GOLEMGOLEM
Real Name: Jacob Goldstein
Identity/Class: Human mutate;
Polish citizen
Occupation: Protector of the people (as Golem);
scientist (as Jacob Goldstein)
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: The Invaders (Captain America (Steve
Rogers), Bucky (James Buchanan Barnes), Human Torch/Jim Hammond, Namor the Sub-Mariner,
Spitfire, Toro), Blazing Skull, Miss America, Silver Scorpion, Whizzer/Robert
Frank;
formerly Battle-Axis (Dr. Death, Human
Meteor, Skyshark, Spider Queen, Strongman, Volton)
Enemies: The Face, Dr. Death, Skyshark, the Nazi forces
Known Relatives: Unidentified mother, Prof. Johann Goldstein (Blue Bullet, brother)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile.
New York,
formerly Warsaw (Poland)
First Appearance: Invaders I#12 (January, 1977)
Powers/Abilities: Jacob Goldstein was a normal human who could transform into a Golem-like creature. The Golem was a tall, hulky humanoid of 3 meters height. His skin was hard as stone, giving him a good degree of invulnerability, for example, to bullets. His strength was greater than Captain America's but less than Namor's (probably Class 25). In the Golem form, his voice changes.
History:
(Invaders I#12 (fb)) - Years before 1939, in Warsaw, John and his greater
brother Jacob Goldstein studied science. Jacob collected rare stones and read
many books. He learned the story of the Golem of Prague.
In 1939 the German army invaded Poland and Warsaw. The Jews were persecuted. John Goldstein fled to the USA but couldn't convince his brother to go with him, Jacob wanted to remain in Warsaw. Despite the inhuman treatments by the Nazi and Colonel Eisen, neither Jacob nor any of his people rebelled against the oppression.
(Invaders I#13 (fb) - BTS) - A decanter of heavy water was stolen by Colonel Eisen's castle. The burglars brought the bottle to Jacob Goldstein, and he hid it.
(Invaders I#12 (fb) - BTS) - Before 1943, the Nazis identified Jacob Goldstein as the brother of a Hebrew scientist working in the USA at a secret project. The Nazi contacted the scientist, John Goldstein and ordered him to betray the USA and kill the Invaders, in exchange of his brother's life.
(Invaders I#11) - John Goldstein wore the Blue Bullet armor and attacked the Invaders but the Invaders stopped him.
(Invaders I#12) - The Invaders, to help John Goldstein, went to Warsaw to take Jacob with them. They found him in his book shop, but Jacob refused to go away with them. Meanwhile the Nazi forces had found the Invaders, and a battle had started. The Invaders were winning the fight, but a German tank fired at Goldstein and other Jews, obliging the Invaders to surrender. They were captured and brought to Colonel Eisen's castle. Goldstein decided to rebel against the oppression and to free the Invaders.
(Invaders I#13) - Goldstein studied some ancient books of
Cabala and followed the process to create a Golem. During a lightning
storm, he modeled a human shape made of the Ghetto's clay, then added the
heavy water he had obtained. He wrote the word "emeth" (truth) on the
humanoid's forehead and prayed God to give it life. In that moment a potent
thunderbolt stroke Goldsteins' house causing it to crumble down. From the ruins, the titan
arose, hard like stone, looking like Jacob Goldstein. A child
called him "Golem."
A German soldier hit the child, attracting the Golem's attention. The soldiers
shot at the stone titan but he trampled on them without watching them, directing his
attention to the little child. Without saying a word he picked the body up and
gave it to an old man. The old man reminded the Golem that his people needed him, but
the strangers captured before also needed him. The Golem smashed the Ghetto wall and headed to
Colonel Eisen's castle.
The Golem smashed through the
castle walls and floor, arriving in the room where Colonel Eisen had imprisoned the Invaders and freed them.
Then, silently, he followed them as they sought Eisen. The Golem found Eisen while he
was escaping from a window using a tend(?) as a rope. Eisen was scared of the
silent giant who seemed to be watching his soul. Eisen tried to offer the Golem
power and money, but the Golem didn't react. A single slap pushed Colonel Eisen off of
the window to the death.
Captain America asked the Golem if he was Jacob Goldstein.
The Golem, reminded of something, touched his forehead, erasing the "e", so leaving
the word "meth" (death) and soon the Golem transformed back into Jacob
Goldstein. Goldstein wanted to stay in Warsaw, not for submitting to the
Nazi, but with a hope of rebellion of his people. The Invaders left without him.
(Invaders II#2 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Death kidnapped John Goldstein to employ him in his Project Mojave, and coerced Jacob Goldstein to obey to his orders, in exchange of his brother's life.
(Invaders II#2) - In the night of the July 22nd, 1942, the Golem followed Dr. Death to John Goldstein's home. The Human Torch and Namor arrived. Golem knocked Namor down and captured the Human Torch.
(Invaders II#3) - They went to the secret plant of Project Mojave, under the Mojave desert in California. The Golem learned from Dr. Death the plan to use the Oscillotron to produce an earthquake to break the West Coast from the continent and hurl the USA in the chaos, forcing it to abandon the war. Meanwhile, the Invaders (Captain America, Miss America, Namor, Blazing Skull, Silver Scorpion) found the base and broke into it. Dr. Death ordered the Golem to help Battle-Axis to capture or to kill them. The Golem fought Captain America and Blazing Skull. The Invaders were distracted by the Vision's arrival so Golem knocked down Captain America and Blazing Skull with a single blow.
(Invaders II#4) - The Golem explained to the captive Invaders
that his brother and he would be freed after that Project Mojave had wrecked the
West Coast. Then he learned from Dr. Death that his
plan also included the introduction of large quantities of toxic gas in the
atmosphere after the earthquake.
Later, the Golem didn't intervene while Captain America fought Volton and freed
the Invaders. He wanted to remain neutral, to not put his brother in danger, but
he followed them when they left to stop Dr. Death's plan. A chaotic fight
started. Dr. Death tried to activate the Oscillotron but John Goldstein ran after
him to stop him. Golem watched Sky Shark shoot
his brother. His fury exploded. Trying to reach Dr. Death and Sky Shark,
Golem slew several Nazi soldiers until Dr. Death activated the Oscillotron. Namor
succeeded in destroying the Oscillotron, and Battle-Axis surrendered. Aarkus
transported the toxic gas to his dimension, and California was saved, but
Jacob Goldstein had lost his brother.
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Frank Robbins and Frank Springer
"The Mud Walks!" @ Uncanny Tales#53 (March, 1957) was another WW2 era Golem that was created during WW2 but only became active during the period when Nazi war criminals were awaiting trial.
--Gammatotem
Clarifications:
The Golem has no known connections to
Images:
Invaders I#13, p9, pan1 (the Golem)
Invaders I#13, p17, pan? (Jacob Goldstein, head shot)
Invaders I#13, p10, pan4/5 (the Golem - head shot and smashing the Ghetto
wall)
Invaders I#13, p17, pan3 (Jacob Goldstein)
Other appearances:
Invaders I#13 (February, 1977) - Roy Thomas, Frank Robbins and Frank
Springer
Invaders II#2 (June, 1993) - Roy Thomas (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Brian
Garvey (inks), Rockwitz/De Falco (editors)
Invaders II#3 (July, 1993) - Roy Thomas (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Garvey
& Akin (inks), Rockwitz/De Falco (editors)
Invaders II#4 (August, 1993) - Roy Thomas (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Brian
Garvey (inks), Rockwitz/De Falco (editors)
First Posted: 03/30/2006
Last updated: 02/28/2019
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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