Bill Foster (comics)
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Dr. Bill Foster, known variously as Black Goliath, the second Giant-Man, and the fourth Goliath, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe.
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[edit] Publication history
Dr. Foster is an African American with powers similar to Giant-Man's. He was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck in The Avengers #32 (September 1966). His "Black Goliath" persona was created by Tony Isabella and George Tuska in Power Man #24 (April 1975). Foster became the second Giant-Man in Marvel Two-in-One #55 (September 1979). He became yet the fourth Goliath in The Thing (vol. 2) #1 (January 2006).
Although he became a superhero years after his initial appearance, Bill Foster is the third African American comic book character to become a superhero.
Black Goliath is also the name of the short-lived comic book starring the character, which ran for 5 issues in 1976.
Black Goliath has appeared in the pages of The Avengers, Power Man, Marvel Two-in-One, The Champions, The Defenders, Marvel Super-Heroes (vol. 3), Marvel Comics Presents, and Civil War.
[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] Origin
Bill Foster was born in Watts, Los Angeles, California. Biochemist Dr. Bill Foster works in the Plans and Research Division for Tony Stark's Baltimore factory. He is hired to be the lab assistant of Dr. Hank Pym (aka Giant-Man). Pym is stuck at the height of 10 feet for a time and Dr. Foster helps him find a cure to change his size back to normal.
[edit] Black Goliath
His origin blurb from the first page of his self-titled book reads: "BILL FOSTER - Dr. William Barrett Foster, DSc, PhD - a child of the GHETTO who has pulled himself up out of the Los Angeles slums to become director of one of the nation's most prestigious research labs. A man whose research has given him the power to instantaneously grow to a height of FIFTEEN FEET, with the strength of a TRUE GIANT. A man who has become... a HERO."
Dr. Foster moves to the West Coast and at some point acquires the formula to "Pym particles" which give him the ability to grow in size like his former employer. Taking the name Black Goliath, he helps Power Man fight the Circus of Crime. As Black Goliath he fights criminals such as Atom-Smasher, Warhawk, Stilt-Man and the Hijacker. Black Goliath later assists the Champions of Los Angeles, then joins the group part-time as their technical advisor. After the Champions disband, Black Goliath, along with a large group of other heroes, joins the Defenders for only one mission before quitting the group.
[edit] Giant-Man II
[edit] The Project: Pegasus Saga
Dr. Foster later joins the staff of Project Pegasus, the U.S. government's semi-secret energy research facility. While there he reveals his identity of Black Goliath to the Thing, who at the time is working for Project: Pegasus. In the process of answering an emergency alarm, Foster decides to change his name to Giant-Man at Ben's suggestion. After working at Project: Pegasus for a short time Foster reveals that he is dying from radiation poisoning he contracted in his earlier fight with Atom-Smasher. Some time later, while on his death bed, Foster's radiation poisoning is cured by a blood transfusion from Spider-Woman, who at the time is immune to radiation, but loses that immunity after giving Foster the transfusion.
[edit] The return
After being cured, Foster gives up the Giant-Man identity for a long time. He finally returns as Giant-Man when he assists the West Coast Avengers in their battle against the High Evolutionary in the Savage Land during The Evolutionary War. Giant-Man later defeats Ant-Man's old foe Doctor Nemesis and Goliath in their scheme.
[edit] Hero no more
Foster soon gives up the Giant-Man identity and Hank Pym subsequently takes it back for himself. Not too long after that, Goliath's ionic powers are disrupted in a battle against the West Coast Avengers. This causes an energy disruption which allow a race of extra-dimensional creatures, the Kosmosians, to attack Earth. Although the creatures are ultimately repelled, the energy disruption and effects on the Pym Particles affect all that have ever been exposed to them, except Pym himself, causing them to lose control of their growth and/or shrinking powers.
After losing his powers, Dr. Foster joins the staff of the Centers for Disease Control. In this capacity he helps the Avengers deal with a bio-weapon released near Mount Rushmore.
[edit] The Last Return
Foster as Black Goliath appears very briefly as part of an ad-hoc team of "urban" superheroes (Luke Cage/Power Man, Iron Fist, Brother Voodoo and The Falcon) in Black Panther vol. 3, #17 (April 2000), although there is no explanation of how he has regained his powers.
Foster dons the identity of Goliath again (along with a new costume and without the modifying "Black") to first help the Thing deal with a supervillain (along with hitting him up for a research grant), then help Spider-Man track down the Hulk in order for Bruce Banner to possibly deal with Spidey's cellular degeneration.
[edit] Civil War
Goliath appears in Civil War as a member of Captain America's anti-registration Secret Avengers, adopting the alias of Rockwell Dodsworth. He subsequently appears briefly amongst the cavalcade of other African-American super-heroes attending the wedding of the Black Panther and Storm.
In Civil War #4, Foster is killed by a clone of Thor during a battle between the Secret Avengers and Iron Man's pro-registration forces. His death was predicted by Deadpool who, in Cable and Deadpool #31, described Goliath as "Deserving of death and worse," during a skirmish before the big fight in Civil War #3/4. His last words are "Get ready for the shortest comeback in history, Thor!" before having a hole blown through his chest.
Since it isn't possible to reduce his body to normal size, he is buried as a giant, with Tony Stark (Iron Man) paying for the thirty-eight burial plots required to accommodate him. His death has affected the balance of forces in the war, leading several previously pro-Registration figures to change sides, most notably the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, the Black Panther, Storm and Spider-Man as well as many others questioning Iron Man's cause.
[edit] Heir apparent
In Black Panther #23, Bill Foster's unnamed nephew a student at M.I.T. informs the Black panther that he intends to follow in his uncle's footsteps by cracking the Pym Particle formula and becoming a hero. The Panther promises to help him achieve his goal.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Foster's exposure to Pym particles gives him the ability to grow to a gigantic size while gaining mass and superhuman strength in proportion to his height.
Foster was able to routinely grow to 15 feet in height, and could lift approximately ten tons at that height.
After regaining his powers during the "Evolutionary Wars", his level of power increased, although precise quantification was not provided.
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] List of titles
- The Avengers #32-35, 41, 54, 75, 244, 246, 360, 379-382
- Avengers vol. 3, #66
- Avengers West Coast #100
- Black Goliath #1-5
- Black Panther vol. 2, #17
- The Champions #11-13
- The Defenders #62-65
- Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #2
- Marvel Comics Presents #113-118
- Marvel Feature #9
- Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 3, #11
- Marvel Two-in-One #24, 54-58, 76, 81-85, 96
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #41
- Power Man #24-25
- Spider-Woman #4, 47
- The Thing vol. 2, #1,8
- West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #39
- West Coast Avengers Annual #3
[edit] External links
Categories: 1966 introductions | Black superheroes | Fictional African-Americans | Fictional characters from California | Fictional characters who can change their size | Fictional scientists | Marvel Comics mutates | Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength | Marvel Comics titles | Spin-off comic book superheroes
