Dave Nichols (World War II; US Navy Air Force; "Jap-Buster" Johnson friend)

nichols-dave-wwii-jpj-usa6-fullish DAVE NICHOLS nichols-dave-wwii-jpj-usa6-facemaybe

Real Name: Dave Nichols

Identity/Class: Human;
active circa World War II (and presumably at least 20 years before that)

Occupation: Pilot

Group Membership: United States Navy Air Force

Affiliations: Doug Johnson (later aka "Jap-Buster" Johnson)

Enemies: Axis powers (Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy; Imperialist Japan especially)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
perished on a United States aircraft carrier off the Hawaiian islands

First Appearance: U.S.A. Comics#6/9 (December, 1942)

Powers/Abilities: Dave Nichols was an experienced pilot with the aircraft available at the time.

He was presumably experienced with launching from and landing on an aircraft carrier, aerial combat, etc.

Height: Unrevealed (he did not appear to be excessively short not tall, so likely somewhere between 5'8" and 6'2")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 165 to 220 lbs., depending on his height)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Unrevealed (only seen from a great distance or wearing a pilot cap)

History:
nichols-dave-wwii-jpj-usa6-shot (U.S.A. Comics#6/9 (fb) - BTS) - Dave Nichols was an officer in the United States Air Force based on an aircraft carrier of the coast of the Hawaiian islands.

(U.S.A. Comics#6/9) - After Dave and his friend and fellow officer Doug Johnson finished dinner, they both appreciated the meal, although Dave commented that the potatoes must have been boiled in cement.

They were subsequently alerted by an announcement calling all pilots to the flight deck as enemy bombers were approaching.

It's not clear who was speaking, but one of the two men (I think this was Doug) wondered where the bombers had come from, as there were no Japanese bases around, while the other replied that it made no difference, as they weren't going back if they could help it.

After changing to their flight gear, they rushed toward their planes, and Dave shouted that they were "Off to bust the Japs!" (see comments). Noting the carrier's anti-aircraft fire going off, Doug commented that the attackers must be very near.

nichols-dave-wwii-jpj-usa6-dying Soon after, a Japanese zero fighter (see comments) that had preceded the bombers, swooped down through a hail of anti-aircraft fire and fired its machine-guns at the carrier's deck.

Doug noticed this and warned Dave to stop, but it was too late, and Dave was fatally shot.

Doug eased his friend to the ground, telling him that they had never given him a chance, and they dying Dave told his friend that he was done for, but urged him to take revenge for him, to "bust the japs."

(U.S.A. Comics#6/9 - BTS) - Inspired by this, Doug took his plane up and took out the zero fighter and the bombers, after which he located and destroyed the Japanese secret base on an otherwise unpopulated island.

Doug became known as "Jap-Buster."

As the a bugler played "Taps," Dave's comrade sailors and pilots on the aircraft carrier paid him a last tribute. Doug silently promised him that he hadn't yet started to take revenge upon and defeat the Japanese.

(U.S.A. Comics#7/8 - BTS) - After taking down the Laughing Death Patrol and destroying a Japanese aircraft carrier, Doug Johnson returned to his own carrier.

Looking into the water, he seemed to see Dave's face, and told him that he had done his mission for him, and that he wished Dave had been there with him.

Comments: Created by an unknown writer, Dennis Neville

    As you may suspect from the title, "Jap-Buster" Johnson stories were not the most politically correct, and there were certainly racist descriptions and depictions of the Japanese that were unrealistic and extremely unflattering. The stories were written amidst World War II, after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor led the United States to join the war against the Axis Powers. Of course, racism is absolutely wrong, but you have to appreciate that this was wartime propaganda in the world of over 80-years ago.
    All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes revealed that many of the stories at the time were propaganda versions, and the stories that were printed were not necessarily accurate depictions of what "really" happened on Earth-616.
    Nonetheless, a sneak attack by a foreign nation that kills your best friend, following a previous larger sneak attack upon the US by the same nation, and being in a war dedicated to fighting a nation and its people is likely to promote such bigotry.
    Read the stories in the spirit of time in which they occurred, learn from the past, be better for it and move forward. Don't try to erase and forget the past, or mistakes and problems are more likely to be repeated.

A comment on "Jap-Buster" Johnson's chronology, courtesy of Loki:

In terms of his timeline, I'm not seeing too much that would require his stories to take place around the time they were published. We know he was with the Crazy SUES by August 1942. We also know that, as a non-powered and non-costumed individual, he had to have some serious feats under his belt to get transferred to a specialist unit like that. So perhaps all his Golden Age appearances still happened, just all early in 1942, prior to his transfer to the Crazy SUES?
Without having read all of his adventures, it makes sense to me that the height of the anti-Japanese propaganda would have been soon after the Pearl Harbor attack--Snood.

According to Wikipedia, the Japanese Zero fighter was the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero," a long range carrier-capable aircraft operated by Imperial Japan from 1940-1945 A.D."

This profile was completed 12/05/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25^th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Dave Nichols should be distinguished from:

NICHOL ?? - leader of gem theft ring; opposed by Angel (Thomas Halloway)--Marvel Mystery Comics#6
NICHOLS, - heroin addict, used as informant by Morbius--Morbius I#2
NICHOLS, ART - Fontane college faculty advisor, helped design exoskeleton for Adrian Castorp--Defenders I#142
NICHOLS, ASHLEIGH - Antigo high school, interested in Juston Seyfert after he became a hero--Sentinel#7
NICHOLS, Prof. CARTER of Earth-9602 - empowered Dark Claw + Hyena--Legend of the Dark Claw#1
NICHOLS, MORGAN - mind briefly transferred into Dr. Stephen Strange by the Refugee Collective--Defenders: From the Vault#1
NICHOLS, WALTER - circa 1955, encountered Martians and ultimately became one of them to prove himself to his boss, Ralph Regan; married Ralph's daughter, Pat, who also became a Martian--Astonishing#41/6 "The Living Proof"
NICHOLLS, TOM - Geraci crime family, lawyer--Punisher III#2
NICHOLLS, WILLIAM - two centuries ago, self-aware child of the Voyager, married Alicia Harker, ancestor of Harriet Hornerstone--Children of the Voyager#3
other "Dave" or "Nichols" characters, groups, items, events, races or places...

images: (without ads)
U.S.A. Comics#6/9, pg. 1, panel 2 (Dave & Doug departing mess hall);
          panel 3 (responding to announcement);
       pg. 2, panel 1 (rushing toward planes);
          panel 3 (shot);
          panel 4 (dying in Doug's arms);
    #7/8, pg. 9, panel 7 (Doug picturing Dave's face in the sea)

Appearances:
U.S.A. Comics#6/9 "Jap-Buster" Johnson" (December, 1942) - unknown writer, Dennis Neville (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
U.S.A. Comics#7/8 "Jap-Buster" Johnson" (March, 1943) - unknown writer, Dennis Neville (artist), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 09/20/2026
Last updated: 09/14/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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