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Bill Foster (character)

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Bill Foster
Bill Foster as Black Goliath, appearing in Black Goliath #1 (Feb. 1976).
Cover art by Rich Buckler.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAs Bill Foster:
The Avengers #32 (Sept. 1966)
As Black Goliath:
Luke Cage, Power Man #24 (April 1975)
As Giant-Man:
Marvel Two-in-One #55 (Sept. 1979)
As Goliath:
The Thing vol. 2 #1 (Jan. 2006)
Created byBill Foster:
Stan Lee
Don Heck
Black Goliath:
Tony Isabella
George Tuska
In-story information
Alter egoWilliam "Bill" Foster
SpeciesHuman mutate
Team affiliationsCenters for Disease Control
Project: Pegasus
The Defenders
The Champions
Notable aliasesGoliath
Black Goliath
Giant-Man
Rockwell Dodsworth
Abilities

Dr. William "Bill" Foster, also known as Black Goliath, Giant-Man and Goliath, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a professor with powers similar to Hank Pym's increasing size and mass to gigantic proportions.

The character has made several video game appearances and appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), portrayed by Laurence Fishburne, who later voiced alternate versions of the character in the animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and What If...?.

Creation

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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 in Tales 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]

Publication history

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Dr. Foster was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck in The Avengers #32 (Sept. 1966). His "Black Goliath" persona was created by Tony Isabella and George Tuska in Luke Cage, Power Man #24 (April 1975). Foster became the second Giant-Man in Marvel Two-in-One #55 (Sept. 1979). He became yet the fourth Goliath in The Thing vol. 2 #1 (Jan. 2006).

He starred in the five-issue series Black Goliath in 1976.

Bill Foster has appeared in the pages of various comic books, including The Avengers, Power Man, Marvel Two-in-One, The Champions, The Defenders, Marvel Super-Heroes (vol. 3), Marvel Comics Presents, and Civil War.

The character was killed by Ragnarok in the fourth issue of the series Civil War.

Fictional character biography

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Origin

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Bill Foster was born in Watts, Los Angeles, California. After earning a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Dr. Foster worked in the Plans and Research Division for Tony Stark's Baltimore factory.[2] He is hired to be the biochemical laboratory assistant of Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym. At a time when the original Giant-Man was stuck at the height of 10 feet (3.0 m), Dr. Foster helps at Stark's behest to find a cure to revert Pym's size back to normal.[3] Foster continues to work as Pym's lab assistant.[4] Foster later investigates the apparent deaths of Pym and Janet van Dyne.[5]

Black Goliath

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Origin blurb from Black Goliath #1

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.[6]

Dr. Foster moves to the West Coast and 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.[7] He later battles the original Atom-Smasher, the second Vulcan, and Stilt-Man. The mercenary Warhawk kills Atom-Smasher and flees before Black Goliath can catch him.[2]

Black Goliath later assists the Champions of Los Angeles in battling Stilt-Man, then joins the group part-time as their technical advisor.[8] Alongside Ben Grimm, Black Goliath battles the Hijacker.[9] After the Champions disband, Black Goliath and a large group of other heroes attend a Defenders membership rally; this incarnation of Defenders battles a number of assembled superhuman criminals for only one mission before disbanding.[10]

Giant-Man

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The Project: Pegasus Saga

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Dr. Bill Foster later joins the staff of Project Pegasus, the US government's semi-secret energy research facility, as a biochemical researcher. While there, he reveals his Black Goliath identity to the Thing working (at the time) in security for Project: Pegasus. In the process of answering an emergency alarm, Foster decides to change his alias to the name "Giant-Man" at Ben Grimm's suggestion. Alongside the Thing, Quasar, and the Aquarian, Giant-Man defends Project: Pegasus against Nuklo, the Grapplers, Klaw, Solarr, and the Nth 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.[11]

Alongside the Thing and Iceman, he battles the Circus of Crime again.[12] Alongside the Thing and Captain America, he battles MODOK and A.I.M.[13] Alongside the Thing and Spider-Woman, Giant-Man battles the second Atom-Smasher. Foster's radiation poisoning takes a turn for the worse and he lies on his death bed. As Spider-Woman is immune to radiation at the time, Foster is given a blood transfusion from Spider-Woman. The process cures his radiation poisoning, but ends Spider-Woman's radiation immunity, and removes Giant-Man's powers as well.[14]

Evolutionary War

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Bill Foster is next seen during the Evolutionary War. He is a scientist working for the High Evolutionary at his base in the Savage Land.[15] After discovering the High Evolutionary's plans for a genetic bomb, Foster sends a distress message to the West Coast Avengers. Mockingbird, Tigra, and Moon Knight are the only Avengers to 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 clean (cancer-free) mass to his body, so he remains at giant-size until he can receive further treatment.[15] This was the last mention of Foster's cancer. Giant-Man later defeats Doctor Nemesis and Erik Josten in their scheme.[16]

Abandoning the hero role

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Bill Foster soon gives up the Giant-Man identity to which Hank Pym subsequently takes back for himself.[17] Not too long after that, Josten's ionic powers are disrupted in a battle against the West Coast Avengers.[18] This causes an energy disruption which allows 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. During this storyline, it was shown how Foster and Pym were trying to use Pym Particles to end world hunger.[19]

After losing his powers, Dr. Foster joins the Centers for Disease Control's staff. In this capacity, he helps the Avengers deal with a bio-weapon released near Mount Rushmore.[20]

Final return

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Bill Foster somehow regained his powers. Under his Black Goliath identity, he appears very briefly as part of an ad-hoc team of "urban" superheroes (Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Brother Voodoo and the Falcon).[21]

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),[22] then helps Spider-Man track down the Hulk in order for Bruce Banner to possibly deal with Spider-Man's cellular degeneration.[23]

Civil War

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When the Civil War breaks out, Bill Foster as Goliath is seen as a member of Captain America's anti-registration Secret Avengers, adopting the alias Rockwell Dodsworth. He subsequently appears briefly amongst the cavalcade of other super-heroes attending the Black Panther's and Storm's wedding.[24]

Foster is killed by a clone of Thor during a battle between the Secret Avengers and Iron Man's pro-registration forces. Foster is buried as a giant, with Iron Man paying for the thirty-eight burial plots required to accommodate his body. His death affected the war's balance of forces, leading several characters to switch sides, such as Spider-Man defecting to Captain America's side.[25]

Legacy

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Bill's nephew, M.I.T. student Tom Foster, informs the Black Panther of intending to follow in his uncle's footsteps by cracking the Pym Particle formula and being a hero.[26] Tom later publicly denounced Reed Richards and Iron Man because of his uncle's death.[27] Afterwards, Tom recreates and drinks his uncle's formula.[28]

During the "Dark Reign" storyline, Norman Osborn dug up Foster's grave and removed his clavicle, hoping to use the Pym particle residue to track down Hank Pym's Mighty Avengers. Foster's clavicle is later broken in half by Osborn in a fit of rage after hearing Pym's team being declared "the real Avengers" on national television.[29]

When Hercules ventures into the Underworld, 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.[30]

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 uploaded Foster's mind into the program, in effect creating a virtual Utopia for his comrade.[31] A.I.M. later attempt to hijack the program, but Pym was able to defeat them with Eric O'Grady's help. During the adventure's course, O'Grady (disguised as Pym in the virtual world) converses briefly with Foster who says to stop pushing loved ones away.[32]

Powers and abilities

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Bill Foster's superpowers are a result of his biochemical formula containing Pym particles that he ingested.[33] He has the ability to increase his size into gigantic levels by psionically drawing mass 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 precise quantification, but he can now grow to 25 feet (7.6 m) tall.

Bill Foster possesses a gifted intellect with an extensive knowledge of biochemistry.

Other versions

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Ant-Man Season One

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A younger version of Foster appears in the Ant-Man: Season One graphic novel. He is portrayed as the lab assistant of the young Hank Pym, and helps him in his crusade against Egghead.[34]

Contest of Champions

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The 2015 Contest of Champions series featured an unidentified alternate reality's version of Civil War that had everything go in Tony Stark's favor. He used the Reality Infinity Gem to undo the death of Goliath at the hands of Ragnarok.[35]

Marvel Zombies

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A zombified Black Goliath attacks the fortress of Doctor Doom known as "Doomshadt" in Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness #4. He is repelled by Doom's forces as he is impaled by several large missiles and killed when they explode while still within him.[36] A different zombified Black Goliath shows up in Marvel Zombies Return. He had been decapitated and his still 'living' zombie head is used as part of a makeshift computer to allow the zombified Hank Pym to create dimensional travel. This Goliath is destroyed in an attack by human-friendly forces.[37]

MC2

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In the MC2 universe, in the pages of A-Next, Bill Foster is seen within the series as his son John Foster becomes the new Earth Sentry.[38]

Spidey Super Stories

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An alternate version of Bill Foster appeared in Spidey Super Stories as Giant-Man. In the story, it was explained that Foster was originally the young lab assistant of Hank Pym, and became the second Giant-Man after he retired.[39]

What If?

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In What If Civil War Ended Differently?, Bill Foster is featured in both stories. In "What If Captain America Led All the Heroes Against the Registration Act", Bill Foster appears on Captain America's side. In "What If Iron Man Lost the Civil War", Bill Foster is among the heroes on both sides that fight an out-of-control Ragnarok. When Ragnarok is about to use a lightning attack on Bill Foster, Iron Man threw himself in front of the attack.[40]

In other media

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Marvel Cinematic Universe

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See also: Bill Foster (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Bill Foster appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), primarily portrayed by Laurence Fishburne,[41][42] while his son Langston portrays him in flashbacks.[43] This version is a former member of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hank Pym's assistant on "Project Goliath", and Ava Starr's surrogate father after Elihas Starr's death.

  • Introduced in the live-action film Ant-Man and the Wasp, Foster teaches quantum physics at UC Berkeley when he encounters Pym, Scott Lang, and Hope van Dyne. After Ava captures them, Foster explains his intent to cure Ava of her quantum instability by obtaining energy from the Quantum Realm. After Pym, Lang, and Hope escape, Foster and Ava steal Pym's lab, but their former captives retake it. After Janet van Dyne stabilizes Ava, Foster goes on the run with the latter.
  • An alternate reality variant of Foster who became Goliath appears in the Disney+ animated series What If...? episode "What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes?", voiced by Fishburne.[44]
  • Foster will appear in the live-action film Thunderbolts*.[45]

Television

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Bill Foster appears in the Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur episode "Devil on Her Shoulder", voiced again by Laurence Fishburne.[46]

Video games

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Miscellaneous

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Bill Foster appears in The Avengers: United They Stand #1. This version was Henry Pym's lab assistant.[48]

References

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  1. ^ Isabella, Tony (June 6, 2017). "RICH REVIEWS: Tony Isabella Writer/Creator Black Lightning". firstcomicsnews.com (Interview). Interviewed by Richard Vasseur. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Black Goliath #1–5 (Feb.–Nov. 1976).
  3. ^ The Avengers #32–35. Marvel Comics.
  4. ^ The Avengers #41, 54, 75. Marvel Comics.
  5. ^ Marvel Feature #9. Marvel Comics.
  6. ^ Black Goliath #1 (Feb. 1976).
  7. ^ Luke Cage, Power Man #24–25 (April–May 1975).
  8. ^ The Champions #11–13 (Feb.–May 1977).
  9. ^ Marvel Two-in-One #32–35 (Oct. 1977–Jan. 1978).
  10. ^ The Defenders #62–65 (Aug.–Nov. 1978).
  11. ^ Marvel Two-in-One #54–58. Marvel Comics.
  12. ^ Marvel Two-in-One #76
  13. ^ Marvel Two-in-One #82. Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ Marvel Two-in-One #85. Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ a b The West Coast Avengers vol. 2 Annual #3. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^ Marvel Comics Presents #113–118 (1992–93). Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ The Avengers #368 (Nov. 1993). Marvel Comics.
  18. ^ Avengers West Coast #92 (March 1993). Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ Avengers Double Feature ... Avengers/Giant-Man #379–382 (Oct. 1994–Jan. 1995). Marvel Comics.
  20. ^ The Avengers vol. 3 #66 (June 2003). Marvel Comics.
  21. ^ Black Panther vol. 3 #17 (April 2000). Marvel Comics.
  22. ^ The Thing vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.
  23. ^ Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #2. Marvel Comics.
  24. ^ Black Panther vol. 4 #18 (Sept. 2006). Marvel Comics.
  25. ^ Civil War #4. Marvel Comics.
  26. ^ Black Panther vol. 4 #23. Marvel Comics.
  27. ^ World War Hulk #4. Marvel Comics.
  28. ^ World War Hulk: Aftersmash #1. Marvel Comics.
  29. ^ The Mighty Avengers #24. Marvel Comics.
  30. ^ The Incredible Hercules #129. Marvel Comics.
  31. ^ Ant-Man & Wasp #1. Marvel Comics.
  32. ^ Ant-Man & Wasp #3. Marvel Comics.
  33. ^ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 #4 (September 2008)
  34. ^ Ant-Man: Season One graphic novel (2012). Marvel Comics.
  35. ^ Contest of Champions #9-10. Marvel Comics.
  36. ^ Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness #4
  37. ^ Marvel Zombies Return: Avengers (September 2009). Marvel Comics.
  38. ^ A-Next #2. Marvel Comics.
  39. ^ Spidey Super Stories #47. Marvel Comics.
  40. ^ What If?: Civil War #1. Marvel Comics.
  41. ^ Aaron Couch; Graeme McMillan (July 22, 2017). "Ant-Man and the Wasp' Casts Michelle Pfeiffer and Laurence Fishburne". The Hollywood Reporter.
  42. ^ Bacon, Thomas (June 26, 2018). "Laurence Fishburne May Have Spoiled Ant-Man & The Wasp's Big Twist". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2018-06-27. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  43. ^ "Ant-Man and the Wasp Press Kit" (PDF). Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-11-04. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  44. ^ Flook, Ray (March 24, 2023). "What If…?: Laurence Fishburne Voicing Bill Foster for Season 2". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  45. ^ Perine, Aaron (January 27, 2024). "Marvel's Thunderbolts Reportedly Has Surprise MCU Returns". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  46. ^ Shaunette, Morgan (April 11, 2023). "Laurence Fishburne Brings His MCU Character to Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur". CBR. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  47. ^ "Goliath Voices (Marvel Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors.
  48. ^ Avengers: United They Stand #1
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