Publisher Marvel Comics | Alter ego Thomas "Tom" Foster | |
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Created by Reginald Hudlin
Greg Pak
Koi Turnbull Team affiliations Damage Control
M.I.T.
Revengers Abilities Superhuman strength and durability
Size and mass manipulation First appearance Black Panther vol.3 #23, (December 2006) Creators Reginald Hudlin, Greg Pak, Koi Turnbull Similar Bill Foster, Erik Josten, Yellowjacket, Eric O'Grady, Voice | ||
Thomas Foster is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is the fifth to hold the mantle of Goliath.
Contents
Publication history
Tom Foster made his first appearance in Black Panther Vol. 3 #23 and was created by Reginald Hudlin, Greg Pak and Koi Turnbull. He subsequently succeeded in gaining superpowers and becoming Goliath in World War Hulk: Aftersmash #1, before appearing to join Damage Control in the same issue.
Greg Pak on Tom Foster's creation
On the creation of Foster, Pak stated:
Fictional character biography
Tom Foster was introduced in Black Panther #23, when he and his family were visited by King T'Challa and Queen Ororo of Wakanda, following the murder of his uncle Bill Foster during the superhero civil war. Angry at the pro-registration forces for his uncle's death, Tom swore to continue his legacy by replicating the Pym Particles which give Bill his powers. To this end, T'Challa swore to assist him in any way he could, once Tom finished his studies at M.I.T.
Tom next appeared during the Hulk's invasion of Manhattan. He was amongst a group of Hulk-supporters who defied government orders to evacuate the island, and made their way to the Madison arena to watch the Warbound extract their brand of justice on the city's superheroes. Before the gladiatorial matches began, he delivered a speech in which he criticised the way Reed Richards and Tony Stark were, in his view, responsible for killing his uncle, declaring himself 'ready for the Hulk's justice'- in this case, death by combat.
After the Hulk and Warbound were defeated and removed from Manhattan, Tom used the chaos to sneak into the abandoned labs of the Avengers Mansion, in which he located a vial of liquefied Pym Particles. Upon gaining powers, he sought out and assaulted Iron Man in retaliation for his uncle's death, but was interrupted by an internal struggle between the captured Warbound. Following this conflict, Tom turned away from confronting Tony Stark. Tom Foster began assisting Damage Control with their repairs of the city which involved stopping a runaway Chrysler Building that was animated by one of Hulk's destroyed machines.
Goliath later joins the Revengers, a team of anti-heroes assembled by Wonder Man (who had a leaking ionic energy problem at the time which affected his judgement) in his plot to defeat the Avengers. He and the rest of the Revengers were defeated by all three Avengers teams and remanded to the Raft. During Tom Foster's interrogation, he stated that he still blames the Avengers for his uncle's death.
For his crimes with the Revengers, Tom is sent to the super-prison known as the Cellar as seen during the Civil War II storyline. A few years later, the Mad Thinker tries to recruit Tom during a massive prison break. Tom refused the offer. Once his power dampeners are removed, Tom uses his abilities to defeat the villains and save the lives of several guards. For his heroic actions, Tom is released from the Cellar on parole.
Powers and abilities
Using the Pym particles, Tom Foster can manipulate the size and shape of his body at will, enlarging himself to giant size. In his large form, his strength and durability increase to superhuman levels.