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.
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. 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. Black Goliath later assists the
Champions of Los Angeles in battling Stilt-Man, then joins the group part-time as a technical advisor. 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.
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. 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.
Evolutionary War Bill Foster next appears in the storyline "
The Evolutionary War", where he is working for the
High Evolutionary in the
Savage Land. 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. Shortly afterward,
Erik Josten's ionic powers are disrupted in a battle against the
West Coast Avengers. 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.
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). 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). He later helps
Spider-Man track down the
Hulk, as Bruce Banner may be able to deal with Spider-Man's cellular degeneration.
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. 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.
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. Tom publicly denounces
Reed Richards and Iron Man because of his uncle's death. Tom later recreates and drinks his uncle's formula. 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. 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. A.I.M. later attempts to hijack the program, but Pym was able to defeat them with
Eric 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. ==Powers and abilities==