Tom Cruise

Tom is Cruising solo in Japan this week, flying across the Pacific as part of a promotional tour for Mission: Impossible 3.

Fiancee Katie Holmes and baby daughter Suri were nowhere in sight, but clearly on the minds of the Japanese media.

"Unfortunately, I wanted to bring them but Suri, it'd be too much for her, we're only going to be here for a day and a half," Cruise told reporters.

Suri is the only one of the recent deluge of celebrity babies who has yet to be seen, making the media frenzy surrounding Cruise (already the world's biggest star) extraordinarily high.

At the press conference, the crazy one gushed about his three kids (he has two adopted children, Isabella, 13, and Connor, 11, with ex-wife Nicole Kidman) and, at one point, said he hopes to have 10 offspring someday. Gulp.

He did not comment on whether each of their births will conveniently coincide with the premiere of his films.

When asked whether TomKat will become official and marry, Tom responded that they "haven't set a date yet, but soon, it'll be this year."

The two are reportedly finalizing a prenuptial agreement before making it legal. After the Japan premiere of M:I-3, Cruise is expected to ride the bullet train to Osaka with 150 fans on Wednesday. Along the way, he may or may not ridicule fans for their beliefs in psychiatry.

That couch-jumping, finger-pointing and chemical imbalance-bashing psycho, Tom Cruise, has drawn the ire of many Americans over the past year.

But there's no doubting his bottom line.

According to Forbes' annual "Celebrity 100 Power List," which ranks famous people based on earnings and overall buzz, Cruise is still the world's #1 star. The actor earned a reported $67 million last year alone, generating headlines every step of the way and making his way to the top of Forbes' decidedly unscientific rankings of TV, film, music and sports stars.

"It's what kind of currency does the star's name have," editor Lea Goldman said. "It's increasingly important how they are perceived both in industry circles and commercial circles, and this list represents who has cachet in both arenas."

Cruise became the only celebrity to top the list twice, having reached the pinnacle in 2001.

"He's one of the few guaranteed bankable stars. No one in Hollywood can negotiate the kind of salary he gets," Goldman said.

In terms of raw earnings, Tom's $67M did not win out. But in terms of raw pain? He's a hands down victor. Dismissive comments about postpartum depression and Brooke Shields, a passion for Scientology and a whirlwind romance with Katie Holmes all made Cruise the most talked-about celebrity of the year by far.

Which is sad, because hard-working, under-appreciated standouts such as Britney Spears really need to get more attention.

Several sites including Hello! Magazine are reporting that Tom Cruise congratulated Brad Pitt on the birth of daughter Shiloh Nouvel with a card proclaiming, "Congratulations! You're following in my footsteps!"

So original and clever.

Tom also sent little Shiloh a teddy bear (pictured).

According to the Daily Mirror, "Tom and Brad have had a friendly rivalry since acting together in Interview With A Vampire. The card was taken in good spirits."

No word on whether or not Brad returned the favor and sent Suri, Cruise's infant daughter with Katie Holmes, a gift.

Tom reportedly sent Horace, the Longfellow Bear, manufactured by Steiff, the world's self-proclaimed best-known manufacturer of high-quality Teddy bears and plush animals.

Horace, a 1904 reproduction and a limited edition of 1,500 bears, costs a ridiculous $460, making him only slightly less overvalued than the Florida housing market. However, Shiloh will surely appreciate such decadence, given her humble Namibian roots.

She was a natural on American Idol, enduring herself to fans across the nation... not to mention celebs in her native L.A.

Apparently Katharine McPhee is building quite the fan base. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have taken a liking to the American Idol runner-up, with the current rumor being that Holmes met the spunky 22-year old at the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles. The two hit it off, and McPhee has apparently been asked to perform at their wedding.

According to Hollywood.com, after McPhee lost out to Taylor Hicks on the Idol finale, Cruise and Holmes asked her right away to perform.

"Tom and Katie have become Katharine's biggest fans," a source said. "They think she's destined to become a singing legend."

That, or Cruise can't resist the whole "TomKat" name. KatKat does make an attractive couple:

Either way, Cruise and his bride-to-be are big McPhans, and it's hard to blame them (although McPhee's purported association with Scientology is a tad worrisome). The singer is also reportedly meeting with director Steven Spielberg to discuss possible film projects. Wow. Between McPhee and Chris Daughtry, it's beginning to look like coming just short of being named American Idol is the way to go.

Numerous sources report that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have finalized their prenuptial agreement, which would give Holmes $3 million annually, up to $33 million, if she stays married to the insane one for 11 years. A home in Montecito, Calif., will also be hers.

If the marriage lasts more than 11 years, the contract becomes void and Holmes gets half of Cruise's estate. The two reportedly plan to wed soon.

Holmes' parents have told Life & Style Weekly they want Katie to marry Tom now, in spite of their serious doubts regarding the relationship.

"If she walks now, Tom will fight her for custody [of Suri, the couple's infant daughter], and Katie can't outlast him in court," an insider told Life & Style. "She knows she needs to marry him to get the money to fight him for custody, if it comes to that."

Wow, now that's a quality motive. Marrying someone to get their money, so that you can finance a court battle against that person. Amazing.

In any event, it will be interesting to see how many million Katie will bank before it becomes too much. While it would take a lot to marry an individual whose mental capacity is eroding before your eyes (and whose star may be falling), $33 million is sizable motivation. We're thinking of starting a pool, so stay tuned.

He's like that wreck on the side of the highway.

You don't want to see it, and yet you can't look away. You swear you don't care, but can't stop wondering about it. We are talking, of course, Tom Cruise, star of Mission: Impossible III. While the kookiness of Cruise has been well documented in recent months, it may finally be taking its toll on the star's box office appeal, writes Kim Masters in a column for Slate.com.

Over the Hedge, Disney's most recent animated venture, is currently out-grossing MI:3. Yes, talking animals are outdoing Cruise. And they're not even Pixar animals!

Not that MI:3 is tanking outright, having made over $300 million thus far. But lofty expectations and a lackluster performance have some questioning whether Cruise has lost it -- on so many levels.

A weak MI:3 performance is enough to give any studio pause, but to make matters worse, Cruise's production company's deal with Paramount will expire in a few weeks. Negotiations to renew are not underway.

If you're Cruise, you need to do more than find a home for the production company -- you need to find a role. One that will revive the actor's appeal. Apparently, Cruise doesn't grasp that his image is taking a beating, and his reps aren't exactly dying to articulate it to him.

"You've got to be very careful in conversations with him," a source close to Cruise says. "Tom is not ever going to face facts."

One marketing executive says that Cruise "needs to go away" and should just stay out of sight for a year, allowing the public time to get over what he calls "the cootie factor."

For now, Cruise said to be looking at a couple of projects. A member of his management team says he'd like to see Cruise in a comedic, Jerry Maguire-style role, one that caters to women, where he plays a likable guy who laughs and smiles. Meanwhile, the agency source called it "unfair" for the actor "to be punished for stuff he did last year."

Stuff? What stuff? Has Tom Cruise even been in the news lately? Who is he dating? What are his religious beliefs? Whatever. We're pretty sure that someone will show him the money again, lunacy or not.