Black Goliath’s real name is Dr. William Barrett Foster, a brilliant biochemist who grew up in the ghetto of Los Angeles. He managed to escape poverty thanks to his natural talent and the encouragement of his mentors. He attended the California Institute of Technology and then enlisted in the military. After graduating, he worked up the corporate ladder at Stark Industries, where he met Dr. Henry “Hank” Pym, the original Giant-Man and Ant-Man.

Tony Stark hired Foster to help Pym find a cure for his condition, as he was stuck at 10 feet due to his exposure to Pym particles, the subatomic particles that allow him to change size. Foster and Pym worked together and eventually restored Pym’s standard size. Foster also learned about Pym’s formula and decided to synthesize his version of Pym particles without the side effects.

Foster wanted to use his newfound ability to grow in size to win back his ex-wife, Claire Temple, who had left him for Luke Cage, the hero known as Power Man. He wrote to her and said he was stuck at 10 feet tall and was working in a circus to make money for his research. He also made a costume for himself and adopted the name Black Goliath. However, his plan backfired when Claire came to see him with Cage, and they discovered that the circus was run by the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime. Black Goliath and Power Man teamed up to defeat the villains and save the audience.

Black Goliath can increase his size and mass by manipulating Pym particles in his body. He can grow up to 15 feet tall, although he can go beyond that limit with some strain. His strength, durability, and endurance are proportionate to his size, meaning he can lift 12 tons at 15 feet tall. He also retains his average human agility and speed when he grows.

Black Goliath is also a genius in biochemistry and physics, with a Ph.D. from Caltech. He has invented various devices and gadgets to aid his superhero careers, such as a wrist-mounted device that allows him to control his size remotely, a helmet that protects him from mind control, and a jet pack that enables him to fly.

Black Goliath had many adventures as a superhero, solo, and with other heroes. He fought against enemies such as Atom-Smasher, Vulcan, Stilt-Man, Warhawk, Hijacker, and more. He also joined forces with heroes like Spider-Man, Daredevil, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, and more.

He became a part-time Champions of Los Angeles member, a team that included Hercules, Black Widow, Ghost Rider, Iceman, and Angel. He also served as their technical advisor. He later attended a Defenders membership rally, where he met many other heroes who joined the team for one mission against an army of supervillains.

He also worked as a biochemical researcher for Project Pegasus, a government facility that studied alternative energy sources and superhuman phenomena. There he befriended Ben Grimm, aka the Thing of the Fantastic Four, who convinced him to change his name from Black Goliath to Giant-Man II.

He contracted radiation poisoning from one of his battles with Atom-Smasher, which temporarily robbed him of his powers. He was cured by Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman I, who gave him a blood transfusion. He regained his powers after teaming up with some members of the Avengers West Coast against the High Evolutionary during the Evolutionary War.

He later changed his name again to Goliath IV after meeting Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye or Goliath III. He also changed his costume to a more modern design.

Black Goliath’s life ended during the Civil War when he sided with Captain America’s anti-registration faction against Iron Man’s pro-registration faction. He was killed by Ragnarok, a clone of Thor created by Tony Stark’s side. His death was mourned by many heroes who respected him as a friend and colleague.

However, his legacy lives on through his nephew Tom Foster who inherited his uncle’s research notes and replicated his formula. Tom Foster became the new Black Goliath and joined the Initiative, a government-sponsored program that trained and assigned superheroes to different states. He also sought revenge against Ragnarok for killing his uncle but was stopped by Iron Man.

Black Goliath also appeared in other media, such as video games, animated shows, and movies. Laurence Fishburne portrayed him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), where he was a former colleague of Hank Pym and a mentor to Scott Lang, the new Ant-Man. He also voiced alternate versions of the character in the animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and What If…?.