This version of Hydro-Man has a slightly altered background. Here he is a jealous overbearing ex-high school boyfriend of Mary Jane Watson who was expelled from school and joined the navy. A month prior to the events of this episode, he got his powers after being dragged overboard and covered in a strange chemical that altered his chemical structure.
When saving Mary Jane, Spider-Man says, "Sub-Mariner eat your heart out". In the comics, Morrie Bench became Hydro-Man after accidentally being knocked overboard a cargo ship by Spider-Man after fight against Namor the Sub-Mariner.
This episode is loosely based on "The Amazing Spider-Man" (Vol. 1) #212, the first appearance of Hydro-Man.