- Looking for another version of Hydro-Man? Check out the Hydro-Man disambiguation page.
Hydro-Man is the third episode of season two and introduces the villain Hydro-Man.
Plot[]
One night while at Coney Island, Spider-Man reads an article in the Daily Bugle about a mysterious thief in New York City and that he is being blamed for the crimes. Spider-Man then reads that only someone with superhuman powers could have pulled off the heists. Spider-Man gets upset and asks why the police can't accept that he is one of the good guys. On the ground below a thief steals a woman's purse and runs off. However, Spider-Man is quickly able to capture him. After catching the thief Spider-Man says to himself that he is very worried about his disease that is changing him. Spider-Man then thinks about asking Mary Jane to come to Coney Island with him but then thinks that that may be too much like a real date for her. Spider-Man then begins to wonder what Mary Jane is so afraid to get close to him.
Meanwhile at a local aquarium a guard stares at a pearl necklace that is in one of the tanks. The guard tells his partner that he is worried about the necklace being in plain sight because it is worth two million dollars. However, the other guard replies that it would be impossible for someone to steal the necklace because the water is pressurized at five hundred fathoms. However, as the two guards look into the tank, they see a man inside. As the man attempts to break through the glass one of the guards sounds the security alarm and a metal wall comes down and surrounds the tank. However, the man is able to break through the metal barrier with ease. From outside Spider-Man hears the alarm and quickly responds.
As Spider-Man arrives at the aquarium he spots the thief and chases after him to the catwalk above the aquarium tanks. Only seconds later Spider-Man's spider sense goes off and as he turns around and sees a wave of water coming toward him and as it hits Spider-Man he falls into one of the tanks. As Spider-Man looks around he sees an eel swimming toward him. As Spider-Man fires his Web-Shooter the webbing dissolves in the water. However, Spider-Man grabs one of his spare web cartridges and places it in the eel's mouth. As the ells bites down on the cartridge it explodes and creates a screen of web fluid allowing Spider-Man time to swim away. As Spider-Man gets to the top of the tank he is spotted by the two guards who believe he is the thief. As they attempt to stop him, Spider-Man traps them in his web and swings away. Outside the mysterious thief holds the pearl necklace and says that it is all for Mary Jane.
A short while later at the Coffee Bean, Peter meets Mary Jane and Mary Jane congratulates him for getting another one of his photos on the front page of the Daily Bugle. The mysterious man then appears outside the Coffee Bean without Peter or Mary Jane noticing him. Peter then gives Mary Jane photos he took of her modeling show and Mary Jane asked what she owed him. Peter suggests that she pays for both of them to go to Coney Island tomorrow. However, Mary Jane replies that she doesn't think that it is such a good idea. As Peter asks why Mary Jane why she keeps turning him down Liz Allen walks over and tells Mary Jane that she has a phone call. As Mary Jane walks away, she answers the phone and is surprised to hear the voice of someone named Morrie Bench. Mary Jane is shocked to hear his voice. However, Morrie tells Mary Jane to meet him at the Seville Hotel in twenty minutes. As Mary Jane hangs up the phone, she quickly walks out of the Coffee Bean. Peter follows her and asks where she is going in such a hurry. Mary Jane answers that she has to go somewhere. Peter offers to go with her. However, Mary Jane berates Peter and tells him that she is a big girl. Mary Jane then catches a cab which drives her to the Seville Hotel. Peter realizes that the phone call got her really worried and decides to follow her as Spider-Man. At that moment in a department store that is closed for the night the fire sprinklers turn on and as water runs over one of the manikins and the suit on it vanishes.
As May Jane arrives at the hotel Morrie Bench sneaks up behind her and places the pearl necklace around her neck. As Spider-Man arrives he watches from outside a window as Mary Jane tells Morrie that he made her life miserable. Mary Jane then takes off the necklace and hands it back to Morrie and tells him to leave her alone. As Mary Jane walks away, she tells Morrie that the only reason she came was so she could tell him that she didn't want to be with him. As Mary Jane leaves Spider-Man watches her. However, as spider-Man looks back into the hotel he realizes that Bench has vanished and begins to wonder how he could have gotten out of there so fast.
As Mary Jane goes to Washington Square Park she is followed by Morrie. As Spider-Man watches from afar he wonders how Morrie was able to beat him to the park. Morris Bench orders Mary Jane to come with him but she refuses. Morris then tells Mary Jane that he will show her something right there in the park. As Morris turns around, he faced the fountain in the park and turns it into a geyser that shoots the water up several stories into the air. As Mary Jane asks what's going on Morrie answers that he is able to control any sources of water that are near him. Mary Jane terrified at what she has seen tells Morris that she thinks he is crazier than ever. As Morris Bench reaches for Mary Jane, Spider-Man grabs his hand. As Hydro-Man breaks free he continues to walk toward Mary Jane. As Spider-Man attempts to stop Bench his hands go straight through Bench and are stuck. Morris Bench then holds his hand up and fires a powerful blast of water at Spider-Man which sends him flying through the air. Ben then tells Mary Jane that because of his power to control water he can give her whatever she wants. However, Mary Jane says that she doesn't want anything from him and runs off. Morrie then controls all the water in the area to burst through the sewer and the fire hydrants and creates a giant tidal wave that begins to carry Mary Jane away. However, Spider-Man swings by and grabs Mary Jane's hand and pulls her out of the water. As soon as they get to a safe place Spider-Man sets Mary Jane down and clings to a nearby wall.
As Hydro-Man catches up with Spider-Man, Spidey webs up Bench's entire body. When Spider-Man slams him onto the ground of a rooftop he splatters everywhere but Bench's liquid body is able to reform. Bench then asks Spider-Man if he can match the power of "Hydro-Man." Spider-Man leaps at Hydro-Man but passes right through his liquid body. As Spider-Man stands up Hydro-Man fires a powerful blast of water at him which sends him across the rooftop hitting an air conditioning unit. As Hydro-Man blasts Spider-Man with water a second time the force is so great that as he hits a water town the impact tears the top off and Spider-Man falls in. As Spider-Man starts to run out of air he known that he must get out of the water tower but also knows that Hydro-Man is waiting for him at the top of the water tower. As Spider-Man rams into the side of the water tower he busts through and then pushes the water tower over to slow down Hydro-Man and then web swings away.
When Spider-Man finds Mary Jane, he grabs her by the waist, and they swing off together. Mary Jane screams believing that it is Hydro-Man. However, Mary Jane sees that it is Spider-Man, and she orders him to put her down. As Spider-Man asks who that was she answers that his name is Morris Bench and that she used to date him in high school. Spider-Man then asked about how he got his powers. However, Mary Jane answered that she doesn't know how he is able to do that. Spider-Man tells Mary Jane that he doesn't think that Hydro-Man is going to give up and gives her a Spider-Tracer to contact him if she is in trouble. As Mary Jane catches a cab Spider-Man realizes why Mary Jane has been unable to commit to their relationship.
Later that night at Empire State University Peter Parker studies a sample of Hydro-Man's water that he got from their previous battle and uses it to try and create a new form of web fluid. Sometime later Peter goes to the Coffee Bean and asks Liz Allen where he can find Mary Jane. Liz says that she is staying at her place, and she gives Peter the address. However, unknown to the both of them Hydro-Man secretly comes out of the sink faucet and grabs Liz's ID from out of her purse and gets the address as well.
Minutes later at Liz's apartment Mary Jane is looking at a photo of her father that is in her wallet. She tells herself that the two of them are similar because they both ran away when things started to get tough but unlike him, she was going to stop running. At that moment Hydro-Man travels through the faucet of the kitchen sink and goes into the kitchen. As Peter walks up to the apartment he sees a wave of water carry Mary Jane away. Peter quickly changes into his costume and follows them. However, Hydro-Man plunges into the river taking Mary Jane with him. As Spider-Man arrives he sees that Mary Jane has dropped the Spider-Tracer but knows that Mary Jane must still be alive.
Bench being exposed to the chemicals that gave him his powers
A short while later Hydro-Man and Mary Jane arrived at a pumping station. Hydro-Man then shows Mary Jane a pile of jewels and gold that he had stolen and says that it's all for her. At that moment Mary Jane realizes that Hydro-Man is the one behind the thefts. As Mary Jane asks how he got his powers Hydro-Man answers that after he was expelled from high school his parents made him enlist in the Navy to keep him out of trouble. While in the Navy, Bench was assigned to to the Navy's special research division. As a mini-submarine fell off the ship a wire attached to the sub wrapped around Bench's wrist dragging him under water. As the sub crashed into the ocean floor the ground cracked open and released some kind of gas and Bench discovered that he could transform into water. Soon afterward Bench took the name Hydro-Man and started to use his powers to commit robberies. Hydro-Man continues to say that with his powers he could have anything in the world he wanted and that he wants Mary Jane. However, Mary Jane bluntly tells Hydro-Man that she doesn't love him. However, Hydro-Man threatens to flood the city unless she stays with him.
Only seconds later Spider-Man arrives, and attacks Hydro-Man. Hydro-Man tells Spider-Man that his webs are useless against him. However, Spider-Man says that he was created a new type of webbing just for him. As Spider-Man fires his web at Hydro-Man which hardens and traps him. As Mary Jane asks what happened to Bench, Spider-Man explains that his new webbing acts like concrete and hardens when combined with water. Spider-Man then explains that when he saw the pumping station, he realized that from here Hydro-Man could go anywhere in New York City by using the pump stations pipes to travel anywhere in the city. However, as Spider-Man is telling Mary Jane this Hydro-Man is able to escape the web that was surrounding him. Spider-Man's spider sense goes off and is then hit by a powerful blast of water. As Hydro-Man and Spider-Man fight Mary Jane is able to escape. As soon as Hydro-Man realizes that she is gone he turns into water and travels through the pipes to find her.
In an effort to get away Mary Jane runs into a recycling center. As Hydro-Man follows her he is hit by a car but is able to reform his liquid body much to the shock of the driver. At that moment Spider-Man recovers but has no idea where they went. Back at the recycling center Hydro-Man continues to look for Mary Jane. Mary Jane then pushes a heavy pile of paper on top of Hydro-Man, but it does not slow him down. Mary Jane then runs into the furnace room. As Hydro-Man enters Mary Jane throws a bucket filled with a dust in his face and goes to the roof by climbing a latter. As Mary Jane get onto the roof, she sees that there is no place left to run and a weakened Hydro-Man gets onto the roof as well. Spider-Man then arrives, and Hydro-Man tells Spidey that he can not defeat him. However, Spider-Man points out that he doesn't have to because Mary Jane already has. Spider-Man then points to the river and says that Mary Jane has led him away from that water that sustains him and that he's literally falling apart. As Hydro-Man asks Mary Jane why she did this to him Mary Jane answers that you don't kidnap people you love and tells Hydro-Man that they are over. Hydro-Man goes crazy and charges at Spider-Man. However, Spider-Man jumps out of the way and as Hydro-Man hits the ground his body falls apart and then evaporates. As Mary Jane asks if Hydro-Man is dead Spider-Man answers that one day he could return in the form of rain. Mary Jane then tells Spider-Man that he sounds like her friend, Peter Parker. However, to keep Mary Jane from finding out his true identity she tells her to not insult him.
A few days later Peter Parker and Mary Jane go on a date to Coney Island. Peter then thinks to himself that Mary Jane has face a very powerful supervillain without breaking a sweat and he's complaining about getting sick from the rain. Peter then thinks that maybe he can learn something from her. As Peter grabs a newspaper (with a cover story about how Mary Jane recovered the stolen goods and Spider-Man was cleared of all charges) he puts it over their heads to block the rain. Peter apologizes for taker her to Coney Island while it's raining because it seems that she's having water problems lately. Mary Jane says that the water isn't a problem and kisses Peter.
Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Christopher Daniel Barnes | Spider-Man / Peter Parker |
| Sara Ballantine | Mary Jane Watson |
| Rob Paulsen | Hydro-Man / Morris Bench |
| Marla Rubinoff | Liz Allen |
| Ray Berrios | Additional voices |
Cameos[]
- Curt Connors (Mentioned only)
- J. Jonah Jameson (Mentioned only)
- Ned Leeds (Byline on a Daily Bugle article)
- Philip Watson (Mentioned only)
- Namor, the Sub-Mariner (Mentioned only)
- Morris Bench's parents (Mentioned only)
- Joseph Robertson (Byline on a Daily Bugle article)
Locations[]
-
- Brooklyn
- Manhattan
- Daily Bugle (Mentioned only)
- Aquarium
- Coffee Bean
- Department store
- Seville Hotel
- Washington Square Park
- Empire State University
- Liz Allan's apartment
- Pumping station
- Eastside Recycling
- Ocean
- Naval ship
Items[]
- Web-Shooters
- Spider-Tracer
- Mini-submarine
Continuity[]
- At the beginning of the episode Spider-Man mentions how Curt Connors told him he was mutating into some kind of freak. This happened at the end of the last episode.
Trivia[]
- Hydro-Man was a stand in for Sandman, since Sandman could not appear on Spider-Man: The Animated Series because of James Cameron’s unproduced Spider-Man movie. John Semper said “There really isn’t much difference between Sandman and Hydro-Man when you get right down to it. So look at it that way. I used Hydro-Man and you’ll get a good idea of what I probably would have done with Sandman. But since I used Hydro-Man, I didn’t need to use Sandman.”
- According to James Krieg his first draft of the script for Hydro-Man was too long and he had to beg John Semper Jr. to let him re-write it.
- John Semper and James Krieg got a note from BS&P telling them that Hydro-Man stalking Mary Jane was unacceptable.
- This episode was originally titled I Cried A River Over You.
- Several websites (one of them being Netflix) wrongly list "I Cried A River Over You" as the name of the episode.
- This episode is loosely based on Amazing Spider-Man #212 (1981).
- Early in the episode Spider-Man calls Hydro-Man, Ke-mo sah-bee. This phrase was made popular by the Lone Ranger radio program and television series. In the radio program the Lone Ranger called Tonto, Ke-mo sah-bee. In the television series it was vice versa.
- This episode marks one of the few times the word kill is used in Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Liz Allan says kill in Pig Latin ("illk") while she is talking to Mary Jane.
- The Seville Hotel where Mary Jane first meets Hydro-Man is a real hotel in New York City. The name of the hotel had actually been changed to Carlton Hotel in 1987, eight years before this episode aired. In 1904 the Seville Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places
- When Spider-Man shouts kumbaya he is referencing the song of the same name that was first recorded in the 1920s and was written as a scouting/camping song.
- Spider-Man briefly mentions Namor, the Sub-Mariner during the episode.
- Hydro-Man sings Itsy Bitsy Spider during his first fight with Spider-Man.
- During the episode Spider-Man calls Hydro-Man, Don Jaun in a bottle. Don Jaun is the main character of a play called The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest which was written by Tirso de Molina and premiered circa 1616-1630. The character of Don Jaun is a wealthy, seductive libertine who devotes his life to seducing women, taking great pride in his ability to seduce women of all ages and stations in life.
- During the episode Spider-Man jokingly asks if he gets his merit badge for staying under water for three minutes. A merit badge is a patch awarded to members of the Boy Scouts of America in recognition of special projects.
Episode review[]
A review by Amazing Spidey from Marvel Animation Age
Hydro-Man is one of the C grade villains from the comic that the series was known for using. There were plenty of other villains I'd rather have seen, but this was an enjoyable episode in it's own right. It felt very much like an episode from the first season, as it wasn't part of the season's big arc, it was just a filler. I really think the episode was mis-placed. I think it would have worked better as an episode to break up the Neogenic Nightmare story, preferably somewhere in between the Morbius and Tablet of Time episodes, rather than taking the main story to a halt before it really got started.
The villain was nothing especially remarkable. He's never been one of the big villains in the comics, and he wasn't shown as a big threat here either. Visually, he was a great villain. His civilian design (for lack of a better term) was a little lame, but his powers made for some of the best visuals the show has seen. Especially that one shot of a shocked Spidey punching his hands right through Hydro-Man's chest.
It served it's purpose for later episodes, introducing MJ to Spider-Man and it deepened the connection between Peter and Mary Jane some more. The highlight, however, had to be the animation. TMS came through again, especially with Hydro-Man's water morphing powers and Spidey's swinging. It was a fun way to pass 20 minutes, but after the last episode's awesome finale, it was a disappointment follow up. The ending was well done, and actually showed MJ to have some intelligence. I especially liked Hydro-Man's death scene. This is the part where I make a snipe remark about how this episode is much better than the other one to feature Bench [1] [2]. . . don't pretend you didn't know it was coming!
Quotes[]
"Mystery thief strikes eighth target: Spider-Man suspected. Police say only someone with superhuman abilities could have pulled off these heists. But I'm not a thief. Why can't they ever get it straight that I'm one of the good guys?"
(A woman screams after her purse is stolen.)
"Not even catching a Coney Island purse snatcher can cheer me up tonight."
(Spider-Man captures the thief and returns the purse.)
"I'm more worried about this mysterious disease that's changing me and my powers. Doc Connors said I might be mutating into some sort of freak. I can't even think about that. Maybe I outta come out here in the day and bring somebody who's fun to be with like Mary Jane. No, that would be too much like a real date for her taste. I wish I knew why she always seems so afraid to get close?"
- -Spider-Man
(Spider-Man hears the alarm at the aquarium.)
"Don't tell me the beluga whales are having a midnight clambake?"
- -Spider-Man
"Hold on Ke-mo sah-bee!"
- -Spider-Man
"Uh-oh! Chow time, and I'm the main course! I might not live long enough to worry about that disease after all!"
- -Spider-Man after seeing the eel swim toward him
"Look! Spider-Man really is the thief!"
"Oh great. Jameson 'ill probably be selling Spider-Man really is the thief t-shirts by noon tomorrow."
- -Aquarium security guard & Spider-Man
"It's all for you Mary Jane."
- -Hydro-Man
(Mary Jane answers the phone.)
"Mary Jane, fabulous supermodel."
"Still the joker a Red?"
"Morrie?"
"So you do recognize my voice?"
"What do you want?"
"Meet me in the lobby of the Hotel Seville in twenty minutes."
"No. I can't meet you I won't."
"You can and you will Red! It's as inevitable as the tides."
- -Mary Jane & Morrie Bench
"Kumbaya!"
- -Spider-Man after seeing Hydro-Man create the geyser in Central Park
"How did you do that?"
"As long as I'm close enough to it I can control all the water around me. What do ya think?"
"I think your crazier then ever!"
(Hydro-Man reaches for Mary Jane but Spider-Man grabs his arm.)
"What are you doing here?"
"A five hundred foot geyser in Washington Square and your wondering why I'm here?"
- -Mary Jane, Hydro-Man, & Spider-Man
"Am I losing my mind? Did he just turn into liquid?"
- -Spider-Man
"Somebody call the cops!"
"No call a lifeguard!"
- -Two pedestrians after seeing Hydro-Man create a giant tidal wave in the park
"Sub-Mariner eat your heart out!"
- -Spider-Man after saving Mary Jane from drowning
"This has nothing to do with you Spider-Man. So butt out!"
"Can't. They'd take away my superhero license. Anyway there's a strict no surfing ordnance in the park, dude."
- -Hydro-Man & Spider-Man
"Pathetic. You don't really think you can match the power of Hydro-Man do you?"
"Did you say Hydrant-Man? The dogs must love you."
"It's Hydro-Man! And it's the last name you'll ever hear."
"For somebody new to this supervillain gig you've sure got the cliches down."
- -Hydro-Man & Spider-Man
"The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout. Down came the rain to wash the spider out!"
- -Hydro-Man
"That's water under the bridge. But I'll bet that barley slowed him down. I better find MJ before Don Juan in a bottle does."
- -Spider-Man
"I'm. . ."
"I know who you are. I have a TV. I appreciate the rescue but I'm just a little tired of weird men making unscheduled appearances in my life."
"Speaking of weird who is that guy?"
His name's Morris Bench. I'm embarrassed to say I use to date him in high school. He seemed nice enough at first but he turned out to be a big mistake. I sure can pick 'em"
"And what about the. . ."
". . .the turning into water thing? That's new. I don't recall him doing that at the prom."
- -Spider-Man & Mary Jane Watson
"Guess were not so different hu dad? When things got tough I turned tail and ran too. But not for long. The difference between us is I'm not gonna run anymore."
- -Mary Jane Watson
"Now I had power! Now I could have anything in the world I wanted! And I want you."
"Well guess what? I'm not a thing I'm a person! Don't you get it?"
"I don't wanna own you. I wanna love you. I want you to remember that you love me."
"Morrie, listen to me. I don't love you! I never loved you!"
"I'll flood the city! Force everyone to run! Keeping it for just the two of us. Forever."
- -Hydro-Man & Mary Jane
"Three minuted under water. Do I get my merit badge?"
- -Spider-Man
"Haven't you figured out yet that your web is useless against me?"
"Yes. So I made this new batch just for you!"
- -Hydro-Man & Spider-Man
"What did you do to him? Is he okay?"
"No. He's stuck. I mixed a powerful coagulant into my web fluid. One that would react with the H2O in his body and become a hardening agent."
"What?"
"Basically I stirred powered gelatin into 'em. Lets just say he's getting his just desserts."
- -Mary Jane & Spider-Man
"Get away from her! She belongs to me!"
- -Hydro-Man
"Mary Jane! There is nowhere to hide from me! I am everywhere!"
- -Hydro-Man
"Nowhere left to run."
"So why don't we all just take a break?"
"You again? Haven't you figured out yet that you can't beat me?"
"I don't have to slick, she already has."
"Hu?"
"Don't you get it Bench? She's led you away from the water that feeds you. Your barley holding yourself together pal. Your almost out of. . . you."
"Why Mary Jane? Why? I love you."
"You don't kidnap people you love Morrie. And you don't force yourself on people you love. Morrie it's over. We've gotta get you some help."
"Noooooooo! I'll destroy you with my bare hands!"
- -Hydro-Man, Spider-Man & Mary Jane
"He's evaporating! Does this mean he's, he's. . ."
"Not necessarily. H2O in infamous among solvents for it's self cohesiveness."
"Brother. Now you sound like my friend, Peter Parker."
"Hey. Don't insult me."
- -Mary Jane & Spider-Man
"So let me get this straight. This woman faces the most powerful supervillain ever, without falling to pieces, and I, Mr. superhero am whining about getting sick. Maybe I can learn a thing or two from her."
(Mary Jane wins at a carnival game.)
"Stick with me tiger and I'll teach you how to beat the odds."
"Sorry about the rain. It seems like your having nothing but water problems lately."
"You know, right now it really doesn't seem like a problem."
(Peter Parker and Mary Jane kiss.)
- -Peter Parker & Mary Jane