the character thanks to the 80’s Super Friends cartoon. This look is very puppet-like in appearance. The classic jester look, combined with the wooden look Alex Ross has given him in recent years, would help to complete most of our Legion of Doom displays.
The final look of Hiro Okamura is also a simple one. He could borrow parts from the Robin figure. The major selling point for this version would be including some toys with him or something larger like a giant robot, which could make a great BAF.
Now its up to you what Toyman do you want to see in the DCUC?
Some images courtesy of Comic Vine
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