Hydroman
Encyclopedia
Hydroman is a fictional superhero
character who first appeared in comic books from Eastern Color Printing in 1940; not to be confused with the Spider-Man
villain Hydro-Man
.
, Hydroman first appeared in the premiere issue of Reg'lar Fellers
Heroic Comics in August, 1940. Issue #14 (September, 1942) introduced Rainbow Boy, who would be Hydroman's sidekick. Hyroman's last appearance in this title was in issue #29 (March, 1945).
In 2008, Hydroman appeared in the Dynamite Entertainment
miniseries Project Superpowers
; here he was referred to by the nickname "Hydro," presumably to avoid any trademark conflicts with Marvel Comics
who by now had a supervillain character called Hydro-Man.
named Harry Thurston accidentally created a compound that could convert human flesh into water, and he spilled some on his hand. He called out to his friend Bob Blake, who was then accidentally doused with a large amount of the substance and turned completely into "living water." Fortunately, Harry found an antidote and poured it into Bob; restored to human form, Bob soon discovered that he could now transform any part of his body into water and control its form and movement. Deciding to put his new abilities to good use, Bob became a costumed crimefighter and called himself Hydroman. Originally his outfit was shirt
less, but later he wore a see-through shirt.
Later, Hydroman gained a partner in the form of Jay Watson, a young employee of the Wizard Kid Radio Program; when exposed to sunlight, Jay could fly at the speed of light, leaving a rainbow
-like trail in his wake which he could shape and control (much like Green Lantern
's ring power). In his costumed identity of Rainbow Boy, Jay worked with Hydroman and also went on solo adventures.
, Hydroman and Rainbow Boy were each trapped and imprisoned in the mystical Urn of Pandora (along with scores of other heroes) by the misguided Fighting Yank
. Decades later, the Urn was broken and the heroes freed. Hydro found himself allied with a group of heroes called The Superpowers, who were determined to counteract the totalitarian actions and agenda of the current rulers of the world. Rainbow Boy, on the other hand, joined a group of kid heroes and sidekicks called The Inheritors, who are at odds with the adult heroes.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
character who first appeared in comic books from Eastern Color Printing in 1940; not to be confused with the Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
villain Hydro-Man
Hydro-Man
Hydro-Man, also spelled Hydro Man , is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics...
.
Publishing history
Created by Bill EverettBill Everett
William Blake "Bill" Everett, also known as William Blake and Everett Blake was a comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner and co-creating Daredevil for Marvel Comics...
, Hydroman first appeared in the premiere issue of Reg'lar Fellers
Reg'lar Fellers
Reg'lar Fellers was a long-run newspaper comic strip adapted into a feature film, a radio series on NBC and an animated cartoon. Created by Gene Byrnes , the comic strip offered a humorous look at a gang of suburban children...
Heroic Comics in August, 1940. Issue #14 (September, 1942) introduced Rainbow Boy, who would be Hydroman's sidekick. Hyroman's last appearance in this title was in issue #29 (March, 1945).
In 2008, Hydroman appeared in the Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book company that primarily publishes licensed franchises of adaptations of other media. These include adaptations of film properties such as Army of Darkness, Terminator and RoboCop, literary properties such as Zorro, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in...
miniseries Project Superpowers
Project Superpowers
Project Superpowers is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It was co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art by Doug Klauba and Stephen Sadowski for issue #0, and Carlos Paul for the...
; here he was referred to by the nickname "Hydro," presumably to avoid any trademark conflicts with Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
who by now had a supervillain character called Hydro-Man.
Fictional biography
In 1940, a young chemical engineerChemical engineer
In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work...
named Harry Thurston accidentally created a compound that could convert human flesh into water, and he spilled some on his hand. He called out to his friend Bob Blake, who was then accidentally doused with a large amount of the substance and turned completely into "living water." Fortunately, Harry found an antidote and poured it into Bob; restored to human form, Bob soon discovered that he could now transform any part of his body into water and control its form and movement. Deciding to put his new abilities to good use, Bob became a costumed crimefighter and called himself Hydroman. Originally his outfit was shirt
Shirt
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers...
less, but later he wore a see-through shirt.
Later, Hydroman gained a partner in the form of Jay Watson, a young employee of the Wizard Kid Radio Program; when exposed to sunlight, Jay could fly at the speed of light, leaving a rainbow
Rainbow
A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. It takes the form of a multicoloured arc...
-like trail in his wake which he could shape and control (much like Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
's ring power). In his costumed identity of Rainbow Boy, Jay worked with Hydroman and also went on solo adventures.
Project Superpowers
At some point after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Hydroman and Rainbow Boy were each trapped and imprisoned in the mystical Urn of Pandora (along with scores of other heroes) by the misguided Fighting Yank
Fighting Yank
-Publication history:The initial comic-book character called Fighting Yank first appeared in Nedor Comics' Startling Comics #10 , during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books. He was created by writer Richard E. Hughes and artist Jon L. Blummer...
. Decades later, the Urn was broken and the heroes freed. Hydro found himself allied with a group of heroes called The Superpowers, who were determined to counteract the totalitarian actions and agenda of the current rulers of the world. Rainbow Boy, on the other hand, joined a group of kid heroes and sidekicks called The Inheritors, who are at odds with the adult heroes.