NICKIE
Real Name: Nick (last name unrevealed)
Identity/Class: Human (Post-World War II Era)
Occupation: Soldier
Group Membership: U.S. Army
Affiliations: Larry
Enemies: Chinese military
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile in Korea during the Korean War
First Appearance: Battle I#60 (October, 1958)
Powers/Abilities: Nickie was skilled soldier who carried a rifle. He had an enormously large number of grenades in his arsenal, along with a demolition charge.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'0")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 150 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
History:
(Battle I#60) - Nickie and his friend Larry were soldiers in the U.S.
Army in Korea during the Korean War. Sneaking behind enemy lines, they
eavesdropped on a meeting of high-ranking Chinese officials then threw
grenades into the room, killing them. Larry retrieved a satchel full of
secret plans while Nickie used more grenades to repel the soldiers who
responded to the earlier explosion.
As Larry and Nickie fled with the satchel, the Chinese mobilized a force in a circle formation covering five miles around the base they had assaulted then began constricting the circle to catch Larry and Nickie within. Realizing they were becoming surrounded, they climbed up a tree and hid among the branches. When soldiers paused beneath the tree, they dropped the last of their grenades on them. Descending from the tree, they commandeered a jeep the soldiers had been using and took off their uniforms, filling them with leaves and sitting them in the front of the jeep, then emptying the satchel and placing a demolition charge inside the satchel. Activating the jeep's engine and sending it downhill, the jeep drew the gunfire of the Chinese soldiers, who believed they had shot Larry and Nickie to death. Exploring the wreckage, they attempted to claim the satchel but the demolition charge went off, killing them. Clad in their underwear and clutching the stolen papers, Larry and Nickie returned to their lines.
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Dave Berg.
This story was very clearly an adventure of Combat Kelly and his buddy Cookie Novak in which their names and defining features had been altered. It was almost certainly an inventory story left over from the "Atlas implosion" caused when Marvel lost their original distributor. Dave Berg was the regular artist on Combat Kelly at the time the implosion caused the title's cancellation.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Nickie should not be confused with:
Larry was Nickie's pal and fellow U.S. Army soldier. Larry accompanied Nickie on the mission behind enemy lines where they captured enemy battle plans. Like Nickie, Larry carried a copious supply of grenades and wielded a rifle.
--Battle I#60
He's very clearly Cookie Novak with a beard added.
images: (without ads)
Battle I#60, page 1 (Nickie, main)
Battle I#60, page 3, panel 2 (Nickie, face)
Battle I#60, page 3, panel 3 (Larry)
Appearances:
Battle I#60 (October, 1958) - unidentified writer, Dave Berg (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 07/08/2025
Last updated:
07/08/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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