| Bill Foster | |
|---|---|
 Bill Foster as Black Goliath, appearing inBlack Goliath #1 (Feb. 1976). Cover art byRich Buckler. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | As Bill Foster: The Avengers #32 (September 1966) As Black Goliath: Luke Cage, Power Man #24 (April 1975) As Giant-Man: Marvel Two-in-One #55 (September 1979) As Goliath: The Thing (vol. 2) #1 (January 2006) |
| Created by | Bill Foster: Stan Lee Don Heck Black Goliath: Jenny Blake Isabella George Tuska |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Dr. William Barrett "Bill" Foster |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Team affiliations | Centers for Disease Control Project Pegasus The Defenders The Champions |
| Notable aliases | Goliath Black Goliath Giant-Man Rockwell Dodsworth |
| Abilities |
|
Dr. William "Bill"Foster, also known asBlack Goliath,Giant-Man andGoliath, is asuperhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. He is a professor with powers similar toHank Pym's increasing size and mass to gigantic proportions. Foster was killed byRagnarok during the 2006 eventCivil War, with his nephewTom Foster succeeding him as Goliath.
The character has made several video game appearances and appeared in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmAnt-Man and the Wasp (2018), portrayed byLaurence Fishburne, who later voicedalternate versions of the character in the animated seriesWhat If...?.
Isabella recounted the character's creation:
Bill Foster was Hank Pym’s colleague at a time when Pym (aka Ant-Man, Giant-Man, and Goliath) was trapped at a giant size. They were working to reverse that condition. Later, Foster used their work to become a super-hero himself. I wanted to call him Giant-Man, but I was told Giant-Man had sold badly near the end of his run inTales to Astonish. We went with Black Goliath to distinguish him from the Pym incarnation of Goliath, but I was never happy with that name.[1]
Bill Foster was created byStan Lee andDon Heck inThe Avengers #32 (September 1966). His "Black Goliath" persona was created byJenny Blake Isabella andGeorge Tuska inLuke Cage, Power Man #24 (April 1975). Foster became the second Giant-Man inMarvel Two-in-One #55 (September 1979). He became yet the fourth Goliath inThe Thing (vol. 2) #1 (January 2006).
He starred in the five-issue seriesBlack Goliath in 1976.
Bill Foster has appeared in the pages of various comic books, includingThe Avengers,Power Man,Marvel Two-in-One,The Champions,The Defenders,Marvel Super-Heroes (vol. 3),Marvel Comics Presents, andCivil War.
Foster was killed byRagnarok in the fourth issue of the seriesCivil War.
Bill Foster was born inWatts, Los Angeles, California. After earning a Ph.D. inbiochemistry from theCalifornia Institute of Technology (Caltech), Foster worked in the Plans and Research Division forTony Stark'sBaltimore factory.[2] He is hired to be the biochemical laboratory assistant ofHank Pym. After Pym is stuck at the height of 10 feet (3.0 m), Foster helps at Stark's behest to find a cure to revert Pym's size to normal.[3]
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.[4]
Bill Foster moves to the West Coast and acquires the formula to "Pym Particles", which give him the ability to grow in size like Pym. Taking the name "Black Goliath", he helpsPower Man fight theCircus of Crime.[5] He later battles the originalAtom-Smasher, the second Vulcan, andStilt-Man. The mercenaryWarhawk kills Atom-Smasher and flees before Black Goliath can catch him.[2]
Black Goliath later assists theChampions of Los Angeles in battling Stilt-Man, then joins the group part-time as a technical advisor.[6] After the Champions disband, Black Goliath and a large group of other heroes attend aDefenders membership rally; this incarnation of the Defenders lasts only one mission before disbanding.[7]
Bill Foster joins the staff ofProject Pegasus, an energy research facility, as a biochemical researcher. While there, he reveals his Black Goliath identity to theThing, who works in Project Pegasus' security. While answering an emergency alarm, Foster decides to change his alias to the name "Giant-Man" at the Thing's suggestion. Alongside the Thing,Quasar, and theAquarian, Giant-Man defends Project Pegasus againstNuklo, theGrapplers,Klaw,Solarr, andNth Man.
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.[8] Foster is given a blood transfusion fromSpider-Woman, which cures his radiation poisoning, but removes his powers and causes Spider-Woman to lose her immunity to radiation.[9]
Bill Foster next appears in the storyline "The Evolutionary War", where he is working for theHigh Evolutionary in theSavage Land.[10] After discovering the High Evolutionary's plans for a genetic bomb, Foster sends a distress message to theWest Coast Avengers.Mockingbird,Tigra, andMoon Knight answer his summons and join him in destroying the base. Foster reveals that he had been suffering from cancer since his last appearance. He retakes an improved growth serum which adds cancer-free mass to his body, so he remains at giant size until he can receive further treatment.[10]
Bill Foster soon gives up the Giant-Man identity, which Hank Pym subsequently takes back for himself.[11] Shortly afterward,Erik Josten's ionic powers are disrupted in a battle against theWest Coast Avengers.[12] This causes an energy disruption which allows a race of extra-dimensional creatures, the Kosmosians, to attack Earth. Although the creatures are 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 powers.[13]
Bill Foster regains his powers through unknown means. Under his Black Goliath identity, he appears briefly as part of an ad-hoc team of "urban" superheroes (Luke Cage,Iron Fist,Brother Voodoo, andFalcon).[14]
Foster dons the Goliath identity without the "black" in the name and along with a new costume to first help the Thing deal with a supervillain (along with hitting up for a research grant).[15] He later helpsSpider-Man track down theHulk, as Bruce Banner may be able to deal with Spider-Man's cellular degeneration.[16]
When theCivil War breaks out, Bill Foster as Goliath is seen as a member of Captain America's anti-registrationSecret Avengers.[17] During a battle between the Secret Avengers andIron Man's pro-registration forces, Foster is killed byRagnarok, a clone ofThor. Foster is buried in his giant form, with Iron Man paying for the thirty-eight burial plots required to accommodate his body. His death affects the war's balance of forces, leading several characters to switch sides, such as Spider-Man defecting to Captain America's side.[18]
Bill's nephew,M.I.T. studentTom Foster, informs the Black Panther of intending to follow in his uncle's footsteps by cracking the Pym Particle formula and being a hero.[19] Tom publicly denouncesReed Richards and Iron Man because of his uncle's death.[20] Tom later recreates and drinks his uncle's formula.[21]
WhenHercules ventures into theUnderworld, Bill Foster is one of numerous deceased characters seen in Erebus: the place in between life and death where those who feel they still have business in the mortal world gamble and linger for their resurrection.[22]
It is later revealed that Foster had worked with Hank on a virtual reality program where one could upload their consciousness and live on after death prior to his own death. The grieving Pym uploads Foster's mind into the program, in effect creating a virtual Utopia for him.[23] A.I.M. later attempts to hijack the program, but Pym was able to defeat them withEric O'Grady's help. O'Grady (disguised as Pym in the virtual world) converses briefly with Foster, who tells him to stop pushing loved ones away.[24]
Bill Foster's superpowers are a result of his biochemical formula containing Pym particles that he ingested.[25] He has the ability to increase his size into gigantic levels by psionically drawingmass from an extra-dimensional source, while gaining immense strength and durability in this height. The extra mass returns to its source as he decreases in size. The process of height alteration is fatiguing, making Foster more vulnerable to harm, after successive changes.
Foster was capable of routinely growing to 15 feet (4.6 m) in height and could lift approximately five tons at that size. After regaining his powers during the "Evolutionary War", it does not provide precisequantification, but he can now grow to 25 feet (7.6 m) tall.
Bill Foster possesses a gifted intellect with an extensive knowledge ofbiochemistry.
An alternate universe version of Bill Foster appears in thegraphic novelAnt-Man: Season One.[26]
An alternate universe version of Bill Foster appears inContest of Champions, where he is resurrected by Tony Stark using theReality Gem following his death inCivil War.[27]
Two zombified versions of Bill Foster / Black Goliath appear in the seriesMarvel Zombies. The first version appears inMarvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness, where he is killed byDoctor Doom's forces.[28] The second version appears inMarvel Zombies Return, where he is decapitated and his still-living head is used as part of a makeshift computer to allow dimensional travel.[29]
A possible future version of Bill Foster appears inA-Next, where his son John Foster becomes the heroEarth Sentry.[30]
An alternate universe version of Bill Foster / Giant-Man appears inSpidey Super Stories. This version became Giant-Man following Hank Pym's retirement.[31]
Two alternate universe versions of Bill Foster appear in the one-shotWhat If Civil War Ended Differently?. In "What If Captain America Led All the Heroes Against the Registration Act", Foster appears on Captain America's side. In "What If Iron Man Lost the Civil War", Foster survives Ragnarok's attack due to Iron Man's intervention.[32]
Bill Foster appears in media set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), primarily portrayed byLaurence Fishburne,[33][34] while his sonLangston portrays him in flashbacks.[35] This version is a former member ofS.H.I.E.L.D.,Hank Pym's assistant on "Project Goliath", andAva Starr's surrogate father afterElihas Starr's death.
Bill Foster appears in theMoon Girl and Devil Dinosaur episode "Devil on Her Shoulder", voiced again by Laurence Fishburne.[39][38]
Bill Foster appears inThe Avengers: United They Stand #1.[40]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)As they train, Bill Foster and Ant-Man are working on a project when Wasp comes in requesting Hank to fix her stingers.
