Origin
Jake Niman was a special forces soldier who was involved in an attempt at developing another Super Soldier Serum. When he returned home to his wife and daughter they were all caught in crossfire. Jake survived. The Punisher came to visit Jake in the hospital and eventually helped him track down and kill the men who killed his family. During their investigation Jake and the Punisher discovered the the attack on Jake’s family was intentional. The goal was to kill Jake because he had committed atrocities in Afghanistan after being given the Super Soldier Serum. This revelation apparently causes Jake Niman to become Johnny Nightmare – a name he had adopted when he was performing missions in Afghanistan. Believing everyone to be his enemy he attacked the Punisher and went on a rampage through New York City until Punisher stopped him.
Creation
Johnny Nightmare debuted in Punisher: Nightmare #1 written by Scott M. Gimple with art by Mark Texeira. He was the focus of the five-issue limited series Punisher: Nightmare in which his origin is told through flashbacks and a running adventure with Punisher.