Bill Foster was born in Watts, Los Angeles, California. Biochemist Dr. Bill Foster worked in the Plans and Research Division for Tony Stark's Baltimore factory. He was hired to be the lab assistant of Dr. Hank Pym (aka Giant-Man). Pym was stuck at the height of ten feet for a time and Dr. Foster helped 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 read: "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 moved to the West Coast and at some point acquired the formula to "Pym particles" which gave him the ability to grow in size like his former employer. Taking the name Black Goliath, he helped Power Man fight the Circus of Crime. As Black Goliath he fought criminals such as Atom Smasher, Warhawk, Stilt-Man and the Hijacker. Black Goliath later assisted the Champions of Los Angeles, then joined the group part-time as their technical advisor. After the Champions disbanded, Black Goliath, along with a large group of other heroes, joined the Defenders for only one mission before quitting the group.

Giant-Man II

Dr. Foster later joined the staff of Project Pegasus, the U.S. government's semi-secret energy research facility. While there he revealed his identity of Black Goliath to the Thing, who at the time was working for Project: Pegasus. In the process of answering an emergency alarm, Foster decided to change his name to Giant-Man at Ben's suggestion. After working at Project: Pegasus for a short time Foster revealed that he was 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 was cured by a blood transfusion from Spider-Woman, who at the time was immune to radiation, but lost that immunity after giving Foster the transfusion.

After being cured, Foster gave up the Giant-Man identity for a long time. He finally returned as Giant-Man when he assisted the West Coast Avengers in their battle against the High Evolutionary in the Savage Land during the Evolutionary War. Giant-Man later defeated Ant-Man's old foe Doctor Nemesis and Goliath in their scheme.

Foster soon gave up the Giant-Man identity and Hank Pym subsequently took it back for himself. Not too long after that, Goliath's ionic powers were disrupted in a battle against the West Coast Avengers. This caused an energy disruption which allowed a race of extra-dimensional creatures, the Kosmosians, to attack Earth. Although the creatures were ultimately repelled, the energy disruption and effects on the Pym Particles affected all who had 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 joined the staff of the Centers for Disease Control. In this capacity he helped the Avengers deal with a bio-weapon released near Mount Rushmore.

The Last Return

Foster donned 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 helped Spider-Man track down the Hulk in order for Bruce Banner to possibly deal with Spidey's cellular degeneration.

Civil War

During the superhuman Civil War, Foster was a member of Captain America's anti-registration Secret Avengers, adopting the alias of Rockwell Dodsworth. He subsequently appeared briefly amongst the cavalcade of other African-American super-heroes attending the wedding of the Black Panther and Storm.

Foster was killed by a clone of Thor during a battle between the Secret Avengers and Iron Man's pro-registration forces. Since it wasn't possible to reduce his body to normal size, he was buried as a giant, with Tony Stark (Iron Man) paying for the thirty-eight burial plots required to accommodate him. His death 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 nephew Thomas -- a student at M.I.T. -- informed the Black Panther that he intended to follow in his uncle's footsteps by cracking the Pym Particle formula and becoming a hero. The Panther promised to help him achieve his goal.

Powers and AbilitiesEdit

Powers

Size Alteration: Due to being infused with Pym Particles, Goliath can increase his size, to a safe limit of 25 feet in height.

Superhuman Strength: Goliath presumably gained superhuman strength, in proportion with his increased height.

Power Grid ^[1]

NotesEdit

His death was predicted by Deadpool who described Goliath as "Deserving of death and worse," His last words were "Get ready for the shortest comeback in history, Thor!"

TriviaEdit

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

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Footnotes

↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z hardcover Vol. 4

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William Foster (Earth-616)

Contents

HistoryEdit

Origin