Black Goliath #4
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeBlack Goliath #4 serves as the dramatic pivot of Marvel's first and only solo series for Bill Foster, setting in motion an inter-title cliffhanger when Stilt-Man's experimental Z-Ray teleports Black Goliath, Celia Jackson, and her nephew Keith off-planet, a thread that required Champions #11 to resolve. The issue marks the first appearances of supporting characters Regina Clayborne and Geoffrey Ballard, as well as the debut of Stilt-Man's Z-Ray as a distinct weapon — all within a short-lived but historically significant Bronze Age series that gave one of Marvel's earliest Black lead characters his own headlining book. Though the series ran only five issues before cancellation, issue #4 represents the moment it decisively crossed from self-contained adventure into serialized, cross-title storytelling, foreshadowing how tightly interconnected the mid-1970s Marvel Universe had become.
In "Enter Stilt-Man-- --Exit Black Goliath!", the Red Skull’s scheme to seize control of the U.S. before the bicentennial takes a bizarre turn when he wields the Cosmic Cube—only to have his plans derailed by a very unexpected snack. Sal Buscema’s dynamic art, inked by Mike Esposito and lettered by Irv Watanabe, brings the chaos to life, while Jack Kirby’s cover, rendered inks by Joe Sinnott, captures the high-stakes showdown with a classic flair.
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By the time issue #4 shipped in May 1976 (cover-dated August 1976), the creative team had already turned over twice: Tony Isabella launched the series in issue #1 before handing writing duties to Chris Claremont, while George Tuska and Vince Colletta departed after issue #3, giving way to Rich Buckler on breakdowns and Don Heck on finished art and inks for this installment. The cover was supplied by Jack Kirby — one of roughly one hundred covers he produced for Marvel during his 1970s return — inked by either Irv Watanabe or Joe Sinnott depending on the source consulted. Marv Wolfman is credited as editor on this issue per the Internet Archive scan credits, reflecting the revolving-door editorial environment of mid-1970s Marvel.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Story title: 'Enter Stilt-Man — Exit Black Goliath!' — released May 18, 1976, cover-dated August 1976.
- Written by Chris Claremont; interior art by Rich Buckler (breakdowns) and Don Heck (finished art and inks); lettered by Annette Kawecki; colored by Bonnie Wilford.
- Cover penciled by Jack Kirby — one of his approximately 100 cover assignments for Marvel in the 1970s — making this one of the only times Kirby drew either Black Goliath or Stilt-Man.
- First appearance of Regina Clayborne (Earth-616), a supporting civilian character whose role extends into the Champions crossover that concludes the story arc.
- First appearance of Geoffrey Ballard (Earth-616), who appears only in flashback in this issue; created by Chris Claremont, Rich Buckler, and Don Heck.
- First appearance of Celia Jackson's nephew Keith Jackson (Earth-616), who is teleported alongside Black Goliath and Celia at the issue's climax.
- First appearance of Stilt-Man's Z-Ray weapon (Earth-616), the device that teleports the protagonists off-planet and serves as the cliffhanger mechanism bridging this issue to Black Goliath #5 and Champions #11.
- The Marvel Database records three reprints of this issue, and it has been made available digitally via Marvel's own platform and Kindle.
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↩ Reprints [Marvel Hostess Ads] #8 (1976)
Reprinted in Eclipso #63 (1978), Thor e i Vendicatori #178 (1978), Marvel Universe by Chris Claremont Omnibus #[nn] (2017), Marvel Masterworks: Ant-Man / Giant-Man #3 (2018), Ant-Man / Giant-Man Epic Collection #2 (2022)
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