Set in the shared Marvel Universe, it's the first solo series for the titular Black Goliath, who had previously appeared in The Avengers. Bill Foster has inherited the Goliath identity from Hank Pym and Clint Barton, but he's also newly returned to his home city of Los Angeles, where he's trying to run a science lab for Tony Stark. He's not sure he wants to be a superhero - and he's not even sure he can be a superhero while holding down a job like that.
The series was short-lived, and was cancelled after just five issues. Isabella left the series after the first issue (as did Wolfman), with Chris Claremont writing the remainder of the run. Tuska and Colletta left after the third issue.
The first issue was published February 1, 1976.
Black Goliath provides examples of:
- Cleavage Window: Male variant— his classic costume has a hole cut out in the middle of his chest. Continuing the theme, one of his other costume designs features a Navel-Deep Neckline.
- Cut Short: The series was cancelled after just five issues, leaving a number of plot threads unresolved. Bill, Ceil and Keith are still on an alien world at the end of the final issue.
- Legacy Character: Bill's very conscious that he's not the first Goliath, and that the technology was provided by Dr Pym, not something he created himself. That said, he also reminds himself that he fine-tuned it to remove the drawbacks of Pym's growth serum.
- Mugging the Monster: When Bill returns to Watts, wandering through the neighbourhood to see how it's changed, three gangsters try to assault him and extort money. They joke when they initially realise he's wearing some sort of costume under his clothes. Then it all goes a bit wrong for them...
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Black Goliath uses his size and strength to wrap three gangsters in lampposts, leaving them for the police. A news report several hours later reveals that the police are having to spend a huge amount of effort on getting them down and cutting them free, and - as they have no witness statement from Goliath - aren't quite sure what to charge them with when they do.
- Teleport Gun: Stilt-Man's energy pistol actually teleports Bill, Ceil and Keith to another world. It's not clear if Stilt-Man ever realises that's what it's done, though, as the series is Cut Short before any of them return.
