Hydro-man
First Appeance: Amazing Spider-man #211
The Story: Morrie Bench became Hydro-Man when he was knocked
into the water during the testing of a new under-water
generator. An unlikely set of
circumstances including the failure of the device and the
presence of undersea volcanic gasses lead to a situation
whence quote 'the energy conversion reaction within the
device combines with the gasses in the water to form an
energy for which there may never be a name' unquote.
That is to say - a one-in-a-million situation which creates
the super-villain under consideration. It's too
extra-ordinary to try to explain, it's impossible to
reproduce, and kids - for goodness sake don't try this at
home in your bath-tub. OK?
Morrie Bench was actually a labourer on the ship involved
in the experiment - however when he discovers the nature
of his powers, his natural unlawful temperment combines
with a psychologically destabilising side-effect of the
accident to create what is essentially a super-villian
waiting to happen.
Hydro-Man sets off for vengeance on Spider-Man, who
coincidentally happened to be on-board the ship when this
all started - and when he finds him, the scene is set for a
battle-royal. Does Spider-Man have what it takes to
mop-up Hydro_man, or will the eensy-weensy spider get
washed down the drain?
A note here also about Sadie. Sadie is a woman of loose
morals who is approaching the later years of her life. She
apparently knows Morrie Bench before his
transformation - and makes an appearance in Amazing
#212. In Amazing #217/#218 we see both Sand-Man and
Hydro-Man vying for her affections, in an amusing little
story which ends in a climactic (and rather sublime)
melodramatic finish.
