fighter, and adept at using his powers for that purpose. In some incarnations, depending on the writer, Hydro-Man can form his forearms into weapons such as Sandman does, except that Bench's weapons are made of water. Bench has extensive experience in street-fighting techniques due to his experience as a criminal before his transformation. Though cunning, he has been consistently depicted by writers as a low tier henchman with little formal education and is often tricked into using his powers in ways that incapacitate him (as explained above). His normal attire consists of a black shirt and blue or green pants, as well as a costume invented by the Wizard. Reception Accolades In 2014, IGN ranked Hydro-Man 25th in their "Top 25 Spider-Man Villains" list. In 2019, CBR.com ranked Hydro-Man 8th in their "25 Most Powerful Marvel Villains To Ever Be Held In The Raft" list and 9th in their "25 Deadliest Spider-Man Villains" list. In 2020, CBR.com ranked Hydro-Man 4th in their "10 Most Powerful Members of the Sinister Syndicate" list. In 2022, Sportskeeda ranked Hydro-Man 5th in their "5 best comic book characters with water abilities" list and 8th in their "10 Spider-Man Villains Who Would Have Made No Way Home Even Better" list. Other versions Spider-Man: Reign Hydro-Man appears in Spider-Man: Reign as a member of the Sinner Six. They are in the control of the tyrannical mayor of New York. Hydro-Man dies when he comes into contact with Electro during an attempt to kill Spider-Man. In other media Television Hydro-Man appeared in Spider-Man, voiced by Rob Paulsen. He was utilized in place of Sandman, who was unavailable for use in the series as he was being considered for inclusion in James Cameron's attempted Spider-Man film at the time. This version of Hydro-Man is Mary Jane Watson's ex-boyfriend. After being expelled from school, his parents enlisted him in the Navy to keep him out of trouble. While in the special research unit working as a crewman, he was knocked overboard into the ocean, whereupon his body was covered in a strange chemical that altered his cellular structure, allowing him to control any liquid at will and turn into water. Debuting in his self-titled episode, Hydro-Man attempts to win Watson back. As she repeatedly rejects his advances, he becomes more desperate and comes to see Spider-Man as a romantic rival. After robbing a museum and stashing its riches inside