William Foster (Earth-616)

From Marvel Database

Black Goliath

Gallery

Real Name

William Barrett Foster

Current Alias

Black Goliath

Aliases

Bill, Black Goliath, Giant-Man, Goliath, Rockwell Dodsworth

Identity

Secret

Affiliation

Recurring associate of the Avengers, Hank Pym and Tony Stark; formerly Stark West, Project:PEGASUS, "Defenders for a Day", Champions of Los Angeles (unofficial), Circus of Crime, U.S. military

Relatives

Claire Temple (ex-wife), unnamed parents, unnamed sister, Tom Foster (Black Goliath, nephew)

Characteristics

Gender

Male

Height

6' 0" (variable)

Weight

200 lbs (91 kg) (variable)

Eyes

Brown

Hair

Black

Status

Citizenship

American

Marital Status

Divorced

Occupation

Biochemist, inventor, research scientist, adventurer; former circus performer, soldier

Origin

Origin

A lab assistant of Hank Pym, Bill Foster was infused with Pym Particles.

Place of Birth

Watts, Los Angeles, California

Place of Death

Geffen Meyer Chemicals, Hudson River, New York

Creators

Stan Lee, Don Heck

First appearance

Last appearance

(Foster) Avengers #32 (1966); (Black Goliath) Power Man #24 (1975); (Giant-Man) Marvel Two-In-One #55 (1979); (Goliath) Thing #1 (2006)

Civil War # 4

History

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.

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.

Giant-Man II

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.

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.

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.

The Last Return

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.

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.

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 described Goliath as "Deserving of death and worse," 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.

Heir apparent

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.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Goliath can increase his size, to a safe limit of 25 feet in height.

Abilities

None known.

Strength level

Unknown.

Weaknesses

None known.

Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.

Notes

• No special notes.
  

Trivia

• No trivia.

See Also

• Appearances of William Foster (Earth-616)
• Character Gallery: William Foster (Earth-616)
• Fan-Art Gallery: William Foster (Earth-616)
• Quotations by William Foster (Earth-616)

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Links and References

• All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #4 (2006)