Goku is actually based on the Character SON from the ancient chineese ledgend The Tales of the West and Son Son was the Monkey King
Though there've been a few twists on Goku, like him growing up and finding out he's a space alien and such, but err yeah same guy [img]tongue.gif[/img] Extendable pole, flying cloud, the works...
And the Viceouse Monkey is actually known as the Oozaru, A demonic Giant Monkey thing, only when Goku in GT does it (thats the one form his sig) he turns into a GOLD monkey, he does this after looking at the eath from the moon which is like a Reverse-lycanthrope thing going on [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Aaaanyway, in the long run goku becomes the freak you see before you, a zombie-like Monkey shell of his former self... Before he was turned into a child again by Pilaf [img]tongue.gif[/img]