Indianapolis is a war zone in G.I. Joe comic book penned by an Indy writer

Indianapolis is a bombed-out disaster area in an upcoming G.I. Joe comic book.

Being depicted as a war zone is less than flattering, but writer Paul Allor isn't picking on the city. He lives here, and the story presents Indianapolis as putting up a fight against the bad guys of Cobra — long-running nemesis of the G.I. Joe team.

Unfortunately, Cobra rules the world in Allor's story. The organization has no problem making a cautionary example of Indianapolis.

“Cobra essentially wipes the city off the map,” Allor said.

What's left? Downtown's Soldiers and Sailors Monument, at least, is seen on the cover of "G.I. Joe" No. 5. Originally scheduled to arrive in stores Jan. 8, the comic book's release date has been revised to Feb. 12.

And a survivalist biker gang, the Dreadnoks, is hanging out at the Indianapolis Art Center, 820 E. 67th St.

Broad Ripple resident Allor also incorporates a reference to Guilford Avenue's multi-colored "rainbow" bridge.

“If I’m going to be self-indulgent enough to set this pivotal issue in the city I live in, I might as well make it in my neighborhood as well,” he said.

California-based publisher IDW hired Allor to write the new "G.I. Joe," the latest project in a franchise that began with four action figures (representing the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines) in 1964.

"The Story of G.I. Joe," a 1945 film based on the World War II reporting by Indiana native Ernie Pyle, inspired the name of the Hasbro toy.

"G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" arrived in the 1980s as an animated TV series and a Marvel comic book. G.I. Joe squared off against Cobra in the live-action movies "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" (2009) and "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" (2013).

Allor, who grew up in Kokomo, helped IDW and Hasbro develop the G.I. Joe comic book reboot. The series, which debuted in September, departs from previous stories that featured military experts on the G.I. Joe team.

In Allor's words, the new crew is a "scrappy insurgent group" of civilians who want to disrupt Cobra's reign.

Catching comics fever

Allor, 41, wasn't a kid who loved comic books. It took a workplace "Secret Santa" gift exchange for him to begin to appreciate the art form.

Known around the office as a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fan, Allor received an issue of "Astonishing X-Men" written by "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon.

"I saw the storytelling potential in a way I hadn't before," Allor said.

He spent the next decade exploring comic books and writing his own stories. IDW eventually hired him for its "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" series.

A full-time comic book writer for the past two years, Allor said he appreciates the give-and-take aspects of the format.

“There’s a really high level of reader interaction,” he said. “As a reader, you’re constantly filling in the space between the panels to keep up with the story.”

G.I. Joe's legacy

The Cold War factored heavily in the 1980s resurgence of G.I. Joe, through the Marvel comic series and syndicated animated series.

Vietnam War veteran Larry Hama, who launched Marvel's "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" in 1982, continues to write for IDW's version of "A Real American Hero."

"Larry brought his military background," Allor said. "He really is the guy who came up with so much of what we think of now as G.I. Joe."

Allor said Hama's iconic work gives the new "G.i. Joe" series room to be something different.

"The big thing IDW brought to me was this idea that Cobra was less of a shadowy, background organization and much more of a global power," Allor said. "They wanted the G.I. Joe team to be less military focused — which is obviously a pretty radical change. They wanted it to be more like the civilian espionage agencies in World War II."

The United Kingdom's Special Operations Executive and the United States' Office of Strategic Services are two World War II agencies that influenced the new G.I. Joe team.

"They’re being thrown into this world of espionage and anti-terrorism," Allor said of his "Joes" who are recruited off the street. “I think it probably works a little more for our modern world, where people are looking at what they can do in their community to fight back against the things they don’t like to see."

How comic books are made

Allor's name is one of three listed on the cover of "G.I. Joe" comic books.

He shares the spotlight with artist Chris Evenhuis, who lives in Netherlands, and colorist Brittany Peer, who lives in Austin, Texas.

Allor previously collaborated with Evenhuis on a comic book series titled "Monstro Mechanica," and Peer worked as artist on Allor's "Past the Last Mountain" series.

Allor summarized his job as writing dialogue and describing what happens in each panel of a comic book.

"G.I. Joe" stories are 20 pages long. The series adheres to a serial format, and Allor said readers will find payoffs in addition to cliffhangers.

"Twenty pages of comic is not a lot of story," Allor said. "It’s a continuing story, but each issue is built around one specific mission and one specific point in time."

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Call IndyStar reporter David Lindquist at 317-444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.