Column Chronicles: Hydrate-man meets Mombo Krayzo

Hydrate-man meets Mombo Krayzo

Frank Cotolo
July 10, 2025

Shemp Silo went to great lengths to disguise the parts of him that were Hydrate-man. He tried to appear as Shemp Silo and it was a labor because sometimes his Hydrate-man self would leave small puddles whenever he moved fast. It was a labor as well since everyone knew Hydrate-man after his first adventure battling the villain known as Mombo Krayzo.

Like most villains there was evil in Mombo Krayzo and he came out of nowhere. One day his big and strange metalic body was standing at the entrance of the Boopaloop Tunnel. Mombo Krayzo was collecting tolls to the tunnel.

One driver said, "Hey you, this is a free tunnel."

"My name is Mombo Krayzo."

"I do not care if your name is Establishment Joey. I'm not paying a toll to drive through a tunnel that is always free."

The drivers of the seventy other autos backed up all screamed, "Yeah what he said!"

Mombo Krayzo shot electric bolts from his eyes and fingers and made each car overheat and it scared the drivers so much they paid the toll. Then all of the drivers left their cars and ran away which caused a riot in the streets.

Shemp Silo saw the riot from a window. He turned into Hydrate-man and splashed to the front of the autos abandoned at the tunnel entrance. Mombo Krayzo saw him and shot electric bolts from his eyes directly at Hydrate-man. Mombo Krayzo's body then began to smoke like crazy.

"Look," said a rioter, "Hydrate-man's liquid shorted Mombo Krayzo's electricity power and he can't move."

Hydrate-man filled all of the car radiators and the drivers applauded it and got back into their cars. As they drove into the tunnel each car ran over Mombo Krayzo and he broke into pieces.

Hydrate-man established hero status that day. He became an official superhero. But he wondered why the villain called himself Mombo Krayzo.

Frank Cotolo can be found hosting the talk and interview programme Cotolo Chronicles. You can send him an e-mail at this address: frank@148.ca.