- (Laughing evilly) "Merry Christmas Metropolis!" (Laughs again)
- —Winslow Schott
Winslow Schott (aka The Toyman) is a villain in the series.
Originally a chemist, Schott later had a career making toys. One year when the traditional toys he displayed were rejected by children in favor of violent and grotesque ones, Schott's career was over. Unhinged by what he saw as a lifetime of work ruined, Schott vowed to work the following year to give Metropolis "the Christmas they deserve".
He was portrayed by the late Sherman Hemsley.
Biography[]
In his early years, Schott was a chemist. He then worked for a toy company, and was aided by Miss Duffy, a secretary. His toys were well-liked at first, especially a teddy bear that wished you a Merry Christmas when you squeezed the tummy. and Schott enjoyed his job due to the satisfaction it brought customers. However, the prior year he was terminated for unsatisfactory performance.
The reason being the most recent toys he made flopped in a test run, as the kids hated them, considering them lame as opposed to newer, more violent toys, "Mister, your teddy bears suck! We hate these". Schott vowed revenge in a unique way, returning to his roots in chemistry to spend the next year concocting a chemical that would make people greedy, selfish and irrational, and dispersed it in small amounts inside a new toy called the Atomic Space Rat. It was a squeezable action figure that squirted the chemical from the nozzle of it's laser blaster in it's hand.
Like the Grinch, he decided to ruin Christmas for everyone, as well as make himself rich as the Space Rats caused a toy craze. Miss Duffy was also taken in as Schott bought her a luxury car from the money he made, claiming she deserved it considering she worked hard all her life for peanuts, but later expressed her disdain for Schott's plan. He was redeemed when he realized there are people who are decent and caring.
Personality[]
Mr. Schott was a friendly caring man at heart, but being criticized by the kids he had made toys for and losing the job he loved, unhinged him a bit, giving the impression that people were greedy, selfish and didn't care.
However he changed his mind after saving a child from being hurt and she thanked him for the toy he had made. He then was overcome by shame for his crimes and helped Superman put right the trouble he had caused, therefore becoming a completely changed man. When a policeman came to arrest Mr. Schott and Miss Duffy, Superman appealed that he would ensure they went into custody so long as they were permitted to stay for a Christmas celebration.