I found some information on Photo chemistry regarding hydroquinone. Follow the link below and scroll down about one page to the heading Developer Alkalis.
http://www.ruger.demon.co.uk/HTMLReal/Photography/Chemistry/Chem1.html (http://www.ruger.demon.co.uk/HTMLReal/Photography/Chemistry/Chem1.html)
The author mentions that it is possible to react hydroquinone with an alkali, such as sodium hydroxide or pottasium hydroxide, to ionize the hydrogens on the hydroxyl groups of hydroquinone. The reaction diagram depicts something that looks just like benzoquinone as the product from this reaction. I'm no chemist, but I thought it was interesting anyway.
Common sense tells me that it's probably not that easy to create benzoquinone from hydroquinone by using an alkali.
Anyone?