Ships
Explanation
The Joke
Two men are having a conversation about history. One says, "The Trojan War was fought over one woman? That's ridiculous." Another responds, "You got what, maybe a thousand ships back then? She'd be the hottest person among, what, a million people maybe, tops?" A third adds, "There's no way Helen of Troy was that attractive."
In the next panels, someone objects: "That's like saying she's the prettiest girl at, like, the third of Omaha." Another character responds: "In fairness, the thousand ships were all considered being pretty small by today's standards. You could probably get a medium-sized modern destroyer going." The final panel shows two characters discussing the implications: "My God, the future is going to have discussions like this about us, isn't it?" The other replies, "That's why we need a nuclear..." (implying nuclear weapons would prevent future civilizations from trivializing their era).
The Humor
The comic takes the legendary beauty of Helen of Troy -- the "face that launched a thousand ships" -- and subjects it to ruthless modern statistical and logistical analysis. By pointing out how small the ancient world's population was, the characters reduce Helen's legendary beauty to being merely the most attractive person in a small sample size, comparable to being the prettiest girl in a third of Omaha, Nebraska. The further deflation comes from noting that ancient ships were tiny, so "a thousand ships" could be replaced by a single modern destroyer. The joke works by applying cold, analytical modern thinking to a mythic narrative, stripping away all the romance and grandeur. The final meta-twist, where the characters realize future civilizations will similarly diminish their own achievements, adds a layer of existential comedy.
References
Helen of Troy is a figure from Greek mythology, described as the most beautiful woman in the world. Her abduction by (or elopement with) Paris of Troy was the legendary cause of the Trojan War. The phrase "the face that launched a thousand ships" comes from Christopher Marlowe's play "Doctor Faustus" (1604).