2010-10-17
Explanation
This comic riffs on the legend of Merlin from Arthurian mythology, specifically the version (popularized by T.H. White's "The Once and Future King") in which Merlin ages backward through time -- he was born at the end of time and lives his life in reverse. The comic explores the creepy implications of this concept that the legends conveniently gloss over.
Merlin introduces himself to a young Arthur, explaining that he was born at the end of time and ages backward, meaning he has memories of Arthur's future. Arthur is initially delighted: "Wow! So by changing my present, I get to have better memories of your future!" But things quickly take an uncomfortable turn when Merlin offers Arthur "some pictures of sexy naked wizards." When Arthur asks why, Merlin explains he "thought those might be of interest as you discover your sexuality." Arthur tells Merlin he's weirding him out, and Merlin responds by offering grain alcohol and suggesting they celebrate when Arthur turns 18.
The joke is that if Merlin truly experiences time in reverse, then from Merlin's perspective, he has already lived through Arthur's entire adult life and is now meeting Arthur as a child. This means Merlin would have the social familiarity of a longtime adult companion but would be interacting with a child -- leading to deeply inappropriate behavior that, from Merlin's reversed perspective, might seem perfectly normal. The votey panel shows one of the "sexy naked wizard" pictures labeled "Expecto Phallus" (a play on the Harry Potter spell "Expecto Patronum"), adding another layer of absurdity.