"You're hoping that your goal is at hand: to seize absolute power after getting rid of the few bothersome people like me who could have stopped you. And there's only one way for you to do this... Find some excuse to declare a STATE OF EMERGENCY during FULL RED — in other words, while the army is occupying all major strategic locations in the country under the pretext of a general exercise."
— General Carrington, Full Red
Full Red (in French Rouge total) is the fifth album of the comic book series XIII. It was published in 1988.
Someone shoots at Wally Sheridan, a presidential candidate, during his father's funeral. Wally Sheridan survives, but he is badly wounded. Meanwhile, XIII, Jones and Betty Barnowsky are in the jungle in Central America. They try to get back to the U.S. before Mac Call catches them.
Full Red provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Betty Barnowsky kills several thugs who wanted to rape her.
- Allegiance Affirmation: As the Number Two of the conspiracy that assassinated the previous President is about to be arrested, he undoes his shirt to flaunt his shoulder tattoo showing his rank in the conspiracy and bites down on a Cyanide Pill.
- A Match Made in Stockholm: Armand de Préseau is very fond of Betty Barnowsky who is one of his captors. In the end, Betty goes to San Miguel to meet him.
- Assassination Attempt: Wally Sheridan in the target of an assassination attempt during his father's funeral (which was broadcasted live). He survives.
- Attempted Rape: Some thugs have to kill XIII, Betty and Jones. They find Betty and they want to rape her first, but she fights back and kill them all.
- Banana Republic: XIII, Jones and Barnowsky are in a fictional tropical country, San Miguel. Its capital city is also named San Miguel.
- Big Bad: Double subverted. Calvin Wax seems to be the leader of the conspiracy. Carrington assumes he is Number I. In the end, Wax reveals that he is only number II. Nevertheless, in Thirteen to One, XIII will discover that Number I was only involved in the assassination of William Sheridan, but not in the coup attempt. Therefore, Wax was actually the big bad of this episode.
- Big Red Button: Galbrain has to push a big red button to start Full Red exercise.
- Bilingual Bonus: Some dialogues in Spanish are not translated.
- Bound and Gagged:
- The two policemen who try to arrest Jones and XIII when they land a plane on a road. They end up bound and gagged inside the plane. Armand de Préseau is bound but not gagged.
- After being arrested by Mac Call, Amos, Betty and Wally Sheridan are bound and gagged.
- The Butcher: Carrington says that Standwell is nicknamed "the Butcher".
- Chick Magnet: XIII has to deal with the jealousy of both Jones and Betty.
- Cigarette Burns: Carrington crushes a burning cigar in Standwell's eye.
- Cool Old Guy: General Carrington inflicts Standwell a bad wound, then he tries to escape.
- Cut Himself Shaving: Standwell explains that he has to wear an eyepatch because of a stupid accident.
- Cyanide Pill: Calvin Wax dies after cracking his cyanide pill.
- Damsel out of Distress: Betty Barnowsky does not need the help of anyone to get rid of the thugs who try to assault her.
- Disney Death:
- Jones is seemingly shot dead by Mac Call.
- A short while thereafter, Galbrain, Wally Sheridan, Betty Barnowsky, Amos, Jones and XIII seem to die in an explosion.
- Dramatic Irony: When Galbrain pushes the button to start Full Red exercice, he says that fortunately it is just an exercise. Unlike Galbrain, the reader knows that this exercise will be used as a cover for a military coup.
- The Dragon: The protagonists confronts Mac Call before the Big Bad, Calvin Wax.
- Dressing as the Enemy: XIII dresses as a SPADS to go to the President's apartment inside the military base.
- Event Title: "Full Red" is a code name for a military exercise.
- Evil Chancellor: Calvin Wax is a counselor of President Galbrain, then he becomes Secretary of Defense. He is also an evil conspirator.
- Evil Gloating: Mac Call thinks that it is necessary to inform Wally Sheridan, Galbrain, Amos and Betty by video phone that he is about to kill them.
- Eye Scream: Carrington crushes a burning cigar in Standwell's eye.
- Frameup:
- Carrington, Heideger, Donnelly and Longman are framed up for the assassination attempt on Wally Sheridan and the murder of William Sheridan.
- Calvin Wax plan is to frame up XIII for the murder of Galbrain.
- Four-Star Badass: General Carrington inflicts Standwell a bad wound, then he tries to escape.
- General Ripper: Standwell is said to have killed many civilians in a past conflict. He is also ready to start World War III right after the establishment of a dictatorship in the US.
- He Knows Too Much: Wally Sheridan says that Calvin Wax will probably kill himself, Betty, Amos and Galbrain, because they know too much about his conspiracy.
- High Heel Hurt: Betty has to wear high heels to infiltrate the military base. She is unconfortable with them and they make her fall.
- Hospital Hottie: Jones disguised as a nurse. Everybody notices that Galbrain is lucky to be looked after by her.
- Instant Sedation: In order to infiltrate the military base, Jones and XIII use spray cans which cause their target to fall asleep instantly.
- It Works Better with Bullets: In an escape attempt, Carrington takes Calvin Wax hostage and threatens him with a gun, but Wax reveals that the gun is empty, so Carrington is arrested again.
- Last-Minute Hookup: In the end, Betty goes to San Miguel to meet Armand de Préseau.
- The Man Behind the Man: Calvin Wax is thought to be the Number I of the conspiracy. Just before dying, he shows that he is only Number II. Finally Subverted in Thirteen to One, because it is revealed that Number I, Wally Sheridan, was only involved in the murder of his brother William, but not in the failed coup, so Wax was the actual leader of the coup attempt.
- May–December Romance: Between Armand de Préseau and Betty Barnowsky.
- Military Coup: The conspirators plan to seize power thanks to the army during a military exercise.
- Mugged for Disguise: XIII knocks down a SPADS to steal his uniform.
- Mugging the Monster: Trying to assault Betty Barnowsky, who is a SPADS, is not a good idea.
- My Car Hates Me: The old car that Jones wants to stole does not start immediately whereas an angry mob is coming.
- Never Bring a Gun to a Knife Fight: XIII throws a knife at Mac Call and kills him, while he was trying to grab a gun.
- No One Could Survive That!: After the explosion in the military base, Wax assumes that Galbrain, Wally Sheridan, Betty Barnowsky, Amos, Jones and XIII are dead.
- Not-So-Abandoned Building: Jones's hideout in Washington looks like an abandoned building.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Jones puts on a driver outfit and a fake moustache to infiltrate the military base. XIII dyes his hair white and wears glasses. Betty Barnowsky dyes her hair brown and wears glasses. Later, Jones puts another disguise on: a nurse outfit.
- Retcon: In S.P.A.D.S., the base was located in an unnamed tropical country, but there were clues that it could be Costa Rica (the Mongoose claims that Ross Tanner wrote a letter from Costa Rica, there is a Costa Rican flag in Mac Call's office and a map of Costa Rica in Quinn's office). In this episode, it is revealed that this is a fictional country named San Miguel.
- The Reveal: Calvin Wax is only Number II in the conspiracy.
- Saved for the Sequel: Who is Number I?
- Second-Face Smoke: Carrington blows cigar smoke in the face of Standwell as an expression of defiance.
- Sequel Hook: The story ends with the announce that XIII will now look into the Jason Fly case.
- Series Fauxnale: This episode closes the first cycle of the series. Some major questions are answered and the conspiracy to end democracy in the U.S. is foiled, but there is still a major unanswered question: who is the Number I of the conspiracy? There is also a Sequel Hook about the Jason Fly case.
- Shirtless Scene: XIII is shirtless during the whole sequence in San Miguel.
- Shoutout: Jones tells XIII and Betty that their situation reminds her of The African Queen.
- Small Girl, Big Gun: Betty Barnowsky and the big machine gun she used to kill the thugs who wanted to rape her.
- Spiteful Suicide: Calvin Wax is going to be arrested and questioned about the conspiracy. He prefers cracking a cyanide pill and he dies.
- Torches and Pitchforks: After Betty Barnowsky killed her agressors, an angry mob wants to attack XIII, Jones and Barnowsky.
- Treachery Cover Up: The coup attempt is covered up. Wax and Mac Call's deaths are described as accidental. The other conspirators are sentenced discreetly. Officially, no link is made with the assassination of William Sheridan.
- Two Lines, No Waiting: On the one hand, XIII tries to reach the US, then to stop the coup. On the other hand, Carrington is arrested, then tries to escape.
- Unspoken Plan Guarantee: XIII asks Wally Sheridan what is his plan to get into SSH1 military base just before the cut to the next scene. Subverted: The plan goes wrong: Mac Call tries to arrest them as soon as they get into the base.
- Unwillingly Girly Tomboy: Betty has to wear high heels to infiltrate the military base. She is unconfortable with them and they make her fall.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: The ending explains what happened to the all the main characters of the first five episodes.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: Emiliano insists that the thugs should shoot Betty immediately, but they want to rape her first.
- World War III: Wax and Standwell want to start it.
