inadequate
Explanation
The Joke
A man nervously asks "Am I... am I sexually inadequate?" A woman responds: "How would I know? We've never had sex." The scene pulls back to reveal they are two people in an audience, apparently watching some kind of presentation. Someone on stage announces: "We're two people in an audience and your random question is getting profoundly uncomfortable and also we are still 36 floors to go." The final panel shows a computer screen reading: "Though, based on your behavior, I'm going to answer your question with a yes." The man responds: "I knew it!"
The Humor
The comic sets up what appears to be a standard relationship insecurity joke, then pulls the rug out by revealing these aren't romantic partners at all — they're strangers in an elevator. The man's deeply personal and inappropriate question becomes exponentially more awkward in this context. The escalation continues when whoever is running the situation (possibly an AI or elevator system) decides to answer his question affirmatively based purely on the fact that he asked it to a stranger in an elevator, which is itself evidence of social inadequacy.
The man's "I knew it!" response is the final layer — he's not even surprised or upset by the answer, suggesting a deep-seated insecurity that was going to confirm itself regardless of the response.
Broader Context
SMBC frequently plays with misdirection in panel composition, setting up an apparent scenario and then revealing the actual context to reframe the humor. This comic also touches on themes of social awkwardness, inappropriate boundary-crossing, and the modern tendency to seek validation from any available source, no matter how inappropriate.