2013-11-17
Explanation
This comic features a child asking their dad what a "deus ex machina" is. The father gives a playful (and incorrect) etymology, breaking it down as "deus" meaning "God" and "machina" meaning "machine," and then claiming it means "God used to date a robot but they're broken up now."
In the final panel, labeled "Later," the child has apparently used this definition in a school assignment and received a failing grade. The child asks "Dammit Dad! Was it worth it?" and the father replies "The answer to that question will always be yes." The comic is a classic dad-joke setup where the father deliberately gives a humorous wrong answer, knowing it will get his child in trouble, but considers the joke worthwhile regardless. The real meaning of "deus ex machina" is a plot device where an apparently unsolvable problem is suddenly resolved by an unexpected intervention.