Showing posts with label Black Goliath. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Goliath. Show all posts

Monday, February 15, 2010

Black Goliath- I'm Not Sure I Get It.



See, here's the thing: Henry Pym started out as Ant Man and then figured out how to get big instead of small and became Giant Man. And then Hank retired and passed the role of Giant Man on to Dr. Bill Foster, who was Giant Man for a little while.

And then, for some reason, Bill thought it would be cooler to change his name to Black Goliath.

Now, I know that in the 1970's black folks were trying out the idea that "Black is beautiful" and embracing the term "black" which had been formerly eschewed as a slur. The PC term of the day had previously been "Negro" which is ludicrously out of fashion these days. So, anyway, embracing the term black was hip.

None of which has anything to do with getting big.

Which is, I guess, where "Goliath" comes in. I mean, everyone knows the name Goliath, right? The giant from the Old Testament story of King David...

Problem is, Goliath was a bad guy. And he lost.

So, for me, Black Goliath is a conceptual nightmare. The name says "Hey! Not that it really should matter but I happen to be black. And I'm a giant! No, I'm not a bad giant, like Goliath, the uncircumcised Philistine. No, I'm a superhero!"

I also have no idea why his belly is showing.