sacrifice
Explanation
The Joke
A dark, robed figure (resembling a cultist or dark priest) appears before a man named Steve, telling him the world is in turmoil because the gods are displeased. Steve is the last descendant of an ancient lineage and can fix things by sacrificing "that which you love most." The figure clarifies: "Usually your first born son." Steve responds that he has never married and has no kids. The figure is surprised, asking how old he is. Steve says 38, which shocks the figure.
The robed figure then tries to determine what Steve loves. When asked about his true love, Steve launches into a rant about not trusting women after reading a pickup-artist book about how to "lie them into sex." Asked if he has strong feelings for anything, he says he plays video games a lot but his strong emotions have been replaced by strong opinions. The figure desperately tries "You're a narcissist! You love only yourself!" but Steve asks why he is wearing a shower curtain instead of pants -- revealing he has so little self-regard that he wears makeshift clothing. The figure is stunned, and the conversation devolves into questions about how long Steve has been wearing a shower curtain ("since laundry ran out"). The final panel shows the figure asking "Is this conversation going anywhere?" -- the ancient ritual completely derailed by Steve's sad, directionless life.
The Humor
The comic subverts the classic fantasy trope of the "chosen one" who must make a great sacrifice. Instead of a noble hero with deep attachments, the ancient prophecy has landed on a 38-year-old man who has nothing and no one to sacrifice. He has no children, no romantic partner, no real passions, and no self-respect. The humor comes from the robed figure's increasing frustration as every traditional avenue for sacrifice is a dead end. The joke is also a pointed satire of a certain type of modern male failure: someone who distrusts women due to toxic pickup-artist philosophy, substitutes video games for emotional depth, replaces feelings with internet opinions, and cannot even do his own laundry. The ancient gods simply cannot extract a sacrifice from someone who has nothing of value in their life.