XIII ("Thirteen") is a Belgian graphic novel series about an amnesiac who seeks to discover his past. It was created by writer Jean Van Hamme and artist William Vance. It is currently being written by Yves Sente and Youri Jigounov. The storyline of the first five volumes was adapted into a video game in 2003, also titled XIII, which was released on several platforms. A Canadian television film based on the series, XIII: The Conspiracy, was released in 2008. It was followed in 2011 by two seasons of a TV series, each 13 episodes, called XIII: The Series. Volumes 1-5 The series begins with a amnesiac man awakening to find himself washed ashore in the East Coast. The only clues to his past are a tattoo of the Roman numerals "XIII" on his collarbone and a photo of himself with a woman, who is identified as Kim Rowland, widow of US Army captain Steve Rowland. Volumes 1 through 5 deal with "XIII" searching for his identity and past. He finds himself hunted by a contract killer, the "Mongoose", who works for a mysterious organization known as XX, which aims to mount a coup against the US government. XIII is rescued from XX's assassins by Colonel Amos of the FBI, who confronts XIII with video evidence that shows XIII assassinating the President. In the second volume, XIII is captured by General Carrington and his aide, Lieutenant Jones. Carrington confirms that XIII is Rowland, and further explains that Rowland was a member of a special operations unit called Special Assault and Destroying Sections (SPADS). Carrington had been commander of SPADS when Rowland was supposedly killed in action two years earlier. Because XIII's amnesia prevents him from identifying who sponsored the President's assassination, Amos lets him go. XIII reunites with his father and his uncle, but they are both murdered by XIII's young, gold-digging stepmother Felicity, who frames him after harming herself. XIII escapes the police with Carrington's help and meets Kim, an XX member known as "XVII", who reveals that XIII is not Steve Rowland. XIII is arrested by the police and Kim disappears. XIII is found guilty for the murders and sent to a maximum security prison. The third volume finds Amos, still pursuing his investigation, realizing that XIII was a body double for the real Steve Rowland. Amos requests Carrington's help to identify people who have been trained as top-level