Line #62 Main/IGotYouCovered


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6	->''"You're all clear, kid! Now let's blow this thing and go home!"''
7	-->-- '''Han Solo''', ''Film/ANewHope''
8
9	This {{Trope}} is commonly found in air/space combat series, or even those in the [[MechaShow mecha genre]].
10
11	Generally, the main character, who is often an AcePilot, will be stuck in the fight of his life, being peppered with gunfire from [[DeathInAllDirections all sides]], have a "bogey" (or more) on his tail, and/or something similar, which are all keeping him from his almighty goal of SavingTheWorld/Nation/Galaxy/People by blowing up the enemy mothership/main headquarters. Then, [[ThemeMusicPowerUp it happens]]. The tune of the battle changes, and hopelessness becomes hope. Out of the smoke and into the fray comes some dependable ally (who often wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place) who will clear a path like [[BigDamnHeroes a big damn hero]], deliver a [[OneLiner snappy one liner]] or [[RousingSpeech some inspirational words]], then assure the main character that they've got him covered. Cue the climactic finish.
12
13	Sometimes their buddy has [[ChangedMyMindKid Changed His Mind, Kid]] to give the moment more weight.
14
15	This trope can also occur outside of vehicles, but those situations generally double as YouShallNotPass moments.
16
17	A case of TruthInTelevision. USAF doctrine is that on an attack run, one pilot will be assigned as a "shooter" and his wingman as "cover", the wingman's job being to get hostile aircraft off of the shooter as he makes his run. The Army does something similar, pairing up squad members into "buddy teams" that move in combat using a system called ''bounding overwatch'', where each member alternates between moving from one covered position to another and covering their buddy's movement by shooting at the enemy so they keep their heads down.
18
19	A subtrope of BigDamnHeroes and AFriendInNeed. May be uttered by the WingMan. Can often lead to a HellYesMoment. Compare to TheCavalry.
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21	----
22	!!Examples:
23
24	[[foldercontrol]]
25
26	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
27	* Elite soldiers cover [[spoiler:Eren]]'s attempt to seal the gate of Trost in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan''.
28	* In ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'', Alto gets tailed on his way to take out Grace and is just about to get hit by a few stray lasers. Brera then appears, after having gone missing for most of the battle, and [[JustInTime saves him]]. This is especially awesome because Brera spends most of the series as an antagonist, or at least an enormous jerk, and was previously the one who had ''shot down'' Alto. Brera then tells the hero that he'd cover him, and the [[BackToBackBadasses two clear a path]] straight to the BigBad.
29	* Done with epic proportions in ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam''. Just when Domon and the rest of the Shuffle Alliance are staring down the Devil Gundam with its impossibly huge face, all of the Gundams in the world unite and join their assault, allowing for the main heroes to go in and try to take it out from the inside.
30	* Happens at the Second Battle of Jachin Due in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED''--the secondary cast of the Three Ships Alliance takes on and holds off waves of both ZAFT and Earth Alliance mobile suits as well as their battle fleets so that Kira and Athrun can move in to take out [[OmnicidalManiac Rau Le Creuset]] and stop the [[WaveMotionGun GENESIS superweapon]], respectively.
31	* In ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' Asuna and Setsuna arrive with Misora and Kotarou to save Negi as he is riding off to face Chao. He was nearly overwhelmed untill they arrived just in time to save him.
32	** Kotarou also bought time for Negi during the fight with Rakan while the latter set up his ''Duplex Complexio'' and ''Thunder God's Lance: Titanslayer'' spells.
33	** Recently, [[spoiler:Fate]] saved Negi's life from [[spoiler:Secundum]]'s attack.
34	* While not a literal enactment of this trope, in ''Manga/OnePiece'' Sanji always has the crew covered, as he occasionally ducks out of the action (without anyone noticing) for an inordinate amount of time only to reappear just when hope seems lost to enact a plan he's spent the last umpteen chapters concocting unbeknownst to his crew and the readers - resulting in a narrow escape. For example [[spoiler:Alabasta, Water Seven, Enies Lobby]].
35	** Parodied with [[CowardlyLion Usopp]], who often claims this, but usually uses it as an excuse to avoid direct combat.
36	* ''Literature/RecordOfLodossWar'':
37	** This happens in the TV series adaptation. While trying to get to Castle Conquera on the Dark Island of Marmo before the Evil Wizard Wagnard can sacrifice their friend to revive the Goddess of Destruction, they're faced with fighting the ancient and powerful evil Black Dragon, Narse. Just as the heroes are losing time and seemingly going to lose the battle, an old friend from the previous season, Shiris, comes back leading a team of wyvern-riders, who tells them "We'll take care of it!" Happens again to Shiris when her corps are about to lose to Narse, when along comes the ancient and powerful (and more importantly, good) Gold Dragon-Queen, Mycen, who then duels with Narse in a Dragon-on-Dragon deathmatch.
38	** To a lesser extent, also happened in the first episode of the original OVA adaptation. When Parn and Deedlit get separated from the group and are about to get burnt by a dragon's breath, they find a barrier blocking the fire: the other heroes have arrived and Slayn, the sorcerer of the group, cast an abjuration spell to save them.
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Comic Books]]
42	* ''ComicBook/StarWarsKanan'': When their squad was ambushed Stance jumped in to tell Caleb he had his back, but unfortunately he was killed before he finished his statement when he was shot in the back. He did protect Caleb from the attacker that killed him though, as well as a couple of droids.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Fan Works]]
46	* ''Fanfic/SomeoneToWatchOverMe'': When Adrien is having an emotional breakdown and is thus vulnerable to akumatisation, Ladybug comes to the rescue and states this almost word for word.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]
50	* In the opening commando raid of ''Film/TheDesertFox'', a commando shouts, "Cover me!" while he throws a grenade. Then he runs off [[WithFriendsLikeThese allowing the man who was covering him to get shot dead]]. Several other commandoes are gunned down as they retreat because they're [[HollywoodTactics not using the fire-and-movement tactics they'd be using in real life]].
51	* ''Film/TheEigerSanction'': ProfessionalKiller Jon Hemlock is surprised when his old enemy Miles Mellough [[RefugeInAudacity approaches him in public]].
52	-->'''Hemlock:''' I assume you're covered.\
53	'''Mellough:''' Your assumption is correct. At the bar.\
54	''(Hemlock looks to the pool bar and sees a well-muscled man staring at him)''\
55	'''Hemlock:''' That's your cover?\
56	'''Mellough:''' Dewayne is very strong. He was a world's champion.\
57	'''Hemlock:''' [[DepravedHomosexual Weren't they all?]]
58	* ''Film/GunsAkimbo'': Miles asks a coworker to cover him while he's being shot at by a machine-gun toting Nix. The coworker retorts, "What am I going to do, cap her ass with a staple gun?" He does try distracting her with a [[Toys/NERFBrand nerf gun]] however, and barely avoids getting shot for his pains.
59	* Done in a slightly different way in ''Film/IndependenceDay''. Instead of the ones doing the covering appearing out of nowhere to save the day, it's the ''one to be covered'' who flies in from the smoke to bail everyone else out. During the battle, all the other fighter pilots had used up their missiles, leaving them without any effective means to take out the alien mothership once it exposes its main weapon. Just when all hope is lost, Russell flies in with the [[OneBulletLeft last missile]] in tow. The [[RankScalesWithAsskicking badass president]] and his wingmen then keep the other alien fighters off his tail as he makes his HeroicSacrifice.
60	-->'''Russell:''' ''[[OneLiner Gentlemen]], '''let's plow the road!''' [[PreAssKickingOneLiner Hello, boys]], '''[[LaserGuidedKarma I'm baaaaaaaaaack]]'''!''
61	* Han Solo in ''Film/ANewHope''. The ever-pessimistic smuggler had initially abandoned the Rebel Alliance before the Battle of Yavin, reasoning that it'd be a SuicideMission. Then, when Luke is being tailed by ''three'' TIE Fighters, one of them piloted by Lord Vader himself, and most certainly doomed to be shot down, Han Solo and his Millennium Falcon ''come out of the sun'' and rain down hell on them, taking one out, causes the other to panic and ram Darth Vader's ship, sending it careening into space. This gives Luke all the freedom he needs to take down the Death Star with a few proton torpedoes.
62	* ''Film/StarTrek2009'':
63	** When they invade the ''Narada'', Kirk stuns one of the Romulans so Spock could do a MindMeld and find out where Spock Prime's ship is. While Spock is doing that, Kirk shoots another Romulan who was approaching from behind.
64	** The rescued Pike returns the favour to Kirk who was trying to free him when a Romulan appears from behind.
65	** And finally, when Spock is about to be destroyed by ''Narada's'' MacrossMissileMassacre, Sulu [[BigDamnHeroes drops out of warp]] with ''[[TheCavalry Enterprise]]'' [[GunshipRescue and swats all of the incoming with rapid-fire]] BeamSpam.
66	* In ''Film/StargateTheArkOfTruth'', Teal'c is shot by Ori forces and left for dead while Daniel and Vala are taken captive. After he comes to, the audience watches Teal'c march his way across mountains and plains to the Ori city, to the room where Daniel Vala and Adria are confined, in time to distract Adria and then knock the now-active ark open right into the face of the Doci.
67	* ''Film/PlanetOfTheVampires'' (a.k.a. ''Terrore nello spazio''). Before going to blow up the ''Galliott'', Captain Markary leaves a couple of crewmembers to cover their retreat, telling them to leave on the spaceship ''Argos'' IfIDoNotReturn. The captain does return...at a run, being chased by the alien-possessed crew of the ''Galliott'', and the two get killed fighting them off. [[spoiler:Unknown to them it's AllForNothing as Captain Markary has been possessed also, which was foreshadowed when he rushed on board [[AFatherToHisMen without waiting to cover his crew in turn]].]]
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Literature]]
71	* The ''Literature/XWingSeries'', being about fighter pilots who generally have wingmates, uses this phrase and permutations of it a lot. Sometimes it's as dramatic as this, but usually it's the response to being told that [[YouAreNumberSix Six]] is making an attack run. Often literally Six; Wraith Six, "Runt" Ekwesh, is something of a {{Berserker}} in his early appearances, making it a matter of "cover Runt or else".
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
75	* ''Series/{{Angel}}''. Gunn and Fred are fighting a nest of vampires; Fred stakes a vampire InTheBack and it becomes a BondOneLiner. "I've got your back! Well, actually I got his back."
76	* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. Confronted by a ProfessionalKiller, Avon shouts to Tarrant, "Don't worry, I'll cover you!" Tarrant engages in GoodOldFisticuffs with his larger opponent, then we GilliganCut to Avon [[PassThePopcorn calmly sitting in a chair]] holding his sidearm. With some difficulty Tarrant knocks the killer on his back, whereupon Avon strolls over and sticks the gun in his face, forcing his surrender.
77	* ''Series/TheBoys2019''. In "You Found Me", Frenchie gets shot during their escape, so he has to give his automatic rifle to Hughie to cover Mother's Milk who's carrying Kimoko to safety. Cue Hughie screaming "I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" as he blazes away. As Hughie has no idea how to reload, Frenchie has to change magazines for him.
78	* ''Series/TheEqualizer''. [=McCall=] wounds a bad guy, then kicks his pistol over to the VictimOfTheWeek and says to keep him covered. As the man's a NonActionGuy, he only gets a blank look until [=McCall=] gets more specific. "You point the gun at him, put your finger on the trigger, and cover him."
79	* Spoofed in ''Series/PoliceSquad'', where Frank Drebin's "Cover me!" gets a [[VisualGag blanket tossed on top of him]]. He spends the rest of the gunfight stumbling around helplessly.
80	* The tactics used by ''Series/TheProfessionals'' are pure RuleOfCool, but there's an effort to show their professionalism via this trope. When Bodie and Doyle go up a stairwell one stops on the landing to cover the other, who moves to the next landing and covers the other in turn.
81	** In "Killer With A Long Arm", Bodie gives Doyle a WhatTheHellHero for charging into the room instead of covering him from the door. Doyle points out that if he fired from that position and missed, he'd have hit Bodie (who was entering via the window).
82	** In "Blind Run", Doyle asks the GirlOfTheWeek to cover him, as an army of killers is shooting down the door and he needs to run to the stairwell. She does so quite ably, causing [[AmazonChaser Doyle to declare his love on the spot.]]
83	** In "Need to Know", Bodie and Doyle get knocked out by KGB agents in a BatmanGambit by their boss Cowley.
84	--->'''Cowley:''' I had you both covered. I'm a very good shot.\
85	'''Bodie:''' Yeah, I saw that. Nevertheless, what if something had gone wrong?\
86	'''Cowley:''' Oh, in that case, I would have arranged a nice headstone for the two of you. Out of my own pocket, of course.
87	* ''Series/StargateSG1'':
88	** Teal'c appearing out of nowhere in "Upgrades" when the team had ditched him to go off on a mission, just in time to save Daniel's ass. He does it again in season 8, when Sam and Daniel were trapped on Osiris' ship, about to be killed by The Trust.
89	** In the SeriesFauxnale "Lost City", SG-1 is aboard a Goa'uld transport in the Antarctic trying to tunnel down to an Ancient weapons platform when a large force of Death Gliders and Alkesh are detected heading straight for them. All seems lost when suddenly the USAF battlecruiser Prometheus and her squadron F-302 fighters show up and engage the Goa'uld attack force to buy time for SG-1. The Prometheus herself parks directly over their transport and uses her point defense guns to ward off any Death Gliders that come close.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Video Games]]
93	* ''VideoGame/AceCombat'':
94	** Appears in ''VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation'' during mission twelve, when Shamrock and Talisman are being chased by Estovakia's entire airforce after having destroyed a Weapon of Mass Destruction, the situation looks hopeless until all the pilots you've been helping during other mission's show up to lend a helping hand. Cue ass kicking.
95	** Also occurs in the second-to-last mission of ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar''. Razgriz's home base, the carrier ''Kestrel'' has just been sunk, and it seems that they will be only four planes fighting past ''two armies'' to take down the real bad guys before the KillSat gets deployed. Then, as they approach the mission site, squadrons from both armies join them, not only providing cover but also bringing resources that Razgriz didn't have when they started out, resources that prove instrumental in winning.
96	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
97	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'': After returning from the Moon, Cecil and friends are horrified to see [[YouAreTooLate that they're too late to stop the awakening]] of the [[HumongousMecha Giant of Bab-Il]], a kilometers-tall monstrosity that starts devastating the countryside. As they gape in horror, they see a huge burst of artillery on the Giant's flank... and ''the entire armed forces of the world'' arrive to buy Cecil's party some time to enter the Giant, all with the [[ThemeMusicPowerUp Theme of the Red Wings]] rising in the background.
98	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'':
99	*** As the party approaches the [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon final dungeon]] on the Invincible airship, a legion of dragons comes to meet them to stop them from landing. Unfortunately, the ornate piece of junk actually has no useful weapons. But wait! Straight from out of the clouds comes ''every airship in existence'' armed to the teeth, who clear a path so that the heroes can put an end to the BigBad once and for all.
100	*** A slightly more specific event comes right when the Invincible is about to get [[RammingAlwaysWorks plowed down]] by a stream of dragons. Beatrix, in Queen Brahne's flagship, flies in from the blue and literally covers the Invincible so it can pass the final stretch.
101	* ''VideoGame/Grandia1'': [[spoiler:The Garlyle Forces]] provide help during the final attack on Gaia.
102	* ''Franchise/StarFox'':
103	** ''VideoGame/StarFox64'': In Area 6: "Great Fox will cover you!" [[EnergyWeapon pew pew! BOOM!]]
104	** ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'': Happens during the final boss fight. When Fox gets lodged in between the villain's teeth, Falco, who had yet to appear in the ''entire'' game and was ''barely'' mentioned in passing, [[JustInTime flies in from outer space]] to lend a helping hand. With [[SmartBomb bombs]].
105	** ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault'': During the final mission Star Wolf ropes in ''all the bogeys'' so that Star Fox can make it to the Aparoid Queen.
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Western Animation]]
109	* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' episode "Reign Storm" where Danny, despite donning a super powered suit, is still outnumbered by the current BigBad's gigantic army. Initially unwilling to fight at first, Danny's RoguesGallery comes out to battle, clearing a path for Danny so that he can take down the villain and save the world.
110	* Happens ''all the time'' in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' and ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited''. Earliest being in "In Blackest Night" where Green Lantern plays shield for Flash (twice) in the middle of a battle against the Manhunters, and says this quote almost word for word.
111	* Spoofed ''again'' in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', Sari asks CloudCuckooLander Wreck-Gar to "Cover Me!". [[LiteralMinded So he throws a blanket on her.]]
112	[[/folder]]

Context Main / IGotYouCovered