Most characters within the comic universe have two identities - their superhero/supervillain persona and their secret identity. However, one man had not one, not two, not even three, but four different identities throughout his comic career. Do you know who this is?
Dr. William “Bill” Foster, created by Stan Lee and Don Heck, made his debut appearance in The Avengers #32 in 1966. Despite growing up in a poor neighborhood in California, Foster was able to advance socially thanks to his natural intelligence and the encouragement of those around him. He attended the California Technical Institute and later worked as a biochemist for the Plans and Research Division of Tony Stark’s Baltimore factory. Eventually his work gained the attention of Dr. Hank Pym and he was hired on as his biochemical laboratory assistant. During this time, Pym was stuck at 10 feet tall and needed Foster to find a cure to restore his size back to normal. After doing so, Foster continues on as Pym’s lab assistant.
In 1975, Tony Isabella and George Tuska introduced Foster as Black Goliath in Luke Cage, Power Man #24. After acquiring the formula to “Pym particles,” Foster gained the ability to grow in size like his former employer. Adopting the mantle Black Goliath, he works alongside Power Man to fight such villains as Atom-Smasher, Vulcan, and Stilt-Man. Later on, Black Goliath assists the Champions of Los Angeles in battling Stilt-Man, before joining the group part-time as their technical advisor. Foster later joins the U.S. government’s semi-secret research facility, Project Pegasus, as a biochemical researcher. At this time, Foster changed his name to became the second Giant-Man.
As Giant-Man, Foster defends Project: Pegasus against Nuklo, the Grapplers, Klaw, Solarr, and the Nth Man. Not long after, Foster drops the Giant-Man identity and Pym subsequently takes it back for himself. In The Thing #1 in 2006, Foster dropped the “black” and became the fourth Goliath. Under this new identity, Foster donned a new costume and occasionally assisted the Thing, Spider-Man and the Hulk.
Over the years, Foster has appeared in numerous comics, under numerous identities. But now the character is making his live-action debut in Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp portrayed by Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix). The first trailer recently dropped and offered a brief look at Fishburne’s Bill Foster/Goliath. The latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is scheduled to be released on July 6, 2018.
