I now wish to share the wealth, as it were! Not only have I donated 25% of my profits toward upgrading the prison system... But now I want the masses to get theirs! 
- — Toyman
Action Comics #561 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1984.
Synopsis for Superman: "The Great Toyman Trivia Contest!"
The Toyman sponsors a million-dollar trivia contest based on himself for the purpose of smoking out a childhood enemy.
Appearing in Superman: "The Great Toyman Trivia Contest!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Toyman (Flashback and main story)
Other Characters:
- Prison Guards
- Officer Charlie (Cameo) (Single appearance)
- Officer Grant (Cameo) (Single appearance)
- Truck Driver (Unnamed) (Cameo) (Single appearance)
- Citizens of Metropolis (Unnamed)
- Gus (cameraman)
- Don Parde (announcer) (Behind the scenes) (Single appearance)
- Game Show Cameraman (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Game Show Audience (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Game Show Contestants
- Frankie Brisbane (robot) (Single appearance)
- Elenora Nimnod (robot) (Single appearance)
- Miriam Blank (robot) (Single appearance)
- Mr. Snit (robot) (Single appearance)
- Chester Y. Dunholtz (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
Locations:
- Metropolis
- East Side
- Harry S. Truman Drive
- Galaxy Communications Building
- WGBS Studios
- Kramden Teletape Studios
- Winslow P. Schott's Dressing Room
- Metropolis Police Department
- East Side
- Metropolis State Prison
Items:
- Chickens
- Daily Planet Newspaper
- Cosmic Commando (Mentioned only)
- Cabbage Patch Dolls (Mentioned only)
- Toyman's Toys
- Butler
- Tank
- Soldiers
- Spacecraft
- Airplane
- Bi-plane (Flashback only)
Vehicles:
- Overturned Truck
Synopsis for Superman: "The Past and Future Superman!"
A Red Kryptonite exposure splits two persons off from Clark Kent: one, the Superman of the future; another, an eight-year-old Superboy just prior to his public debut.
Appearing in Superman: "The Past and Future Superman!"
Featured Characters:
- Superman
- Superboy of the Past (age 8)
- Superman of the Future
Supporting Characters:
- Lana Lang
- Meg Tempest (Mentioned only)
- Josh Coyle
- Kent Family
- Jonathan Kent (Mentioned only)
- Martha Kent (Mentioned only)
Antagonists:
- Two Criminals (Unnamed) (Cameo)
Other Characters:
- Carolyn Waters (WGBS's consumer advocate) (Single appearance)
- WGBS Cameraman (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Gem Unlimited (Mentioned only)
- Mayor of Metropolis (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)
- Diggers (from the quarry that were transformed into creatures) (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Skeleton Remains of a Shaman
- Zatara (Cameo) (Flashback only) (from Superboy (Volume 2) #14)
Locations:
- 1984
- Space
- Krypton (Mentioned only)
- The Sun
- Earth
- Metropolis
- Galaxy Communications Building
- WGBS Studios
- Empty Studio
- Storeroom
- Galaxy Communications Building
- Montana
- Billings
- Quarry
- Cave
- Indian Burial Vault
- Cave
- Quarry
- Billings
- Metropolis
- Space
- 1963 (Mentioned only)
- Smallville (Mentioned only)
Items:
- Fake Ruby Ring
- Talisman
- Deadly Space Cloud
- Missile (Destroyed)
Vehicles:
- Airplane
Notes
- 555-1234 was the phone number to be a contestant on The Great Toyman Trivia Contest.
- Josh Coyle states that Clark Kent is WGBS associate producer. This is a role Morgan Edge assigned to Clark in Action Comics #458, though Clark was demoted in favor of Martin Korda (at the time impersonated by Metallo) in Superman #316. This issue confirms that Clark was re-appointed to the role at some point since then.
Trivia
- The Toyman's first crime was robbing a bank with toy soldiers and tear gas. This is a reference to Action Comics #64, which originally took place in Earth-Two continuity.
- The Toyman's first toy he made as a child was a red and blue airplane made of balsa wood.
- Although Toyman's goal is to create a museum containing every toy he ever designed, the original models of most of his toy-creations were destroyed by Bizarro back in Superman #305.
- The version of Superboy split off by Red Kryptonite exposure is stated to be 8 years old and to have all of Clark's memories until 1963, preceding Superboy's introduction to the public of Smallville. From this, it can be gauged that Superman is supposed to be age 29 as of 1984, the publication year of this issue.
See Also