Origin
Bill Foster was born in Watts, Los Angeles, California. After earning a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Foster worked in the Plans and Research Division for Tony Stark's Baltimore factory. He is hired to be the biochemical laboratory assistant of Hank Pym. After Pym is stuck at the height of 10 ft, Foster helps at Stark's behest to find a cure to revert Pym's size to normal.[2]
Black Goliath
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 helps Power Man fight the Circus of Crime.[4] 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.[5]
Black Goliath later assists the Champions 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 a Defenders membership rally; this incarnation of the Defenders lasts only one mission before disbanding.[7]
Giant-Man
The Project Pegasus Saga
Bill Foster joins the staff of Project Pegasus, an energy research facility, as a biochemical researcher. While there, he reveals his Black Goliath identity to the Thing, 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 the Aquarian, Giant-Man defends Project Pegasus against Nuklo, the Grapplers, Klaw, Solarr, and 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.[8] Foster is given a blood transfusion from Spider-Woman, which cures his radiation poisoning, but removes his powers and causes Spider-Woman to lose her immunity to radiation.[9]
The Project Pegasus Saga
Bill Foster joins the staff of Project Pegasus, an energy research facility, as a biochemical researcher. While there, he reveals his Black Goliath identity to the Thing, 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 the Aquarian, Giant-Man defends Project Pegasus against Nuklo, the Grapplers, Klaw, Solarr, and 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.[8] Foster is given a blood transfusion from Spider-Woman, which cures his radiation poisoning, but removes his powers and causes Spider-Woman to lose her immunity to radiation.[9]
Evolutionary War
Bill Foster next appears in the storyline "The Evolutionary War", where he is working for the High Evolutionary in the Savage Land.[10] 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 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]
Abandoning the hero role
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 the West 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]
Final return
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, and Falcon).[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 helps Spider-Man track down the Hulk, as Bruce Banner may be able to deal with Spider-Man's cellular degeneration.[16]
Civil War
When the Civil War breaks out, Bill Foster as Goliath is seen as a member of Captain America's anti-registration Secret Avengers.[17] During a battle between the Secret Avengers and Iron Man's pro-registration forces, Foster is killed by Ragnarok, a clone of Thor. 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]
Legacy
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.[19] Tom publicly denounces Reed Richards and Iron Man because of his uncle's death.[20] Tom later recreates and drinks his uncle's formula.[21]
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.[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]
