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Winslow Sr.'s story sounds alot like my grandfather. My grandfather's bar was used as a hangout for the local Italian mafia during the 50s and 60s. His business partner was probably a mademan in the mafia and was using my grandfather's good name (he was a WW2 veteran) so that they could get a liquor license. My grandad was looking for every opportunity to get out of new york and when his brother was selling his Italian restaurant in the South, my grandad took the opportunity and gathered his family and ran.
Brutally butchered Lois & Clark's coworker's 10 year old kid. In unapologetically real fashion. It was very disturbing. But I wouldn't change it. It was actually a commentary on the grittiness of 90s comics and that creative direction. In the story he was motivated to revamp himself to increase his relevance, because his action figures weren't selling. It was a very dark story, but self-consciously so.
@@bad-people6510 they retconned that version into a robot duplicate that went rogue, the real Toyman smashed it to pieces because he never wanted any harm to come to children.
There's also a Batman comic where he is the bald version, but he suffers from a delusion seeing himself as the toyman from crisis and thinking he gives children toys when he's actually torturing them (like putting a kid on a wooden horse with spikes, thinking its just a rocking horse), till Zatanna makes him see what he did.
He was still acting like a bratty psychotic child who had the head of an action figure popped off rather than murdering someone. When Wonder Wonan destroyed his robot in a fit of ballistic rage, he's not treating her seriously and appears to think of this as another amusing game. The only moment he appears to truly get how grave things are is when WW locks him in a chokehold. Very scared, he asks what she's going to do to him. That may be the only time we get to see a peek of the actual man and not the boy behind that mask. He realizes he's killed Superman and WW is about to murder him in cold blood for it. It's one of the few times he's truly scared. I don't think it was enough to get him to experience any remorse. But it was a sobering moment of brief lucidity where he is snapping back to full reality.
Honestly, thinking back on it. I’m kinda shocked that we never got a crossover episode with Toyman and Baby Doll teaming up. A woman stuck in the body of a child. And a man who desperately wants to return to being a child. Each unable to let go of a troubled past that’s defined their lives.
I think the really sad thing about Toyman is that his obsession with toys stems from the fact that the only time he was ever happy in his life was when he was surrounded by toys. After his father's arrest, he was passed around foster homes "like a toy nobody wanted". That may, in fact, be why he ended up the way he is: In his life, the only person who showed him any kindness or compassion was his father, and after his death, everyone treated Toyman with apathy *at best.* That is the story of his entire life. It's easy for us to call Toyman things like "creep", "pathetic", and whatnot, but all of that implies that there was always something wrong with Toyman, rather than him being the result of an endless cascade of failures on the part of society as a whole. Society failed to stop Bruno Manheim from becoming a powerful mob boss. Society failed to assign guilt correctly and placed the Toyman's father in prison instead of the mobsters running the operation. Society failed to place Toyman in proper foster care so that he could grow up in a stable household or with loving foster parents. Society failed to give Toyman any kind of grief counseling or psychiatric care in the aftermath of his father's death. Even Superman has failed him, since unlike Batman with his villains, Superman never tries to do anything to reform Toyman, more intent on stopping him than getting him the psychiatric care he desperately needs. I really feel like that is something that needs more focus: Where Batman treats many of his villains with humanity, seeing many of them as broken people who need help, Superman's treatment of villains is as something the needs to be stopped, rather than someone who needs help. With villains like Lex Luthor and the like, that's definitely the right approach, but Toyman is a genuinely broken human being who needs help, and Superman does nothing to try and help him. Even the paragon of Truth, Justice, and the American Way fails to give Toyman the help he desperately needs. Honestly, it is no wonder that, when Lois Lane published an article discussing Toyman's psychology, the guy is so clearly infuriated. Why wouldn't he? The same society that has failed him endlessly is now judging him harshly without once addressing any of its endless failures in doing anything for him. If Toyman is a pathetic loser, what can be said about society that made him that way? It's easy to dismiss the Toyman as a broken human being, but who broke him in the first place? He wasn't born insane, but rather driven insane by a human race who never showed him any humanity. I think the Darci Doll thing is the saddest part and best shows us humanity through the eyes of Toyman: Toyman clearly feels incredibly lonely, given that he has no human companionship and but also clearly no love for humanity, so he created someone to be by his side. And yet, even that creation betrayed him and abandoned him *like everyone else in his entire life.* Is that because he's a creep, or because he modeled Darci after all of his experiences with other humans, and all of his experiences were of apathy at best, and betrayal and abandonment at worst? If so, how could Darci be anything but a sociopathic monster, when Toyman has never been shown any genuine love or compassion in his entire life? Darci is the reflection of humanity through the Toyman's eyes, with all of its flaws laid bare for all to see. Toyman's story, from beginning to end, is the story of someone who desperately needed help and never received it, even from the man who is supposed to be the paragon of all that is good in the DC universe. If he'd been in Gotham and was put in Arkham Asylum, maybe he could have gotten the counseling he so desperately needed. Instead, he was treated like a freak and a creep, someone to be shunned and mocked, but never helped.
"Where Batman treats many of his villains with humanity, seeing many of them as broken people who need help, Superman's treatment of villains is as something the needs to be stopped, rather than someone who needs help." i think this sums up pretty well why batman doesn't trust superman, and why batman is a fan of the flash (other then the fact that the flash uses his powers with finesses instead of like a jackhammer).
"Truth, Justice and the American Way" Unfortunately, there's nothing in there about being a good person, nor is there anything there about helping people.
@@DBArtsCreators Well, that's the sad thing, because they absolutely would have helped Toyman. Truth would have seen his father exonerated, even if it was after his death. Justice would see Bruno Manheim in a prison cell, instead of walking around as a free man and going on to help Darkseid with invading Earth. The American Way, ideally, is basically "Do right by others", which would mean that Toyman would have gotten to see his father exonerated, Bruno Manheim in jail, and getting the help he needed to become a functioning member of society. All three were denied to Toyman.
Superman has tried to help his enemies before or did you all miss the times Clark tried to help Bizarro or offered to help Parasite in his debut episode? This type of thinking is why Superman does not get the respect he deserves. You all just do not bloody understand him or do not even try to understand him!
One thing I loved from JLU's legion of doom was the odd amount of respect Luthor consistently showed towards Toyman. Anybody else challenging his decisions risked immediate execution and yet he not only didn't retaliate when Toyman complained they "weren't having fun" but he took the effort to placate him.
Lex respects intelligence in his own way, despite his ego. And it would not be intelligent to make an enemy of toy man when it’s not particularly difficult to appease him.
I suspect Luthor recognized the sheer genius hiding behind that porcelain mask, and didn't want to risk losing it. After all, Toyman was the only human in the DCAU to ever "succeed" in "killing" Superman.
Last thing Luthor needs is to wake up and find a bucketload of murderous green soldiers figures swarm him to death like a Pikmin enemy, so yeah, better not get on Toyman's badside.
I don’t think he gave the robot a personality because he wanted to break her. I think he just wanted an intelligent sophisticated partner like himself and didn’t really comprehend she’d have her own goals that didn’t include him
I know that'd be my motivation if I built a robot girlfriend. "I want someone on my level who can actually love me", but even if programmed with oddly specific tastes to lean her towards preferring me over other men, she'd still need the volition to be able to leave if she decided she'd rather not. Good thing that fully sapient robots are a work of fantasy fiction and I wouldn't be smart enough to make one even if they were possible so I never have to face the heartbreak of being rejected by someone literally built for me.
I have to think you're right. I don't think it was about breaking her to fall under his will. Feels like he knew that without a level of free will that it'd be pointless. He wanted a partner, but could only put his trust into objects. So he wanted to give her that free will and still have her choose him at the end of the day. So that way it would be real.
Unfortunately we didn't get a whole lot of Darci episodes throughout the DCAU where we would've see if she developed any true sense of humanity and a heart. Toyman built what was basically a sophiscated AI and programmed her with enough free will to make their relationship more "exciting." Deep down Toyman is so lonely and deranged in a mentally ill way from a lifetime of loneliness that he honestly wants a true friend. Someone that will really know him and understand him amd he thought he had built that with Darci. But her programming was so complex, she developed into more of her own individual than he was looking for. She was much like Ariel in The Little Mermaid in the sense she wanted to know more of the bright, beautiful world kept away from her. She grew sick of this man-child stuck in his mental illness and couldn't cope that he inadvertently created a robot woth free will capable of rejecting him. Darci not only didn't love, she hated him. The sight of him sickened her to the core. It wasn't enough that Superman may be able to keep Toyman contained in a psych ward, she wanted to see him dead. She wanted to be creative over how she killed him and likely tore his bones into paste, she geniunely hated him that much. Toyman the adult regressed into a child was incapable of cresting a woman who could never be truly human.
One thing that is pretty disturbing that isn't mentioned in the video is that Lois was fresh out of a shower in her robe when that Fairy Doll knocked her out and she was in that outfit in Toyman's Lair. So he dressed her.
It is proven time and again throughout the DCAU that Toyman hasn't grown or matured past the perspective of a child. He is permanently stuck as a child that has no concept of what being an adult is. So he has no concept or understanding of sex. Darci is a toy companion, not necessarily a girlfriend he will do something sp tender as even hold hands with. He treats her as a doll and as she admits, he sees her as merely something to play with. It's the same with Lois. He dresses her up as a doll and intends to hold her prisoner for the rest of her life as a toy. (And because he lost Darci.) I'm not even entirely sure if he had been allowed to keep Lois if he wouldve understood she needs to eat and relieve herself.
"He's a genius/he could do great things, but he's hold back by his weird obsessions" This line not only sums up Toyman's character but also most of Superman rogues gallery: Just like Clark, they all have ablities that could benefit the world and mankind, but sadly they choose to use their amazing abilites for their own self-gain instead of others, lacking the moral compass and kindness Superman got from his adoptive parents.
@@ianfinrir8724there's a bit in "Up, Up, and Away!" (the 1 Year Later story told across _Action Comics_ and _Superman_ that reintroduced Supes post-Infinite Crisis) where Superman taunts Lex by demanding to know where his cure for cancer and all the other things he said he could do if Superman wasn't around were. Because he had a whole year without Superman to "hold him back", and all he did was dig up a Kryptonian war machine for revenge.
Villains in a nutshell. Spiderman told a genius genetic guy that he could cure cancer with his dna manipulation science. He just said he doesn't want to cure cancer just turn people into dinosaurs.
@@magnusm4 Yeah, but Sauron (yes, that's the character's name) is also a dinosaur so it makes sense he wants to turn others into dinosaurs so he's not alone.
Great video. STAS Toyman was definitely creepy, between that mask and his behavior! I wasn't aware of the ventriloquist's dummy on which his look was based - it was cool to learn about that, and neat to see the photo of the Toyman action figure with George!
Funnily enough, I learned about George entirely by chance. Dan Riba shared a Facebook memory of George and the Toyman figure and it took me down a lengthy rabbit hole. Ryder set up a tumblr page a while back to catalogue his photos of George but I think he gave up after a few posts.
Toyman was also voiced by Bud Cort, who did voice one minor villain in “Batman: the Animated Series” and was probably known for voicing a talking computer in a movie called “Electric Dreams.” And I’m referring to the Superman: Animated Series one.
@@joezar33Because he's a Grown man Obsessed with childlike toys. Like we aren't talking about manly things like Action Figures but toys typical made for kids 10 and younger.
If there's one villain who better represents how underrated Superman's rogues gallery is, it's Toyman. Some can portray him as a joker wannabe or just generic criminal with toy gimmicks, but in the hands of good writer, he can be portrayed as very complex and sympathetic character. STAS is good mix of the creepy killer from the 90's but keeping the sympathetic elements from classic stories. Sure, Toyman in the cartoon is intimidating, but at same time his motivations are very understantable considering his tragic backstory. I really hope he appears in the upcoming Superman Legacy, rather than Brainiac or any other global level villain.
@@jacktoma21 Same, although I would love see a better portrayal of Luthor in the films. Most versions never felt they capture the core of the villain and his rivalry with Superman very well.
"Sure, Toyman in the cartoon is intimidating, but at same time his motivations are very understantable considering his tragic backstory." That's a good way of putting it. Spooky but sympathetic, lol.
I really enjoy Toyman as a Superman villain, he had a fun gimmick that challenged the writers to make him a threat to Supes. I quite enjoy his original post crisis motivations of wanting to almost protect the children of metropolis but he goes about it completely wrong. Like one comic where he kidnaps the children of all this Lex corp executives but not for any creepy or perverted reason, but just because he feels the busy parents are neglecting them and he can create a wonder world for them with his toys. It’s a much more sympathetic character to get behind.
Considering how powerful that one actually is, it's probably for the better. There is one comic where Mxyzptlk (not from memory) and Batmite (who is actually a part of Mxyzptlk with far less powers, but still very potent) are having a fight. After dealing with Superman and Batman it escalates into them destroying the multiverse and making fools of Darkside and the Spectre, then re-creating it all and agreeing to do the same thing next Tuesday. It's interesting how the Superman the Animated series Mxyzptlk actually has superiors capable of restraining him if he breaks their rules. Though does this only work due to Mxyzptlk agreeing to hold back, play along and be restricted is kinda up in the air? Could be just more spice to the game he plays in messing with this particular incarnation of Superman that there are rules and judges. Worth nothing that unlike a lot of other characters, Mxyzptlk is also a singular entity. There is only one of em, and all incarnations, iterations, versions, projections and others are to my understanding just the one and same Mxyzptlk. This includes the annoying trickster messing with this version of Supes.
@@videocrowsnest5251at one point (during the Ruin storyline, I believe) it was shown that Mxyzptlk was just an ordinary guy in the 5th Dimension; his wife (his girlfriend from StAS, cannot remember her name to save my life) was a politician in that realm, and she had to convince her fellow council members to intervene in some universe-threatening crisis or other because Mxy only ever left the house to mess with the primitives in the 3rd Dimension.
Toyman making a 'toy' to be his girlfriend isn't pathetic. Toyman making a toy to be his girlfriend but she gained sentience and was utterly disgusted by him to the point she would level cities just to destroy him in order to be free of him because she knew she could be famous and have any man she wanted? Now *THAT'S* pathetic. Dude can't even CREATE someone who loves him and his whole thing is creating. Got dayum, that's sad. And as for the electromagnetic 'aura' what I'm guessing was the show was trying to imply that all living beings give off an electric charge via out cells and nervous system. If Darci's body was more less just synthetic matter to hold up her AI brain, then she wouldn't give off that type of charge. She may have just been really high grade 'living silicon' but with no real 'living parts' (cells) within her (despite the whole DNA thing) and as such wouldn't give off any sort of vitals or cell activity. But then again, I'm just guessing. That was revenge served cold. Edit: I have my own theory on why Toyman gave Darci free will and it leans more towards him wanting actual HUMAN companionship. After all, he wanted to love Darci and he wanted her to love him but because of the free will he gave her, she found him disgusting and rejected him. Toyman's best moments in his life were with his father, someone who was probably the only person who gave him hope so there is the slight chance that Toyman understood the importance of freewill and wanted someone with an 'organic' mind to love him, not just another 'toy'. Darci betrayed him and him getting her back wasn't so much an act of him wanting to break her down but trying to keep her from leaving him alone again and consider this. Toyman actually GAVE Darci a second chance. He gave her a new body, a new lease on life but he wasn't stupid. He knew that she had betrayed him before and was smart enough to know that should could betray him again and in this case, Darci was clearly 'broken goods' that even he knew he couldn't salvage. In a weird twist, Toyman knw Darci couldn't change, refused to change and would just be evil despite what he had done for her so this was a case he had to take out one of his toys. He's a bastard but even he knows when to cut ties. And even though the mask was smiling, I can imagine sitting behind the thing in complete misery.
Toyman programmes a toy person to behave exactly the way he knows people behave. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone (not even Toyman) that he needs a fail-safe button.
Man, Toyman is one of the best terrible people in the DCAU. I'm kind of sad he only has a few episodes, but that kind of makes him more special I think. I think you are right Luke that he made Darci as a way of being able to force his control on a person. He created more than a toy, a creature that could learn, think, and above all else, fear. He then reveled in controlling her, chasing her, and forcing her to fall under compliance. I never saw that Static Shock episode, I'll admit that I didn't watch much of SS at all, but knowing the end of her story there really sends a shiver down my spine. Toyman is sick, and I'm very happy with his reinvention in Superman TAS.
Perhaps compensating on Static Shock is in order. It's admittey essential to the DCAU, even if it doesn't lead to a lot of important plot points crossing over to the JL+U series.
@@zemox2534 Well, it has its many moments, but overall, the show (alongside Gotham Girls) is one acquired taste compared to B: TAS, S: TAS/TNBA, BB, and JL+JLU. Beats the overly pointless The Zeta Project though.
Honestly, I kinda get why Darcy tried to kill Lana, shes for the most part cold logic and didnt want the secret getting out or someone stopping her of getting rid of Toyman, who would stop at nothing to get her back; so anyone who knew that would try to stop her and problaby try to study her due to the lvl tech she is, wich would be really benefitial and have way to many uses (Bot h Good and Bad). I have a personal theory that he made several Darcie's and destroyed them over the years when they try to betray him, just because he can and honeslty fits his childish behaviour... like a kid who breaks a toy and asks their parents to buy a new one; especially since he sounds really unbothered when he destroys her current teen body.
And as to why she wanted to take over Daisy in Static Shock, guess her programming has finally started to become irreparably faulty. Dark out of nowhere, but overall adds more tragedy to what seemed like an apathetic episode ending.
The comic version of Bizzaro did the opposite of what any sane person would do just for the sake of doing the opposite. Animated Bizzaro was more like Superman with an intellectual disability. He wanted to be a hero but lacked the intellectual capacity to understand how the world worked.
In the long run, it’s sad that Toyman’s misery served a purpose. I mean think about it. If Toyman hadn’t become a villain he wouldn’t have become Superman’s enemy. He wouldn’t have sent Superman to the future where he would have found out about Vandel Savage’s plan that would have lead to the devastating future he was sent to. Saving humanity’s future at Toyman’s expense.
I remember watching for the first time Toyman's debut episode and just how disturbing it was. Especially that play-clay bioweapon he created that would smother its victim to death. I fear intrusive creatures taking over. It was kind of a body-horror element of the story. Also, it's Superman who is the alias while Clark Kent is the real identity.
The way you mention Toyman is a genius who is held back by his own immaturity seems to be channeled in the heroic incarnation of the character, Hiro Okamura. He's a supergenius from Japan who is the modern Toyman, and can build nanobots to pull trace amounts of kryptonite from the air or make a giant superhero gundam that looks like Batman and Superman, but he's also a good guy. He's still a bit of a pervert though, as he tries to broker his services at one point to Superman in exchange for a Supergirl clone bot (although the help Hiro provides is so important that Kara actually agrees to go on a real date with the guy, although part of it might be to make sure he doesn't have a permanent sex bot in her likeness).
This reminds me of that comic panel where spiderman is talking to the doctor who turned himself into a dinosaur hybrid and he was like S: "You know how to genetically alter people, you could literally cure cancer!" D: "Yes, but I don't want to cure cancer, I want to turn people into dinosaurs!" This has the same feel as that, guy could create so many wonderful things and is probably aware he could do that, but he doesn't because he doesn't want to.
Just a tiny detail about toy man, not really important but I always thought it was neat. His voice is muffled for the entirety of all of his performances in Superman. Not many shows do that, and it's usually a digital effect or it doesn't match the style of face covering. But I always wondered if Bud Cort was wearing a plastic halloween mask in the recording room. And I can't wait for the Terry video.
With how brilliant (but very creepy and disturbing) Toymans inventions and tech were, it's interesting to think about how much of it was scooped up after battles with Superman/other heroes were done and over by Cadmus (when it was still a thing)/other shady arms manufacturers to try and figure out applications of them. Cadmus type research was already going on during the Superman the animated series, so I'd have to imagine Metropolis quickly became one of the biggest and most important sites for securing exotic, alien, or otherwise new, novel forms of technology for that sort of research due to Superman leaving plenty of scrap for clean up to shift though. Some of Toymans more advanced tech likely also ended up in the hands of Lexcorp for study. I can especially see cost efficiency being an appealing factor in trying to replicate his work. Considering how little resources Toyman in all likelihood had at his disposal, he churned out some incredibly advanced machinery on a dime over spending billions in extensive R and D programs to get anywhere near working prototypes of some of the stuff he cooked up. In all likelihood, he had a far bigger indirect and unintended impact on things than might be assumed from his few appearances. Toyman's Superman revenge squad mech, and its time travel disintegration cannon is especially impressive in how it likely (due to the presence of Kalibak who could easily be malleable to providing such components for the scheme) integrated some tech from Apokolips in its weapons working. Meaning, Toyman thought this venture, in all likelihood, has gained some knowledge and ability in even working with the technology of the New Gods.
Toyman was one of the best villains from Superman TAS. The last image of his broken mask from his debut episode is a tragic Albeit disturbing symbol of his broken childhood. He never experienced a normal childhood and was constantly discarded from one Foster family to another. It is no surprise that he would grow up to become the twisted Toyman. I sense a little contempt in your voice when you call Winslow patheic. The thing that always annoys me about Superman is how he is misjudged and misunderstood. Superman is Clark Kent. Batman considers Bruce Wayne to be the mask, but Clark see Superman as a disguise. A disguise that he wears whenever he is helping people. People always view Superman as "boring" which is why we keep getting "darker " versions on the big screen. Superman has a great rogues gallery but writers just refuse to further develop them. Outside of Lex most Superman rogues are underutilised. Even in TAS the writers barely reinvented most of the rogues except for Toyman and Brainiac. I find that kind of frustrating since I like the Superman villains. Great video Serum. Looking forward to your Batman Beyond month. Happy New Year
You pretty much summed up a lot of the problems with Superman media, where he's the "boring" one (a label that for some reason never seems to stick to the other flying brick-style characters, even when it's a relative no-name like Statesman or pathetic fraud like Homelander) so everyone just decides that he has to be dark and troubled even though that's the exact opposite of who Superman is. I've only seen one piece of non-comics media that's gotten Big Blue *right* in years, and it's somehow the Year-One version on Adult Swim.
Problem with Superman is that he's a white knight. Generally seen as a boring character in its own right. And he's so ridiculously Op that it's hard for him to have any meaningful struggles at all. It's the flippancy the natator uses to describe his victories over Toyman in this video. There was never any doubt. The exact details of the moves Superman were going to make weren't in question, let alone the fight. How do you make conflicts with a character like that interesting? You could have the most varied group of villains in the world and the outcome will still be the same. Even the intellectual challenges don't factor in as much, as Clark can just outrun or outfight any force a villain might use to counteract him. You can't even take him by surprise because of his canonically invulnerability. So how do you have good conflicts with Superman, when the guy can't be affected (let alone killed) by pretty much anything done to him?
Spoken as as someone who does not know anything about Superman! This is the shit I am talking about! First aside from Kryptonite, Magic hurts Clark, strong energy hurts Clark and even energy apportion hurts Clark. The point of Clark is not his powers it is his character. He believes in hope and seeing the best in people. He uses his powers to do the right thing even if it isn't "Popular " Superman vs the Elite explores Superman and his morals well so I suggest you watch that and read a few more Superman comics before you fucking judge himA
@@zemox2534 Yeah it "hurts him". There's a long way to go between something triggering your pain sensors, and causing genuine injury, and Superman never comes close to the later. If I bang my knee, or get a static shock, is that compelling drama? Because that's about as close as Superman comes to actually being hurt most of the time. Unless some power nullification is in the mix, the dude can't be phased for long, and even that fades pretty quickly once he's out of range of whatever is affecting him. The guy is has and most likely always will be, a OP knight. Sure if the character is interesting enough, they can lead a good show anyway. But it's a terrible draw for a action series if your lead can shrug off everything you throw at him. It's not just Clark either. There's a few other characters like that which put me off that I otherwise quite like. It's just a really bad choice for what is primarily a action series.
@@zemox2534 Also I enjoyed Superman and the Elite but one good movie doesn't change the fact that he's a action hero that bullets bounce off of. Part of the problem is that action heroes are supposed to take Action and react in order to stay alive. Superman, like most Op Knights, never has to.
"He's a genius/he could do great things, but he's hold back by his weird obsessions" Should I... Should I be concerned by how much this is weirdly relatable for me?
A ton of people think quotes are related to them, they are not. Ton of people are basic bitches that want to think they are more than what is actually happening.
It’s a more depressing version of “If you just applied yourself”. People (especially as they grow older, ironically) become set in their ways, and change gets harder to accept as time goes by. People search for comfort from the unknown, and soon that need for comfort becomes a dependence. It takes a lot of strength and self-awareness to grow.
Yes i find relatable too...that i can do great things but im in my word but is hard when you dont think that you can do that great things and feel yourself like a burden...dammed low self steem and instrussive thoughts
Toyman continuously pulls off improbable feats because everyone underestimates him. He managed to build a Time Machine that banished Superman to the end of the earth and no one noticed. During the legion of doom rebellion, killer frost squares up with him. He’s just some creep in a mask. He’s got no powers. Easy, right? Frost is handily beaten. When he gets left to his own devices or challenged by someone who doesn’t bother to prepare, he pulls the kind of nasty surprise few villains have the technical skill and sadism to manage.
I’d love to see more STAS/general DCAU videos! Lobo is a favourite of mine mostly for how over the top he is and his edgy anti-“hero” parody shtick (especially in the comics). Live wire is also a pretty notable STAS villain since she originated in the show and was popular enough to eventually make the transition to the comics (I’ll be it, to nowhere near the same level of success and popularity of other DCAU original creations like Harley Quinn.)
I'm willing to believe the Toyman gave Darcy self-determination so that ideally he could know that her love was sincere and that she had chosen it, but when she *didn't* love him he was happy to resort to force. Like he understood well enough to want that love to be real but didn't have the maturity to accept rejection.
I wasn't really into Superman the Animated Series as a child (I think like you I just found Batman and his Rogue Gallery more interesting) but I definitely remember watching the episodes featuring Toyman and being creeped out by him.
I’m glad that someone else was genuinely impressed by the stuff Toyman could do. It always seemed a a bit incongruous that such a weird little man could invent such impressive stuff that no one ever seemed to remark on.
I never knew it was a mask. I always assumed something had happened to his face and he got stuck like that. And yes, I forgot about the broken mask in his first episode
I’m hoping this means you might eventually start covering the whole DCAU. BTAS was amazing, but what made it truly one of the best series was that it led to the DCAU and all those shows.
At the very least, Toyman being made a creep without going as edgy as the comics made him more memorable. If you ever get around to it, I think Lex Luthor would of course make a great vid to cover, he's arguably the most well-defined DCAU villain, despite the Batman portions of the franchise being the most well-regarded overall.
Frylock: "Well why don't you just make yourself a damn girlfriend if your brain is so advance?" ToyMan: "Well, I did." Frylock: "Then Go!" ToyMan: "Fine! I will." Frylock: "And take ya damn girlfriend!" ToyMan: "I will; she's with me; stop looking at her."
A character so memorable, I actually can't believe he only appeared two times in S: TAS, when I swear there should have been five eps focusing on the guy back in the olden days. If life were more fortunate, his father would have been quite proud of him. 9:10: Can sympathize, but really, the words "magical girl" can make me flinch a bit. So much surprisingly good inventions, wasted on being built by evil fools and collaterally dismantled by reckless heroes... if I have my way, I would love to make an animated saga based on favorite fiction like the DCAU taking huge shade on these. Yay, can't wait to see monthlong stuff on what is arguably the best and most underratedly relevant DCAU show in my opinion! Addendum: So, how's George nowadays? Mean looking as he is, George better not have become unduly dismantled by some dollphobes, for lack of a better term.
One of my favorite Superman villains. I remembered him from the super friends toon and enjoyed the interpretation from STAS, though I did think it was too bad we never saw him without the mask.
I've been waiting for you to take an in-depth look at Superman TAS. Toyman was a villain who got my attention from minute 1. He's one of those types where you understand why he turned to villainy but you also want him to lose. Hmm, I never liked Darcy's dark turn, but maybe she's too self-preserving to think of the bigger picture. I still feel bad for her after Static Shock.
Toyman left an impression on me as a kid. They took what little the character offered and created something unsettling and unforgettable. Thanks for covering this character.
I was at work when you released this, but I'm glad you are into STAS. This is my favorite incarnation of Superman, from his journey here to JLU, I love it so much. I always thought this was the main design of Toyman only to find out that wasn't the case. However, this is my favorite design of his.
Aside from the hilarious pairing of Mark Hamill and Clancy Brown as Joker and Lex Luthor, what other BTAS/TNBA characters would you have liked to have seen interact with STAS characters, not including the team up between Harley, Ivy and Livewire?
sorry I thought I replied to this already - I originally said that Toyman and Scarecrow would be an interesting pairing, but upon reflection I think that Toyman and the Ventriloquist & Scarface would be even better!
@@SerumLake What makes you think that? They both have toys that can be used as weapons and Baby Doll definitely has instances where she plays along with being a kid
I think toy man is the closest villain to a "Batman's Rogue Gallery" Superman actually has. I think toy man represents Superman's childlike innocence and appeal to children... only gone horribly wrong.
He is basically a Batman Rogue if Arkham asylum didn’t exist. No one is there to help him cope with his trauma, and it doesn’t even register to Serum Lake that no one ever tried to help him, which is a bit ironic.
@LordDaret let me just say on record that if Batman's villains are centered around mental illness... then I think the toyman is overqualified to be a Batman villain. ( and yes, he might be slightly crazier than even the Joker. A little less dangerous, but slightly more crazy and dysfunctional.)
I’m impressed How kind and sweet George looks compared to toy man. It’s impressive how they made them look so different even though they look similar.😮
10:49 I’m sorry, but out of all the creative ways the STAS team designed Toyman’s machines, this helicopter takes the cake for me. “Is it a bird?” “Is it a plane?” “No! I- is that helicopter smiling at me?”
It makes sense why he would create a partner with free will, even though free will is detrimental to his desires. You can't be emotionally invested in something that can't think. The reason toys, specifically dolls, are so endearing to children is they invest a type of personality and life onto them. They aren't just a toy to a child. They're closer to a friend. But, the reason people grow out of dolls is eventually the brain and the body matures. We recognize we need more and more complex relationships as we grow, some of which eventually culminates in romantic relationships. Toyman is trying to merge the childish desire for a safe, controllable, juvenile idea of connection with the adult need for companionship. He doesn't realize that those two ideas directly oppose each other. Not because he's stupid, mind you. Because these are instinctual Human needs, not intellectual decisions. You have to remember. Toyman's insane. He doesn't feel or understand reality the same way as everyone else. Him creating a being with free will because he can, but trying to subvert that free will into mindless obedience is proof of this. He doesn't know what he wants because his emotional, instinctual side is so much less developed than his intellectual side. He's trying to think through an emotional problem he does not understand. It's why he creates women who can (and almost certainly always will) betray him, but still has the foresight to put limitation or termination devices within them. He's insane, not stupid.
Toy Man's Synthetic Human Technology seems really similar to Robotic Technology used in an episode of Batman Beyond. I think the episode was in late season 1 but basically this nerd from Terry's High School buys himself a fully customizable human robot to be his girlfriend who is super hot and 100% devoted to him. However that devotion leads her to try and seriously injure anyone who makes fun of him. Like Darcy due to her robotic origin she's stronger, faster, and far more durable than a normal person. i wouldn't be surprised if it was similar/the same technology.
this is my absolute favorite version of Toyman. There's just something off about his design that makes him so creepy without being overly edgy. I think this Toyman would fit perfectly in a Tim Burton movie.
"No electromagnetic aura, which I'm not sure is a real thing." I mean, kinda? The human body is composed partly of iron, which can be effected by strong magnetic fields. It probably doesn't work like it does in the show, but I can't really say for sure, because I haven't' seen the show you're referencing. But knowing how fast and loose comic book movies play with science, it's probably nothing like how it actually works in reality.
Well that was good, especially doing something different for a character that tied to the whole series, when you get to Brainiac video can you mention the original plans for Alive and Destroyer where the villain who calls himself the Key was going to a bigger part in it? There are so many superman villains that have completely forgotten about or not used like the superman movies it’s just Lex and Zod all over again and that they never use the others like in Superman 3 is was originally going to have Brainiac along with Supergirl which it is like a fairy tale with a superhero element to it but I also think that Richard Pryor should have been the Prankster and Gene Wilder as the Toyman as they were in a lot of comedy movies together and also since one of theses episodes were Toyman appeared in is called Obsession there is a character in superman comics called Obsession and that she never appeared and I would have Toyman team up with villains like the Prankster as they both did in What happened to the Man of Tomorrow by Alan Moore and also Batman villains like Mad Hatter,Killer Croc and Penguin I also thought a giant teddy bear robot carrying Kryptonite as that would be engaging.
What I find especially unsettling is we never see him outside of the costume. Makes you question if there's even a person in there. Like TNA Scarecrow.
"Fun and Games" is one of my all-time favorite episodes of STAS. I was so disappointed when I found out it's not featured in the official soundtrack released by La-La Land Records.
Give it time, I think that the Dynamic Music Partners will get around to releasing the rest of the STAS, BTAS, TNBA, Static Shock, and Batman Beyond soundtracks.
@@SerumLake I hope so too, especially after the unexpected release of the new Batman Beyond soundtrack earlier this month, which I probably wouldn't know about if it weren't for you. I was under the impression that WBD just didn't think it was worth the investment.
10:23 but here's the thing about Darci and Superman many don't understand at face value... Up until the next chapter of this video? Darci and Superman are INCREDIBLY human, starkingly so. Darci may of been an automatron, but just like superman she could feel emotions, she could feel being hurt both emotionally and physically, she knows the hurt of discovering that she's being manipulated. She is the closest thing to a reploid to exist in the Superman Animated Series. The only difference is Darci is selfish, heck, even Superman could be seen as selfish thinking he can protect everyone. The only thing that kept Darci from being a full on reploid in my opinion, was the fact she was going to leave someone to die for trying to guide her on the right path in a burning building: At this point, she would of been registered as a maverick, a maverick is a reploid that deals in illicit illegal and violent activities and are treated as armed and dangerous criminals. Despite that, before her revival? I truly felt bad about her situation...
That's why it's disappointing she basically gets killed in the Static Shock series. My man here forgot to mention why Toyman got put into the police car at the end of the episode. It's because he basically killed Darci. (IMHO) Darci would've been a great wife for Dr. Ivo's Robot "Amazo".
Thanks so much for including the Static Spock ep. Also, 11:50 on the analysis of Toyman not wanting sex but... just companionship? That's a different way to put it. They didn't delve into him wanting a playmate, or someone to play his childish games on his level. He programmed Darcy to be an adult woman. Is he like Mad Hatter in this way? He just wanted someone to control?
Got to say hats off for this design its creepy. Also why do the police and everyone let him keep that mask on, maybe its kinda why villains always get out in this universe.
An awesome essay. Thank you. I have to say, as a fan of Silver Age Superman (that’s when I was born and grew up, I loved discovering the Golden Age Superman, including the relatively lame Superman villains, Toyman and The Prankster. But I learned to love them and their appearances in the Silver Age and reprints of the Golden Age material. But when I saw that there was going to be a Toyman in SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, I was somewhat skeptical about how that could work. But Timm, Dini and company, surprised me yet again. And it was great. Creepy, dark, and completely different than any Toyman from the comics. And your essay captured it brilliantly. Thanks
Love to see you branching out into STAS. You're right about his rogues' gallery being not nearly as good as Batman's, but I have to say World's Finest is an absolutely terrific pair-up between Luthor and Joker.
@@zemox2534 Outside of Toyman, Lex Luthor, and Darkseid (& etc.), I'm struggling to think of one that stands out. No, I did think of one - Lobo. He's genuinely interesting and fun. But other than that? Parasite never really had a lot of interesting motivation, Volcana was written off after the first appearance, Live Wire had a good motivation but then seemed to forget about it later on. Intergang was never more than a front for Darkseid, and On reflection, Mongol is a decent character, but without a motive beyond "conquer stuff". But he only had the one appearance in STAS, and another in JLU. So many of Superman's villains in the show are one-shots, who get turned from villain to friend by the end.
@@zarrg5611 Good point about Metallo; I'd put him in the good bad guy camp. But I don't care for the STAS Bizzaro. Mr. M. is an odd one (fittingly). I love Gilbert Godfried's voice for him, but I think he was really wasted after the first good episode. I think he might have been better as a one-off.
One thing that should be noted is that when Toyman is telling Lois the story he says that Bruno agreed to fund the factory "on one condition". That implies to me at least that he DID know about his father making a deal with Manheim and letting it be used as a front. That said, Bruno Manheim still sold his dad up the river and made him the scapegoat for everything (which makes Manheim's fate in Apokolips Now karmic justice)
I'm currently editing a Superman: Brainiac/Unbound review and in the opening I acknowledge how most of Superman's lore was reimagined/retconed into being more like in the Silver Age and match with the Richard Donner movie(s) by Geoff Johns. Toyman included.
11:35 Almost every animal, including humans, will generate a faint but detectible EM field due to the workings of the neuromuscular system (sharks & platypuses hunt by detecting this field). Some plants can also temporarily generate a very faint EM field due to some bio-chemical processes far too complex to get into here (look up 'action potentials in plants' if you want to know more). The clone(?) not having an 'aura' would suggest that she doesn't have a neuromuscular or even nervous system (i.e. brain), which is odd to say the least.
Ah, my second favorite adaptation of the Toyman. My number one is from the '75 Wonder Woman show, but I'm very biased in that regard as the part is played by Frank Gorshin. Can't wait to see what they do with him in MAWS.
I hope the theoretical MAWS take will be more sympathetic as time goes on. Bonus if he ends up making up for his madness by ending being a great if shackled inventor of groundbreaking tech that would make even CADMUS be envious that he's not on their side.
0:40: "Toymen" sounds like one of those American bands from the 60s that was trying to ape the sound of British Invasion bands of the time. You know, like The Byrds or even Buffalo Springfield. lol.
One contention with your essay: Superman does not disguise himself as Clark Kent. You're thinking of Batman. Batman is the man, Bruce Wayne is the disguise, even in his subconscious mind. However, in the case of Superman, Superman is the mask. Superman is the face that Clark presents to the world. Clark Kent is the actual person, and it shows whenever Clark thinks he's alone or with family. He doesn't act like Superman around his mom and dad, he's just Clark, which shows a fundamental difference between the two: Superman is a well-adjusted adult who masquerades as a super hero. He'll wear the cape for as long as he needs to, but ultimately wishes to give it up for a quieter, simpler life. He wont, because he thinks the world needs Superman, but when the time comes, giving up the superhero persona would be as easy as throwing away a candy wrapper to the man of steel. Batman, on the other hand, is a damaged person masquerading as a well-adjusted adult. He needs the identity of Batman, and is loath to give it up, and only does so when his body becomes too decrepit to carry on. This is even clearer when we get a glimpse into the future with Batman Beyond, where Batman literally became to old to continue being Batman. He was almost revealed when Terry found his secret and took up the mantle, and when a supervillain attempted to get into his head to make Bruce think he was crazy, it didn't work because the supervillain never referred to Bruce how he called himself in his own mind. Honestly Batman had more in common with Darla than Superman, because Batman's the one hiding a grim, dark monster behind a friendly face.
Oh I completely agree with you, I was just saying that Superman disguises himself as the Journalist Clark Kent, not that Clark Kent the Kansas farmboy was the disguise. Sorry for not being clearer.
I used to belive that but, after reading stories like Birthright and Superman Smashes the Klan, I started to see the opposite: Superman is the real persona. It's the identity that allows Clark to be himself, confident, brave and use his ability at full to help others. However this affects his chances of having normal interactions with others, since most people just see Superman as just some "alien savior" causing Superman to have to endure the pressure that comes from their expectations (only those close to him like Lois, the Kents can see the man behind the symbol). For him to have a more stable life, he uses his identity as Clark Kent, but, in order to keep his secret safe, he acts more timid and clumsy so nobody would suspect. Similar case for Batman. Sure his persona of the billionaire playboy is fake, but the same can be said about his Batman identity, as it's tool he uses to fight crime when the legal methods don't work as well a armor to hide his insecurities. His real persona is Bruce Wayne, the REAL Bruce Wayne, the compassionate man who wants to make Gotham a better, the one who deal with the causes of crime in Gotham, offering jobs for the poor, trying to help criminals redeem themsevels. This is why events like Bruce revealing his identity to Dick Grayson are so important, as well moments where Batman, when emotionally vulnerable, he takes off his mask in the cave, exposing his expressions and emotions he tries to hide from the world as the dark knight.
Great video, it's good to see STAS content, especially of this guy. Never knew the bit about Ryder Windham and George. Where did you find the photos? (Also knowing that he's written a lot of Star Wars novels, I wonder if Windham's ever seen Sentries of the Last Cosmos from late in Batman Beyond.) "Fun and Games" might have been my first exposure to Superman in general, when I was very young. I think it instilled in me a lifelong uneasiness towards vintage toys. Re-watching that episode left me thinking that Toyman would be a great main villain for a live-action Superman movie. Battling a mad genius's killer toys would be a nice change of pace for the movies, if nothing else. As seen here, the guy already has potential for a strong backstory, to boot. There's probably a whole lot more that could be written on this. I doubt he's in the running, though.
Dang, so if ever the case the Joker fought Toyman or vice versa, it'd be great calamity. Them working together... If they could work through their differences, or if Toyman could get over his weird baggage, then they'd be a force to reckon with.
Creepy? Sad? Pathetic? Genius? Yes to all. Which is why he's a good villain worthy to fight the most powerful hero. At least in the animated series. Toyman, Lobo, Mr. Myxispltz all favorite episodes of mine. That ball increasing it's energy with each bounce is both fascinating and a cool weapon.
I think it's worth recognizing that STAS's Toyman owes a lot to an actor arguably wasted in BTAS: Bud Cort. He was pretty much the best part of the otherwise mediocre "Cape and Cowl Conspiracy" and his awesomely sadistic voice is much better utilized here. The mask helps sell it all the better, too. "HEY, KIDS! YOU WANNA GET AHEAD? GET A HEAD!"
Amazing video I really enjoyed it. Toyman is definitely my favorite Superman villain. I am surprised you didn't at least mention the animated movie Toyman, I'd argue that toyman is much more creepier maybe it's better you didn't mention him now that I think about it.
14:48 *OH MY GOD IS HAPPENING, EVERYBODY STAY CALM* I *love* Batman Beyond and to hear that you, the best B:TAS chanel is making a hole month dedicated to this severly underated masterpiece makes me extremly happy. This is going to be schway
When you were here before Couldn't look you in the eye You're just like an angel Your skin makes me cry You float like a feather In a beautiful world I wish I was special You're so fuckin' special But I'm a creep I'm a weirdo What the hell am I doin' here? I don't belong here I don't care if it hurts I wanna have control I want a perfect body I want a perfect soul I want you to notice When I'm not around So fuckin' special I wish I was special But I'm a creep I'm a weirdo What the hell am I doin' here? I don't belong here She's running out the door (run) She's running out She run, run, run, run Run Whatever makes you happy Whatever you want You're so fuckin' special I wish I was special But I'm a creep I'm a weirdo What the hell am I doin' here? I don't belong here I don't belong here
A great thing about goofy villains is there is only one way to go, thats up. Great thing about a character like say Mysterio from Spider-Man, the colorful costume, the fishbowl helmet. Thing is there are quite dark story lines involving Mysterio, it always hits harder to see these characters that might have had a goofy orgin story, suddenly get the respect they deserve.
Lex Luthor likes him because he's a genius inventor that doesn't stab him in the back and has no problem doing evil stuff. Toyman likes his position and doesn't want more power because it means more responsibilities and he just wants to "play" with his "toys" he made and make new "toys".
The psycho child killer Toyman was kinda used with the iteration from the 2007 Death of Superman adaptation. The STAS version still always creeped me out a kid, something about porcelain dolls is just disturbing
Sidebar, I love Manheim. He's just so out of his element, I love whenever he escapes to Apokolips and is stuck there so this ordinary thug is forced to adapt to this hell planet. And if there is one thing that Bruno Manheim is good at, it's surviving. He improbably dodges all of the bullets that Toyman's planes shoot at him, plus all of Toyman's other traps and schemes that episode. Obviously it's a kid's show, he's not gonna die on screen, but he's not just getting put in jail by Superman, he's working for Darkseid and my man is living to see another day!
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If you're checking out Batman Beyond, you gotta make sure to checkout my favorite episode, "Big Time"
Killer frost taking Toyman lightly, thinking she was goimg too get a easy win , was his best moment in JLU .
Winslow Sr.'s story sounds alot like my grandfather. My grandfather's bar was used as a hangout for the local Italian mafia during the 50s and 60s. His business partner was probably a mademan in the mafia and was using my grandfather's good name (he was a WW2 veteran) so that they could get a liquor license. My grandad was looking for every opportunity to get out of new york and when his brother was selling his Italian restaurant in the South, my grandad took the opportunity and gathered his family and ran.
"In the 90's he was reimagined as a dark, gritty child killer" Yep, sounds about right lmfao
Brutally butchered Lois & Clark's coworker's 10 year old kid. In unapologetically real fashion. It was very disturbing. But I wouldn't change it.
It was actually a commentary on the grittiness of 90s comics and that creative direction. In the story he was motivated to revamp himself to increase his relevance, because his action figures weren't selling. It was a very dark story, but self-consciously so.
@@bad-people6510 they retconned that version into a robot duplicate that went rogue, the real Toyman smashed it to pieces because he never wanted any harm to come to children.
@@nicholasfarrell5981 Yes I am aware of that and I disapprove.
There's also a Batman comic where he is the bald version, but he suffers from a delusion seeing himself as the toyman from crisis and thinking he gives children toys when he's actually torturing them (like putting a kid on a wooden horse with spikes, thinking its just a rocking horse), till Zatanna makes him see what he did.
@@bad-people6510personally I don't mind And besides it's still kinda edgy.
Him "killing" superman was so unnerving
"Superman go bye bye"
Is lowkey chilling as a kid
Oh he upset me and my brother. Yeah he didn't kill him but still
I swear he was one creepy mf
He was still acting like a bratty psychotic child who had the head of an action figure popped off rather than murdering someone. When Wonder Wonan destroyed his robot in a fit of ballistic rage, he's not treating her seriously and appears to think of this as another amusing game. The only moment he appears to truly get how grave things are is when WW locks him in a chokehold. Very scared, he asks what she's going to do to him. That may be the only time we get to see a peek of the actual man and not the boy behind that mask. He realizes he's killed Superman and WW is about to murder him in cold blood for it. It's one of the few times he's truly scared. I don't think it was enough to get him to experience any remorse. But it was a sobering moment of brief lucidity where he is snapping back to full reality.
@@krosalil7732 straight facts 👏🏿
In the comics Superman has stated that Toyman is probably the most dangerous of his rouge's gallery simply because nobody takes Toyman seriously.
it's always the whacky looking ones XD
Kryptonite toys for everyone
Nah Doomsday is more dangerous. Or Darkseid.
Not just that, but he's capable of some truly horrific things and never feel a thing other than this sick joy at the expense and pain of others
@@CloneJFKcongratulations on completely missing the point, and nuance of what a rogue gallery is.
Honestly, thinking back on it. I’m kinda shocked that we never got a crossover episode with Toyman and Baby Doll teaming up.
A woman stuck in the body of a child. And a man who desperately wants to return to being a child. Each unable to let go of a troubled past that’s defined their lives.
Yooooooo! That's cool!
I think even Baby Doll would be creeped out by him.
Or steal the Ventriloquist dummy for his collection, lol
Hah, that's a crossover ship that needs to happen.
Wasn't Babydoll actually an adult though whose trauma made her hallucinate that she was still a child?
I think the really sad thing about Toyman is that his obsession with toys stems from the fact that the only time he was ever happy in his life was when he was surrounded by toys. After his father's arrest, he was passed around foster homes "like a toy nobody wanted". That may, in fact, be why he ended up the way he is: In his life, the only person who showed him any kindness or compassion was his father, and after his death, everyone treated Toyman with apathy *at best.* That is the story of his entire life.
It's easy for us to call Toyman things like "creep", "pathetic", and whatnot, but all of that implies that there was always something wrong with Toyman, rather than him being the result of an endless cascade of failures on the part of society as a whole. Society failed to stop Bruno Manheim from becoming a powerful mob boss. Society failed to assign guilt correctly and placed the Toyman's father in prison instead of the mobsters running the operation. Society failed to place Toyman in proper foster care so that he could grow up in a stable household or with loving foster parents. Society failed to give Toyman any kind of grief counseling or psychiatric care in the aftermath of his father's death. Even Superman has failed him, since unlike Batman with his villains, Superman never tries to do anything to reform Toyman, more intent on stopping him than getting him the psychiatric care he desperately needs.
I really feel like that is something that needs more focus: Where Batman treats many of his villains with humanity, seeing many of them as broken people who need help, Superman's treatment of villains is as something the needs to be stopped, rather than someone who needs help. With villains like Lex Luthor and the like, that's definitely the right approach, but Toyman is a genuinely broken human being who needs help, and Superman does nothing to try and help him. Even the paragon of Truth, Justice, and the American Way fails to give Toyman the help he desperately needs.
Honestly, it is no wonder that, when Lois Lane published an article discussing Toyman's psychology, the guy is so clearly infuriated. Why wouldn't he? The same society that has failed him endlessly is now judging him harshly without once addressing any of its endless failures in doing anything for him. If Toyman is a pathetic loser, what can be said about society that made him that way? It's easy to dismiss the Toyman as a broken human being, but who broke him in the first place? He wasn't born insane, but rather driven insane by a human race who never showed him any humanity.
I think the Darci Doll thing is the saddest part and best shows us humanity through the eyes of Toyman: Toyman clearly feels incredibly lonely, given that he has no human companionship and but also clearly no love for humanity, so he created someone to be by his side. And yet, even that creation betrayed him and abandoned him *like everyone else in his entire life.*
Is that because he's a creep, or because he modeled Darci after all of his experiences with other humans, and all of his experiences were of apathy at best, and betrayal and abandonment at worst? If so, how could Darci be anything but a sociopathic monster, when Toyman has never been shown any genuine love or compassion in his entire life? Darci is the reflection of humanity through the Toyman's eyes, with all of its flaws laid bare for all to see.
Toyman's story, from beginning to end, is the story of someone who desperately needed help and never received it, even from the man who is supposed to be the paragon of all that is good in the DC universe. If he'd been in Gotham and was put in Arkham Asylum, maybe he could have gotten the counseling he so desperately needed. Instead, he was treated like a freak and a creep, someone to be shunned and mocked, but never helped.
honestly a brilliant, compelling, and well thought-out analysis in the youtube comments, holy fuckamoli
"Where Batman treats many of his villains with humanity, seeing many of them as broken people who need help, Superman's treatment of villains is as something the needs to be stopped, rather than someone who needs help." i think this sums up pretty well why batman doesn't trust superman, and why batman is a fan of the flash (other then the fact that the flash uses his powers with finesses instead of like a jackhammer).
"Truth, Justice and the American Way"
Unfortunately, there's nothing in there about being a good person, nor is there anything there about helping people.
@@DBArtsCreators Well, that's the sad thing, because they absolutely would have helped Toyman. Truth would have seen his father exonerated, even if it was after his death. Justice would see Bruno Manheim in a prison cell, instead of walking around as a free man and going on to help Darkseid with invading Earth. The American Way, ideally, is basically "Do right by others", which would mean that Toyman would have gotten to see his father exonerated, Bruno Manheim in jail, and getting the help he needed to become a functioning member of society. All three were denied to Toyman.
Superman has tried to help his enemies before or did you all miss the times Clark tried to help Bizarro or offered to help Parasite in his debut episode? This type of thinking is why Superman does not get the respect he deserves. You all just do not bloody understand him or do not even try to understand him!
One thing I loved from JLU's legion of doom was the odd amount of respect Luthor consistently showed towards Toyman. Anybody else challenging his decisions risked immediate execution and yet he not only didn't retaliate when Toyman complained they "weren't having fun" but he took the effort to placate him.
Would you want to piss someone like that off?
no one wants to piss off a lunatic in a doll mask that is held back only by their obsession with toys.
Lex respects intelligence in his own way, despite his ego.
And it would not be intelligent to make an enemy of toy man when it’s not particularly difficult to appease him.
I suspect Luthor recognized the sheer genius hiding behind that porcelain mask, and didn't want to risk losing it. After all, Toyman was the only human in the DCAU to ever "succeed" in "killing" Superman.
Last thing Luthor needs is to wake up and find a bucketload of murderous green soldiers figures swarm him to death like a Pikmin enemy, so yeah, better not get on Toyman's badside.
I don’t think he gave the robot a personality because he wanted to break her. I think he just wanted an intelligent sophisticated partner like himself and didn’t really comprehend she’d have her own goals that didn’t include him
I know that'd be my motivation if I built a robot girlfriend. "I want someone on my level who can actually love me", but even if programmed with oddly specific tastes to lean her towards preferring me over other men, she'd still need the volition to be able to leave if she decided she'd rather not.
Good thing that fully sapient robots are a work of fantasy fiction and I wouldn't be smart enough to make one even if they were possible so I never have to face the heartbreak of being rejected by someone literally built for me.
@@RoninCatholic And now With Large Language Models, We can now have our Own AI girlfriends. 😢
I have to think you're right. I don't think it was about breaking her to fall under his will. Feels like he knew that without a level of free will that it'd be pointless. He wanted a partner, but could only put his trust into objects. So he wanted to give her that free will and still have her choose him at the end of the day. So that way it would be real.
Unfortunately we didn't get a whole lot of Darci episodes throughout the DCAU where we would've see if she developed any true sense of humanity and a heart. Toyman built what was basically a sophiscated AI and programmed her with enough free will to make their relationship more "exciting." Deep down Toyman is so lonely and deranged in a mentally ill way from a lifetime of loneliness that he honestly wants a true friend. Someone that will really know him and understand him amd he thought he had built that with Darci. But her programming was so complex, she developed into more of her own individual than he was looking for. She was much like Ariel in The Little Mermaid in the sense she wanted to know more of the bright, beautiful world kept away from her. She grew sick of this man-child stuck in his mental illness and couldn't cope that he inadvertently created a robot woth free will capable of rejecting him. Darci not only didn't love, she hated him. The sight of him sickened her to the core. It wasn't enough that Superman may be able to keep Toyman contained in a psych ward, she wanted to see him dead. She wanted to be creative over how she killed him and likely tore his bones into paste, she geniunely hated him that much. Toyman the adult regressed into a child was incapable of cresting a woman who could never be truly human.
One thing that is pretty disturbing that isn't mentioned in the video is that Lois was fresh out of a shower in her robe when that Fairy Doll knocked her out and she was in that outfit in Toyman's Lair. So he dressed her.
Like a doll. 😨
I don’t know if that’s better or worse then leaving her naked
It is proven time and again throughout the DCAU that Toyman hasn't grown or matured past the perspective of a child. He is permanently stuck as a child that has no concept of what being an adult is. So he has no concept or understanding of sex. Darci is a toy companion, not necessarily a girlfriend he will do something sp tender as even hold hands with. He treats her as a doll and as she admits, he sees her as merely something to play with. It's the same with Lois. He dresses her up as a doll and intends to hold her prisoner for the rest of her life as a toy. (And because he lost Darci.) I'm not even entirely sure if he had been allowed to keep Lois if he wouldve understood she needs to eat and relieve herself.
"He's a genius/he could do great things, but he's hold back by his weird obsessions"
This line not only sums up Toyman's character but also most of Superman rogues gallery: Just like Clark, they all have ablities that could benefit the world and mankind, but sadly they choose to use their amazing abilites for their own self-gain instead of others, lacking the moral compass and kindness Superman got from his adoptive parents.
Lex Luthor: I could've saved the world of it wasn't for you!
Superman: Lex, if it really mattered to you, you would've done it years ago.
Vanity begets nothingness too.
@@ianfinrir8724there's a bit in "Up, Up, and Away!" (the 1 Year Later story told across _Action Comics_ and _Superman_ that reintroduced Supes post-Infinite Crisis) where Superman taunts Lex by demanding to know where his cure for cancer and all the other things he said he could do if Superman wasn't around were. Because he had a whole year without Superman to "hold him back", and all he did was dig up a Kryptonian war machine for revenge.
Villains in a nutshell.
Spiderman told a genius genetic guy that he could cure cancer with his dna manipulation science.
He just said he doesn't want to cure cancer just turn people into dinosaurs.
@@magnusm4 Yeah, but Sauron (yes, that's the character's name) is also a dinosaur so it makes sense he wants to turn others into dinosaurs so he's not alone.
Great video. STAS Toyman was definitely creepy, between that mask and his behavior! I wasn't aware of the ventriloquist's dummy on which his look was based - it was cool to learn about that, and neat to see the photo of the Toyman action figure with George!
Funnily enough, I learned about George entirely by chance. Dan Riba shared a Facebook memory of George and the Toyman figure and it took me down a lengthy rabbit hole. Ryder set up a tumblr page a while back to catalogue his photos of George but I think he gave up after a few posts.
That dummy looks like gabbo from the Simpsons
Toyman was also voiced by Bud Cort, who did voice one minor villain in “Batman: the Animated Series” and was probably known for voicing a talking computer in a movie called “Electric Dreams.” And I’m referring to the Superman: Animated Series one.
Yeah no one ever says "Toyman such a kool villain" based on how creepy the dude is , his got a did-dler vibe too his character which is unsettling..
@@joezar33Because he's a Grown man Obsessed with childlike toys. Like we aren't talking about manly things like Action Figures but toys typical made for kids 10 and younger.
If there's one villain who better represents how underrated Superman's rogues gallery is, it's Toyman. Some can portray him as a joker wannabe or just generic criminal with toy gimmicks, but in the hands of good writer, he can be portrayed as very complex and sympathetic character. STAS is good mix of the creepy killer from the 90's but keeping the sympathetic elements from classic stories. Sure, Toyman in the cartoon is intimidating, but at same time his motivations are very understantable considering his tragic backstory.
I really hope he appears in the upcoming Superman Legacy, rather than Brainiac or any other global level villain.
At this point I’ll take any classic Supe villain that isn’t Luthor or Zod
@@jacktoma21 Same, although I would love see a better portrayal of Luthor in the films.
Most versions never felt they capture the core of the villain and his rivalry with Superman very well.
@@alexandrefrauches132 definitely, why I’m looking forward to seeing Nicholas Holt in the part
"Sure, Toyman in the cartoon is intimidating, but at same time his motivations are very understantable considering his tragic backstory." That's a good way of putting it. Spooky but sympathetic, lol.
I really enjoy Toyman as a Superman villain, he had a fun gimmick that challenged the writers to make him a threat to Supes. I quite enjoy his original post crisis motivations of wanting to almost protect the children of metropolis but he goes about it completely wrong. Like one comic where he kidnaps the children of all this Lex corp executives but not for any creepy or perverted reason, but just because he feels the busy parents are neglecting them and he can create a wonder world for them with his toys. It’s a much more sympathetic character to get behind.
I love that story. I wish more writers would ficus more on the sympathetic side of Winslow more often.
@@zemox2534 yea I’m really glad Geoff Johns retconned the 90s serial killer version. I really like his Terrible Toyman comic
In defence of Mxy, he’s more of an annoying trickster than he is a full blown villain.
And even so, he's one heck of a mood swinger. Same goes for some Klarion the Witch Boy iterations.
Considering how powerful that one actually is, it's probably for the better. There is one comic where Mxyzptlk (not from memory) and Batmite (who is actually a part of Mxyzptlk with far less powers, but still very potent) are having a fight. After dealing with Superman and Batman it escalates into them destroying the multiverse and making fools of Darkside and the Spectre, then re-creating it all and agreeing to do the same thing next Tuesday.
It's interesting how the Superman the Animated series Mxyzptlk actually has superiors capable of restraining him if he breaks their rules. Though does this only work due to Mxyzptlk agreeing to hold back, play along and be restricted is kinda up in the air? Could be just more spice to the game he plays in messing with this particular incarnation of Superman that there are rules and judges.
Worth nothing that unlike a lot of other characters, Mxyzptlk is also a singular entity. There is only one of em, and all incarnations, iterations, versions, projections and others are to my understanding just the one and same Mxyzptlk. This includes the annoying trickster messing with this version of Supes.
@@videocrowsnest5251at one point (during the Ruin storyline, I believe) it was shown that Mxyzptlk was just an ordinary guy in the 5th Dimension; his wife (his girlfriend from StAS, cannot remember her name to save my life) was a politician in that realm, and she had to convince her fellow council members to intervene in some universe-threatening crisis or other because Mxy only ever left the house to mess with the primitives in the 3rd Dimension.
@@nicholasfarrell5981 Very interesting. I'm not the most familiar with the comics or what not, so thanks for pointing that out!
@@nicholasfarrell5981guess it would be our equivalent of a shut in who only leaves his house to mess with ants or insects or something.
Toyman making a 'toy' to be his girlfriend isn't pathetic.
Toyman making a toy to be his girlfriend but she gained sentience and was utterly disgusted by him to the point she would level cities just to destroy him in order to be free of him because she knew she could be famous and have any man she wanted?
Now *THAT'S* pathetic. Dude can't even CREATE someone who loves him and his whole thing is creating. Got dayum, that's sad.
And as for the electromagnetic 'aura' what I'm guessing was the show was trying to imply that all living beings give off an electric charge via out cells and nervous system. If Darci's body was more less just synthetic matter to hold up her AI brain, then she wouldn't give off that type of charge. She may have just been really high grade 'living silicon' but with no real 'living parts' (cells) within her (despite the whole DNA thing) and as such wouldn't give off any sort of vitals or cell activity.
But then again, I'm just guessing. That was revenge served cold.
Edit: I have my own theory on why Toyman gave Darci free will and it leans more towards him wanting actual HUMAN companionship. After all, he wanted to love Darci and he wanted her to love him but because of the free will he gave her, she found him disgusting and rejected him. Toyman's best moments in his life were with his father, someone who was probably the only person who gave him hope so there is the slight chance that Toyman understood the importance of freewill and wanted someone with an 'organic' mind to love him, not just another 'toy'. Darci betrayed him and him getting her back wasn't so much an act of him wanting to break her down but trying to keep her from leaving him alone again and consider this. Toyman actually GAVE Darci a second chance. He gave her a new body, a new lease on life but he wasn't stupid. He knew that she had betrayed him before and was smart enough to know that should could betray him again and in this case, Darci was clearly 'broken goods' that even he knew he couldn't salvage. In a weird twist, Toyman knw Darci couldn't change, refused to change and would just be evil despite what he had done for her so this was a case he had to take out one of his toys. He's a bastard but even he knows when to cut ties. And even though the mask was smiling, I can imagine sitting behind the thing in complete misery.
Toyman programmes a toy person to behave exactly the way he knows people behave.
It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone (not even Toyman) that he needs a fail-safe button.
Essentially, this was a modern version of "The Bride of Frankenstein".
Man, Toyman is one of the best terrible people in the DCAU. I'm kind of sad he only has a few episodes, but that kind of makes him more special I think. I think you are right Luke that he made Darci as a way of being able to force his control on a person. He created more than a toy, a creature that could learn, think, and above all else, fear. He then reveled in controlling her, chasing her, and forcing her to fall under compliance.
I never saw that Static Shock episode, I'll admit that I didn't watch much of SS at all, but knowing the end of her story there really sends a shiver down my spine. Toyman is sick, and I'm very happy with his reinvention in Superman TAS.
Perhaps compensating on Static Shock is in order. It's admittey essential to the DCAU, even if it doesn't lead to a lot of important plot points crossing over to the JL+U series.
You make it sound like it isn't fun to watch.
@@zemox2534 Well, it has its many moments, but overall, the show (alongside Gotham Girls) is one acquired taste compared to B: TAS, S: TAS/TNBA, BB, and JL+JLU.
Beats the overly pointless The Zeta Project though.
Honestly, I kinda get why Darcy tried to kill Lana, shes for the most part cold logic and didnt want the secret getting out or someone stopping her of getting rid of Toyman, who would stop at nothing to get her back; so anyone who knew that would try to stop her and problaby try to study her due to the lvl tech she is, wich would be really benefitial and have way to many uses (Bot h Good and Bad).
I have a personal theory that he made several Darcie's and destroyed them over the years when they try to betray him, just because he can and honeslty fits his childish behaviour... like a kid who breaks a toy and asks their parents to buy a new one; especially since he sounds really unbothered when he destroys her current teen body.
And as to why she wanted to take over Daisy in Static Shock, guess her programming has finally started to become irreparably faulty. Dark out of nowhere, but overall adds more tragedy to what seemed like an apathetic episode ending.
@@michaelandreipalon359 Oh yeah, i fully expect Toyman to never bother updating the program and just let it degrade overtime.
This makes a lot of sense.
I'd love an analysis on Bizzaro as a whole, because his interpretation in Superman & Lois was FASCINATING.
Mario we are two of a kind wanting the next Superman TAS vid to be about Bizzaro. The DC AU version wasn't even a true villain, he was just misguided.
The comic version of Bizzaro did the opposite of what any sane person would do just for the sake of doing the opposite. Animated Bizzaro was more like Superman with an intellectual disability. He wanted to be a hero but lacked the intellectual capacity to understand how the world worked.
In the long run, it’s sad that Toyman’s misery served a purpose. I mean think about it. If Toyman hadn’t become a villain he wouldn’t have become Superman’s enemy. He wouldn’t have sent Superman to the future where he would have found out about Vandel Savage’s plan that would have lead to the devastating future he was sent to. Saving humanity’s future at Toyman’s expense.
I remember watching for the first time Toyman's debut episode and just how disturbing it was. Especially that play-clay bioweapon he created that would smother its victim to death. I fear intrusive creatures taking over. It was kind of a body-horror element of the story.
Also, it's Superman who is the alias while Clark Kent is the real identity.
The way you mention Toyman is a genius who is held back by his own immaturity seems to be channeled in the heroic incarnation of the character, Hiro Okamura. He's a supergenius from Japan who is the modern Toyman, and can build nanobots to pull trace amounts of kryptonite from the air or make a giant superhero gundam that looks like Batman and Superman, but he's also a good guy. He's still a bit of a pervert though, as he tries to broker his services at one point to Superman in exchange for a Supergirl clone bot (although the help Hiro provides is so important that Kara actually agrees to go on a real date with the guy, although part of it might be to make sure he doesn't have a permanent sex bot in her likeness).
This reminds me of that comic panel where spiderman is talking to the doctor who turned himself into a dinosaur hybrid and he was like
S: "You know how to genetically alter people, you could literally cure cancer!"
D: "Yes, but I don't want to cure cancer, I want to turn people into dinosaurs!"
This has the same feel as that, guy could create so many wonderful things and is probably aware he could do that, but he doesn't because he doesn't want to.
You talking about The Lizard?
I'll be honest. I understand him.
I think Darkwing Duck had a parody of that character. 😅
Just a tiny detail about toy man, not really important but I always thought it was neat. His voice is muffled for the entirety of all of his performances in Superman. Not many shows do that, and it's usually a digital effect or it doesn't match the style of face covering. But I always wondered if Bud Cort was wearing a plastic halloween mask in the recording room.
And I can't wait for the Terry video.
With how brilliant (but very creepy and disturbing) Toymans inventions and tech were, it's interesting to think about how much of it was scooped up after battles with Superman/other heroes were done and over by Cadmus (when it was still a thing)/other shady arms manufacturers to try and figure out applications of them. Cadmus type research was already going on during the Superman the animated series, so I'd have to imagine Metropolis quickly became one of the biggest and most important sites for securing exotic, alien, or otherwise new, novel forms of technology for that sort of research due to Superman leaving plenty of scrap for clean up to shift though.
Some of Toymans more advanced tech likely also ended up in the hands of Lexcorp for study. I can especially see cost efficiency being an appealing factor in trying to replicate his work. Considering how little resources Toyman in all likelihood had at his disposal, he churned out some incredibly advanced machinery on a dime over spending billions in extensive R and D programs to get anywhere near working prototypes of some of the stuff he cooked up. In all likelihood, he had a far bigger indirect and unintended impact on things than might be assumed from his few appearances.
Toyman's Superman revenge squad mech, and its time travel disintegration cannon is especially impressive in how it likely (due to the presence of Kalibak who could easily be malleable to providing such components for the scheme) integrated some tech from Apokolips in its weapons working. Meaning, Toyman thought this venture, in all likelihood, has gained some knowledge and ability in even working with the technology of the New Gods.
Toyman was one of the best villains from Superman TAS. The last image of his broken mask from his debut episode is a tragic Albeit disturbing symbol of his broken childhood.
He never experienced a normal childhood and was constantly discarded from one Foster family to another. It is no surprise that he would grow up to become the twisted Toyman. I sense a little contempt in your voice when you call Winslow patheic.
The thing that always annoys me about Superman is how he is misjudged and misunderstood. Superman is Clark Kent. Batman considers Bruce Wayne to be the mask, but Clark see Superman as a disguise. A disguise that he wears whenever he is helping people.
People always view Superman as "boring" which is why we keep getting "darker " versions on the big screen.
Superman has a great rogues gallery but writers just refuse to further develop them. Outside of Lex most Superman rogues are underutilised. Even in TAS the writers barely reinvented most of the rogues except for Toyman and Brainiac. I find that kind of frustrating since I like the Superman villains.
Great video Serum. Looking forward to your Batman Beyond month. Happy New Year
You pretty much summed up a lot of the problems with Superman media, where he's the "boring" one (a label that for some reason never seems to stick to the other flying brick-style characters, even when it's a relative no-name like Statesman or pathetic fraud like Homelander) so everyone just decides that he has to be dark and troubled even though that's the exact opposite of who Superman is. I've only seen one piece of non-comics media that's gotten Big Blue *right* in years, and it's somehow the Year-One version on Adult Swim.
Problem with Superman is that he's a white knight.
Generally seen as a boring character in its own right.
And he's so ridiculously Op that it's hard for him to have any meaningful struggles at all.
It's the flippancy the natator uses to describe his victories over Toyman in this video.
There was never any doubt.
The exact details of the moves Superman were going to make weren't in question, let alone the fight.
How do you make conflicts with a character like that interesting?
You could have the most varied group of villains in the world and the outcome will still be the same.
Even the intellectual challenges don't factor in as much, as Clark can just outrun or outfight any force a villain might use to counteract him.
You can't even take him by surprise because of his canonically invulnerability.
So how do you have good conflicts with Superman, when the guy can't be affected (let alone killed) by pretty much anything done to him?
Spoken as as someone who does not know anything about Superman! This is the shit I am talking about! First aside from Kryptonite, Magic hurts Clark, strong energy hurts Clark and even energy apportion hurts Clark.
The point of Clark is not his powers it is his character. He believes in hope and seeing the best in people. He uses his powers to do the right thing even if it isn't "Popular " Superman vs the Elite explores Superman and his morals well so I suggest you watch that and read a few more Superman comics before you fucking judge himA
@@zemox2534 Yeah it "hurts him".
There's a long way to go between something triggering your pain sensors, and causing genuine injury, and Superman never comes close to the later.
If I bang my knee, or get a static shock, is that compelling drama?
Because that's about as close as Superman comes to actually being hurt most of the time.
Unless some power nullification is in the mix, the dude can't be phased for long, and even that fades pretty quickly once he's out of range of whatever is affecting him.
The guy is has and most likely always will be, a OP knight.
Sure if the character is interesting enough, they can lead a good show anyway.
But it's a terrible draw for a action series if your lead can shrug off everything you throw at him.
It's not just Clark either. There's a few other characters like that which put me off that I otherwise quite like.
It's just a really bad choice for what is primarily a action series.
@@zemox2534 Also I enjoyed Superman and the Elite but one good movie doesn't change the fact that he's a action hero that bullets bounce off of.
Part of the problem is that action heroes are supposed to take Action and react in order to stay alive.
Superman, like most Op Knights, never has to.
"He's a genius/he could do great things, but he's hold back by his weird obsessions"
Should I... Should I be concerned by how much this is weirdly relatable for me?
I have a similar thing i could make money but i'm held back by youtube
Such are bunny-eared lawyers.
A ton of people think quotes are related to them, they are not. Ton of people are basic bitches that want to think they are more than what is actually happening.
It’s a more depressing version of “If you just applied yourself”. People (especially as they grow older, ironically) become set in their ways, and change gets harder to accept as time goes by. People search for comfort from the unknown, and soon that need for comfort becomes a dependence. It takes a lot of strength and self-awareness to grow.
Yes i find relatable too...that i can do great things but im in my word but is hard when you dont think that you can do that great things and feel yourself like a burden...dammed low self steem and instrussive thoughts
Toyman continuously pulls off improbable feats because everyone underestimates him. He managed to build a Time Machine that banished Superman to the end of the earth and no one noticed. During the legion of doom rebellion, killer frost squares up with him. He’s just some creep in a mask. He’s got no powers. Easy, right? Frost is handily beaten. When he gets left to his own devices or challenged by someone who doesn’t bother to prepare, he pulls the kind of nasty surprise few villains have the technical skill and sadism to manage.
Honestly, more DCAU content is fantastic. Glad to see it!
More to come! 😎
I was hoping we would've gotten Toyman in the Arkham games, he would've been perfect. Than Suicide Squad came out and yea, we didn't get this Toyman.
I’d love to see more STAS/general DCAU videos! Lobo is a favourite of mine mostly for how over the top he is and his edgy anti-“hero” parody shtick (especially in the comics). Live wire is also a pretty notable STAS villain since she originated in the show and was popular enough to eventually make the transition to the comics (I’ll be it, to nowhere near the same level of success and popularity of other DCAU original creations like Harley Quinn.)
I'm willing to believe the Toyman gave Darcy self-determination so that ideally he could know that her love was sincere and that she had chosen it, but when she *didn't* love him he was happy to resort to force. Like he understood well enough to want that love to be real but didn't have the maturity to accept rejection.
5:45 Out of all things that i expected in a toyman video it certainly wasnt a ventriloquist doll selfie in one of my obscure ass city's landmarks
I wasn't really into Superman the Animated Series as a child (I think like you I just found Batman and his Rogue Gallery more interesting) but I definitely remember watching the episodes featuring Toyman and being creeped out by him.
Toyman is a very fun villain. He's very underrated.
I’m glad that someone else was genuinely impressed by the stuff Toyman could do. It always seemed a a bit incongruous that such a weird little man could invent such impressive stuff that no one ever seemed to remark on.
I never knew it was a mask. I always assumed something had happened to his face and he got stuck like that. And yes, I forgot about the broken mask in his first episode
1:56 "They're Superhero action figures... Nobody I recognize."
Okay That ones cute
I’m hoping this means you might eventually start covering the whole DCAU. BTAS was amazing, but what made it truly one of the best series was that it led to the DCAU and all those shows.
At the very least, Toyman being made a creep without going as edgy as the comics made him more memorable. If you ever get around to it, I think Lex Luthor would of course make a great vid to cover, he's arguably the most well-defined DCAU villain, despite the Batman portions of the franchise being the most well-regarded overall.
Yes, there’s so much to say about Lex that there will doubtlessly be more than one video about him
Frylock: "Well why don't you just make yourself a damn girlfriend if your brain is so advance?"
ToyMan: "Well, I did."
Frylock: "Then Go!"
ToyMan: "Fine! I will."
Frylock: "And take ya damn girlfriend!"
ToyMan: "I will; she's with me; stop looking at her."
Hey, should we wake up Lex? Cuz he's getting eaten by aphids.
Cool to see you covering villains from other DCAU shows, hopefully you get to some _Static Shock_ villains at some point.
A character so memorable, I actually can't believe he only appeared two times in S: TAS, when I swear there should have been five eps focusing on the guy back in the olden days. If life were more fortunate, his father would have been quite proud of him.
9:10: Can sympathize, but really, the words "magical girl" can make me flinch a bit.
So much surprisingly good inventions, wasted on being built by evil fools and collaterally dismantled by reckless heroes... if I have my way, I would love to make an animated saga based on favorite fiction like the DCAU taking huge shade on these.
Yay, can't wait to see monthlong stuff on what is arguably the best and most underratedly relevant DCAU show in my opinion!
Addendum: So, how's George nowadays? Mean looking as he is, George better not have become unduly dismantled by some dollphobes, for lack of a better term.
One of my favorite Superman villains. I remembered him from the super friends toon and enjoyed the interpretation from STAS, though I did think it was too bad we never saw him without the mask.
I've been waiting for you to take an in-depth look at Superman TAS. Toyman was a villain who got my attention from minute 1. He's one of those types where you understand why he turned to villainy but you also want him to lose. Hmm, I never liked Darcy's dark turn, but maybe she's too self-preserving to think of the bigger picture. I still feel bad for her after Static Shock.
I highly concur on all this.
Toyman left an impression on me as a kid. They took what little the character offered and created something unsettling and unforgettable. Thanks for covering this character.
13:50 I can't help but feel bad for him and his wasted potential because of his psychological trauma.
1:56 Ayo is that an Ironman toy?
8:04 Dang bro had SCP-018!
I was at work when you released this, but I'm glad you are into STAS. This is my favorite incarnation of Superman, from his journey here to JLU, I love it so much.
I always thought this was the main design of Toyman only to find out that wasn't the case. However, this is my favorite design of his.
Same here. I never liked the original design with the curled hair
Aside from the hilarious pairing of Mark Hamill and Clancy Brown as Joker and Lex Luthor, what other BTAS/TNBA characters would you have liked to have seen interact with STAS characters, not including the team up between Harley, Ivy and Livewire?
sorry I thought I replied to this already - I originally said that Toyman and Scarecrow would be an interesting pairing, but upon reflection I think that Toyman and the Ventriloquist & Scarface would be even better!
@@SerumLakeHow about Toyman & Babydoll?
@@joshuaquinn4201 I can't believe I never thought of that.
I think she’d hate him, but it is a great combo
@@SerumLake What makes you think that? They both have toys that can be used as weapons and Baby Doll definitely has instances where she plays along with being a kid
I think toy man is the closest villain to a "Batman's Rogue Gallery" Superman actually has. I think toy man represents Superman's childlike innocence and appeal to children... only gone horribly wrong.
He is basically a Batman Rogue if Arkham asylum didn’t exist. No one is there to help him cope with his trauma, and it doesn’t even register to Serum Lake that no one ever tried to help him, which is a bit ironic.
@LordDaret let me just say on record that if Batman's villains are centered around mental illness... then I think the toyman is overqualified to be a Batman villain. ( and yes, he might be slightly crazier than even the Joker. A little less dangerous, but slightly more crazy and dysfunctional.)
I’m impressed How kind and sweet George looks compared to toy man. It’s impressive how they made them look so different even though they look similar.😮
10:49 I’m sorry, but out of all the creative ways the STAS team designed Toyman’s machines, this helicopter takes the cake for me.
“Is it a bird?”
“Is it a plane?”
“No! I- is that helicopter smiling at me?”
It makes sense why he would create a partner with free will, even though free will is detrimental to his desires. You can't be emotionally invested in something that can't think. The reason toys, specifically dolls, are so endearing to children is they invest a type of personality and life onto them. They aren't just a toy to a child. They're closer to a friend. But, the reason people grow out of dolls is eventually the brain and the body matures. We recognize we need more and more complex relationships as we grow, some of which eventually culminates in romantic relationships. Toyman is trying to merge the childish desire for a safe, controllable, juvenile idea of connection with the adult need for companionship. He doesn't realize that those two ideas directly oppose each other. Not because he's stupid, mind you. Because these are instinctual Human needs, not intellectual decisions.
You have to remember. Toyman's insane. He doesn't feel or understand reality the same way as everyone else. Him creating a being with free will because he can, but trying to subvert that free will into mindless obedience is proof of this. He doesn't know what he wants because his emotional, instinctual side is so much less developed than his intellectual side. He's trying to think through an emotional problem he does not understand. It's why he creates women who can (and almost certainly always will) betray him, but still has the foresight to put limitation or termination devices within them. He's insane, not stupid.
Toy Man's Synthetic Human Technology seems really similar to Robotic Technology used in an episode of Batman Beyond. I think the episode was in late season 1 but basically this nerd from Terry's High School buys himself a fully customizable human robot to be his girlfriend who is super hot and 100% devoted to him. However that devotion leads her to try and seriously injure anyone who makes fun of him. Like Darcy due to her robotic origin she's stronger, faster, and far more durable than a normal person. i wouldn't be surprised if it was similar/the same technology.
This character deserves more attention. A simple and very good design.
this is my absolute favorite version of Toyman. There's just something off about his design that makes him so creepy without being overly edgy. I think this Toyman would fit perfectly in a Tim Burton movie.
"No electromagnetic aura, which I'm not sure is a real thing."
I mean, kinda? The human body is composed partly of iron, which can be effected by strong magnetic fields. It probably doesn't work like it does in the show, but I can't really say for sure, because I haven't' seen the show you're referencing. But knowing how fast and loose comic book movies play with science, it's probably nothing like how it actually works in reality.
Well that was good, especially doing something different for a character that tied to the whole series, when you get to Brainiac video can you mention the original plans for Alive and Destroyer where the villain who calls himself the Key was going to a bigger part in it?
There are so many superman villains that have completely forgotten about or not used like the superman movies it’s just Lex and Zod all over again and that they never use the others like in Superman 3 is was originally going to have Brainiac along with Supergirl which it is like a fairy tale with a superhero element to it but I also think that Richard Pryor should have been the Prankster and Gene Wilder as the Toyman as they were in a lot of comedy movies together and also since one of theses episodes were Toyman appeared in is called Obsession there is a character in superman comics called Obsession and that she never appeared and I would have Toyman team up with villains like the Prankster as they both did in What happened to the Man of Tomorrow by Alan Moore and also Batman villains like Mad Hatter,Killer Croc and Penguin
I also thought a giant teddy bear robot carrying Kryptonite as that would be engaging.
What I find especially unsettling is we never see him outside of the costume.
Makes you question if there's even a person in there.
Like TNA Scarecrow.
Enjoyed this. Wouldn't mind more STAS content
"Fun and Games" is one of my all-time favorite episodes of STAS. I was so disappointed when I found out it's not featured in the official soundtrack released by La-La Land Records.
Give it time, I think that the Dynamic Music Partners will get around to releasing the rest of the STAS, BTAS, TNBA, Static Shock, and Batman Beyond soundtracks.
@@SerumLake I hope so too, especially after the unexpected release of the new Batman Beyond soundtrack earlier this month, which I probably wouldn't know about if it weren't for you. I was under the impression that WBD just didn't think it was worth the investment.
10:23 but here's the thing about Darci and Superman many don't understand at face value... Up until the next chapter of this video? Darci and Superman are INCREDIBLY human, starkingly so. Darci may of been an automatron, but just like superman she could feel emotions, she could feel being hurt both emotionally and physically, she knows the hurt of discovering that she's being manipulated. She is the closest thing to a reploid to exist in the Superman Animated Series. The only difference is Darci is selfish, heck, even Superman could be seen as selfish thinking he can protect everyone. The only thing that kept Darci from being a full on reploid in my opinion, was the fact she was going to leave someone to die for trying to guide her on the right path in a burning building: At this point, she would of been registered as a maverick, a maverick is a reploid that deals in illicit illegal and violent activities and are treated as armed and dangerous criminals.
Despite that, before her revival? I truly felt bad about her situation...
That's why it's disappointing she basically gets killed in the Static Shock series. My man here forgot to mention why Toyman got put into the police car at the end of the episode. It's because he basically killed Darci. (IMHO) Darci would've been a great wife for Dr. Ivo's Robot "Amazo".
Thanks so much for including the Static Spock ep.
Also, 11:50 on the analysis of Toyman not wanting sex but... just companionship? That's a different way to put it.
They didn't delve into him wanting a playmate, or someone to play his childish games on his level. He programmed Darcy to be an adult woman.
Is he like Mad Hatter in this way? He just wanted someone to control?
Got to say hats off for this design its creepy. Also why do the police and everyone let him keep that mask on, maybe its kinda why villains always get out in this universe.
We need a live action creepy Toyman in the DCU. It’s a must.
not every live action villain needs to be tryhard creepy.
Well thought out, love learning about past. 8:05 I remember that, haven't thought of it in years!
An awesome essay. Thank you. I have to say, as a fan of Silver Age Superman (that’s when I was born and grew up, I loved discovering the Golden Age Superman, including the relatively lame Superman villains, Toyman and The Prankster. But I learned to love them and their appearances in the Silver Age and reprints of the Golden Age material.
But when I saw that there was going to be a Toyman in SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, I was somewhat skeptical about how that could work.
But Timm, Dini and company, surprised me yet again. And it was great. Creepy, dark, and completely different than any Toyman from the comics.
And your essay captured it brilliantly. Thanks
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed it 🙇♂️
Superman’s main villain is Jeff Bezos.
Love to see you branching out into STAS. You're right about his rogues' gallery being not nearly as good as Batman's, but I have to say World's Finest is an absolutely terrific pair-up between Luthor and Joker.
The Superman rogues are good judt underutilised
@@zemox2534 Outside of Toyman, Lex Luthor, and Darkseid (& etc.), I'm struggling to think of one that stands out.
No, I did think of one - Lobo. He's genuinely interesting and fun.
But other than that? Parasite never really had a lot of interesting motivation, Volcana was written off after the first appearance, Live Wire had a good motivation but then seemed to forget about it later on. Intergang was never more than a front for Darkseid, and On reflection, Mongol is a decent character, but without a motive beyond "conquer stuff". But he only had the one appearance in STAS, and another in JLU.
So many of Superman's villains in the show are one-shots, who get turned from villain to friend by the end.
@@GreyhawkGrognard Metallo is good but underused (same for mitzy and Bizzaro)
@@zarrg5611 Good point about Metallo; I'd put him in the good bad guy camp. But I don't care for the STAS Bizzaro.
Mr. M. is an odd one (fittingly). I love Gilbert Godfried's voice for him, but I think he was really wasted after the first good episode. I think he might have been better as a one-off.
@@GreyhawkGrognardYou are wrong, but that is okay.
One thing that should be noted is that when Toyman is telling Lois the story he says that Bruno agreed to fund the factory "on one condition". That implies to me at least that he DID know about his father making a deal with Manheim and letting it be used as a front. That said, Bruno Manheim still sold his dad up the river and made him the scapegoat for everything (which makes Manheim's fate in Apokolips Now karmic justice)
I'm currently editing a Superman: Brainiac/Unbound review and in the opening I acknowledge how most of Superman's lore was reimagined/retconed into being more like in the Silver Age and match with the Richard Donner movie(s) by Geoff Johns. Toyman included.
Remember he made an beautiful hightech female android only because he was lonely and he was so big of a creep she runaway.
11:35
Almost every animal, including humans, will generate a faint but detectible EM field due to the workings of the neuromuscular system (sharks & platypuses hunt by detecting this field). Some plants can also temporarily generate a very faint EM field due to some bio-chemical processes far too complex to get into here (look up 'action potentials in plants' if you want to know more). The clone(?) not having an 'aura' would suggest that she doesn't have a neuromuscular or even nervous system (i.e. brain), which is odd to say the least.
They are robots tbf
Why need a nervous system and brain when you can have wiring and a computer? (Assuming that's how Toyman did their designs)
The voice acting and emotionless avatar made him creepy asf for sure!
Good video!
This was a blast! Merry Christmas Luke. 🧑🎄🎊🎄
And a (soon to be) Happy New Year to you!
Ah, my second favorite adaptation of the Toyman. My number one is from the '75 Wonder Woman show, but I'm very biased in that regard as the part is played by Frank Gorshin. Can't wait to see what they do with him in MAWS.
I never knew that!
I hope the theoretical MAWS take will be more sympathetic as time goes on. Bonus if he ends up making up for his madness by ending being a great if shackled inventor of groundbreaking tech that would make even CADMUS be envious that he's not on their side.
0:40: "Toymen" sounds like one of those American bands from the 60s that was trying to ape the sound of British Invasion bands of the time. You know, like The Byrds or even Buffalo Springfield. lol.
One contention with your essay: Superman does not disguise himself as Clark Kent. You're thinking of Batman. Batman is the man, Bruce Wayne is the disguise, even in his subconscious mind.
However, in the case of Superman, Superman is the mask. Superman is the face that Clark presents to the world. Clark Kent is the actual person, and it shows whenever Clark thinks he's alone or with family. He doesn't act like Superman around his mom and dad, he's just Clark, which shows a fundamental difference between the two: Superman is a well-adjusted adult who masquerades as a super hero. He'll wear the cape for as long as he needs to, but ultimately wishes to give it up for a quieter, simpler life. He wont, because he thinks the world needs Superman, but when the time comes, giving up the superhero persona would be as easy as throwing away a candy wrapper to the man of steel.
Batman, on the other hand, is a damaged person masquerading as a well-adjusted adult. He needs the identity of Batman, and is loath to give it up, and only does so when his body becomes too decrepit to carry on. This is even clearer when we get a glimpse into the future with Batman Beyond, where Batman literally became to old to continue being Batman. He was almost revealed when Terry found his secret and took up the mantle, and when a supervillain attempted to get into his head to make Bruce think he was crazy, it didn't work because the supervillain never referred to Bruce how he called himself in his own mind. Honestly Batman had more in common with Darla than Superman, because Batman's the one hiding a grim, dark monster behind a friendly face.
Oh I completely agree with you, I was just saying that Superman disguises himself as the Journalist Clark Kent, not that Clark Kent the Kansas farmboy was the disguise. Sorry for not being clearer.
I used to belive that but, after reading stories like Birthright and Superman Smashes the Klan, I started to see the opposite: Superman is the real persona. It's the identity that allows Clark to be himself, confident, brave and use his ability at full to help others. However this affects his chances of having normal interactions with others, since most people just see Superman as just some "alien savior" causing Superman to have to endure the pressure that comes from their expectations (only those close to him like Lois, the Kents can see the man behind the symbol). For him to have a more stable life, he uses his identity as Clark Kent, but, in order to keep his secret safe, he acts more timid and clumsy so nobody would suspect.
Similar case for Batman. Sure his persona of the billionaire playboy is fake, but the same can be said about his Batman identity, as it's tool he uses to fight crime when the legal methods don't work as well a armor to hide his insecurities. His real persona is Bruce Wayne, the REAL Bruce Wayne, the compassionate man who wants to make Gotham a better, the one who deal with the causes of crime in Gotham, offering jobs for the poor, trying to help criminals redeem themsevels. This is why events like Bruce revealing his identity to Dick Grayson are so important, as well moments where Batman, when emotionally vulnerable, he takes off his mask in the cave, exposing his expressions and emotions he tries to hide from the world as the dark knight.
Great video, it's good to see STAS content, especially of this guy. Never knew the bit about Ryder Windham and George. Where did you find the photos? (Also knowing that he's written a lot of Star Wars novels, I wonder if Windham's ever seen Sentries of the Last Cosmos from late in Batman Beyond.)
"Fun and Games" might have been my first exposure to Superman in general, when I was very young. I think it instilled in me a lifelong uneasiness towards vintage toys.
Re-watching that episode left me thinking that Toyman would be a great main villain for a live-action Superman movie. Battling a mad genius's killer toys would be a nice change of pace for the movies, if nothing else. As seen here, the guy already has potential for a strong backstory, to boot. There's probably a whole lot more that could be written on this. I doubt he's in the running, though.
I found an old Tumblr page that Ryder made to log his travels: www.tumblr.com/ryderwindham
Dang, so if ever the case the Joker fought Toyman or vice versa, it'd be great calamity. Them working together... If they could work through their differences, or if Toyman could get over his weird baggage, then they'd be a force to reckon with.
Creepy? Sad? Pathetic? Genius? Yes to all. Which is why he's a good villain worthy to fight the most powerful hero. At least in the animated series. Toyman, Lobo, Mr. Myxispltz all favorite episodes of mine. That ball increasing it's energy with each bounce is both fascinating and a cool weapon.
I love what I call media history, history of characters ,movies ,tv shows adverting items ECT. Keep these video up ❤️
I think it's worth recognizing that STAS's Toyman owes a lot to an actor arguably wasted in BTAS: Bud Cort.
He was pretty much the best part of the otherwise mediocre "Cape and Cowl Conspiracy" and his awesomely sadistic voice is much better utilized here. The mask helps sell it all the better, too.
"HEY, KIDS! YOU WANNA GET AHEAD? GET A HEAD!"
He certainly has quite a voice!
Amazing video I really enjoyed it. Toyman is definitely my favorite Superman villain. I am surprised you didn't at least mention the animated movie Toyman, I'd argue that toyman is much more creepier maybe it's better you didn't mention him now that I think about it.
Winslow Schott Jr becomes a nice kindly toymaker during the finale of JLU
Toyman's introductory episode is really well animated.
14:48 *OH MY GOD IS HAPPENING, EVERYBODY STAY CALM*
I *love* Batman Beyond and to hear that you, the best B:TAS chanel is making a hole month dedicated to this severly underated masterpiece makes me extremly happy.
This is going to be schway
It’s gonna be… TOTALLY SCHWAY!
When you were here before
Couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You're so fuckin' special
But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doin' here?
I don't belong here
I don't care if it hurts
I wanna have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul
I want you to notice
When I'm not around
So fuckin' special
I wish I was special
But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doin' here?
I don't belong here
She's running out the door (run)
She's running out
She run, run, run, run
Run
Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
You're so fuckin' special
I wish I was special
But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doin' here?
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
A great thing about goofy villains is there is only one way to go, thats up. Great thing about a character like say Mysterio from Spider-Man, the colorful costume, the fishbowl helmet. Thing is there are quite dark story lines involving Mysterio, it always hits harder to see these characters that might have had a goofy orgin story, suddenly get the respect they deserve.
Glad to see you’ll be doing Batman Beyond. Hope you’ll be covering the movie.
This version of Toyman horrified me back when I was a kid.
Somehow he is creeper than chucky
2:25 This character looks like Bruce Timm, lol.
The synthetic Darcy maker could have been really useful for making Metallo a new body or for Mr. Freeze. (Before Batman Beyond)
God DAMN I appreciate the genuine effort and thoughtfulness in this vid.
I actually thought the Mad Bomber that Bruce Timm voiced in BTAS was supposed to be Toyman.
11:40
“But I don’t want to cure cancer! I want to turn people into dinosaurs!”
Lex Luthor likes him because he's a genius inventor that doesn't stab him in the back and has no problem doing evil stuff.
Toyman likes his position and doesn't want more power because it means more responsibilities and he just wants to "play" with his "toys" he made and make new "toys".
"He's a genius/he could do great things, but he's hold back by his weird obsessions"
Isn't that nearly most of the villains though?
Well, apart from the likes of the Joker, but that's neither here nor there.
@@michaelandreipalon359 Key word being nearly.
“If only you applied yourself…”
The psycho child killer Toyman was kinda used with the iteration from the 2007 Death of Superman adaptation. The STAS version still always creeped me out a kid, something about porcelain dolls is just disturbing
Sidebar, I love Manheim. He's just so out of his element, I love whenever he escapes to Apokolips and is stuck there so this ordinary thug is forced to adapt to this hell planet. And if there is one thing that Bruno Manheim is good at, it's surviving. He improbably dodges all of the bullets that Toyman's planes shoot at him, plus all of Toyman's other traps and schemes that episode. Obviously it's a kid's show, he's not gonna die on screen, but he's not just getting put in jail by Superman, he's working for Darkseid and my man is living to see another day!