Woody, the loose-limbed, pull-string cowboy puppet doll, has held the place of honor in Andy's room atop Andy's bed for five years, and is the undisputed leader of the toys ... until Buzz Lightyear comes along.

As Andy's favorite toy, Woody has starred in such Andy productions as "Showdown at the Kiddy Corral," "High Noon Nap," and "Station Wagons Ho!" Named for Woody Strode, a cowboy actor who costarred in many John Wayne films, Woody has mastered such legendary western phrases as "There's a snake in my boots!" and "Somebody poisoned the water hole!"

Woody has a holster but doesn't have a gun. Experts believe the gun was lost during the epic production of "How the Den Was Won," when Andy was six and home from school for four days with the chicken pox.

In his role as Andy's favorite, Woody is chairman, sheriff, and interlocutor of the Andy's Toy Support Group, which meets weekly to discuss the toy business of the day and deals with such hot-button toy issues as Plastic Corrosion Awareness and Battery Conservation.

Woody also acts as commander-in-chief of the elite Green Army Men stationed inside the Bucket o' Soldiers. These intrepid warriors conduct secret missions outside Andy's room and report back to Woody via baby monitor on events that may impact the lives of the toys.

Though he is unmarried, Woody has been linked romatically with Bo Peep, a porcelain lamp who resides on a nightstand in Andy's room. Uniquely for a cowboy, Woody does not have a horse, preferring instead to get about by more modern forms of transportation, such as radio-controlled race car or by simply hanging onto Andy's hand.