probe
Explanation
The Joke
The comic imagines a first contact scenario between humans and an alien probe, but frames it as an awkward first date. The probe greets its "matches" and says "Welcome to our first date." It then explains that based on online profile analysis, humanity was determined to be "too socially interesting to pass up," so the aliens sent the probe to take readings, lay groundwork, and introduce humanity to the "future crew."
In the lower panels, the scene shifts to "The Groundwork" phase, where the probe announces it will now "eject a photo of me from a tasteful but provocative angle" -- a parody of unsolicited intimate photos on dating apps. The final panel shows the human hoping to talk about adventures, while the probe flies away saying "Mission abort! Mission abort!" -- just like a bad date where one party ghosts the other.
The Humor
The comic works by mapping the entire structure of online dating onto first contact with aliens. The probe's language perfectly mimics dating app behavior: analyzing profiles to find interesting matches, sending an advance scout before introducing the "crew" (friends), sharing provocative photos, and ultimately fleeing when things get awkward. The joke suggests that whether you're an alien civilization or a person on Tinder, the social dynamics of first encounters are universally cringeworthy. The "mission abort" ending is the alien equivalent of unmatching someone mid-conversation.