History Webcomic / Xkcd

** The [[http://what-if.xkcd.com/53/ What If entry, Drain the World,]] had the Netherlands taking over the world as a RunningGag. The [[http://what-if.xkcd.com/54/ sequel, Drain the World II]] showed Mars being turned into "New Netherlands." [[http://xkcd.com/1555/ Exoplanet Names 2]] revealed that the Netherlands will continue to expand, establishing "Netherlands VI."

The comic also [[TheWikiRule has a wiki of sorts]] of its own; [[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page Explain XKCD]], a resource for understanding the jokes that may fly over the reader's head.

The comic also [[TheWikiRule has a wiki of sorts]] of its own; [[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page Explain XKCD]], a resource for understanding the jokes that may fly over the readers' head.

** Electric skateboards are a recurring motif.
** So are giant hamster balls.
** "Lemme know if you find out why she's ordering all those colored plastic balls."

** Zeppelins

** The "surprise wildlife encounter" suggested [[https://xkcd.com/2702 as a gift]] for animal enthusiasts references [[https://xkcd.com/325/ A-Minus-Minus]].

* GiftOfTheMagiPlot: Inverted with [[http://xkcd.com/506/ 506: Theft of the Magi.]] Black Hat and his girlfriend both sold each others' possessions on the internet to get themselves a gift, only for said gift to be useless without the item that the other sold off.

* ItWasHisSled: [[http://xkcd.com/109/ parodied.]]

* TheScream: The beret man has [[https://www.xkcd.com/1099/ endless wings]]. Everyone around him screams as he grows them to the size Earth.

* RageQuit: [[https://xkcd.com/2434/ Vaccine Guidance]], when a CDC official on a teleconference is asked all sorts of idiotic questions.
--> MEETING ENDED BY HOST
* RainOfArrows: [[http://www.xkcd.com/1078/ Agincourt Gambit]]

* ReallyGetsAround: Touched on [[http://xkcd.com/507/ here]].
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Given by the target of a pickup artist in [[http://xkcd.com/1027/ this strip]].

** Apparently [[http://xkcd.com/1011/ a good name for your daughter.]]
** [[http://xkcd.com/1745/ This comic]] lampshades the outdatedness of the trope.

* ReversePsychology: Black Hat Guy [[http://xkcd.com/804/ warns]] vandals not to mess with his jack-o-lantern.

* RightThroughTheWall: [[http://xkcd.com/316/ With an elliptical reflector dish.]]
* RoadSignReversal: In [[http://xkcd.com/1375/ "Astronaut Vandalism,"]] with a twist.

* RuleThirtyFour: If there are no actual [[http://xkcd.com/923/ Strunk/White erotic fanfictions]] out there now, there probably will be as a direct result of this comic.
** [[http://xkcd.com/305/ Discussed by name.]]

** Raptors

* SarcasmMode: "Try an Internet petition drive -- those ''totally'' work."

* SceneryPorn: There are several strips that have good visuals in them, such as [[http://xkcd.com/1079/ "United Shapes,"]] but [[http://xkcd-map.rent-a-geek.de the absolute ginormous size of]] "[[http://xkcd.com/1110/ Click and drag]]" takes this trope way past root 121.

* SchmuckBait: "[[http://xkcd.com/825/ Jeffrey is famous as the picture on the Wikipedia article on 'Necrosis']]"

* ScienceIsWrong: "No one told you because you're cute when you get into [[http://xkcd.com/298/ something."]]

* TheScream: How people react to [[http://xkcd.com/1099/ endless wings.]]
* {{Selfcest}}: You'd think [[http://xkcd.com/267/ this]] is going somewhere dramatic, but no.
* SelfDeprecation: One way to interpret [[http://xkcd.com/793/ this strip.]]

* SelfImposedChallenge: A rare non-video game example: [[http://xkcd.com/724/ This]] strip inspired an actual [[http://www.swfme.com/view/1046212 Flash implementation]] of the game. It's pretty unplayable (that's kind of the point) with the usual Tetris goals, but [[http://www.metafilter.com/90888/Theres-also-a-Katamari-level-where-everything-is-just-slightly-bigger-than-you-and-a-Mario-level-with-a-star-just-out-of-reach#3034952 a MeFite]] pointed out the game is actually interesting and reasonably challenging if you try to end the game with as ''few'' pieces as you can.

** The basis of [[http://xkcd.com/688/ #688]]. And [[http://xkcd.com/703/ #703.]]
** According to [[http://xkcd.com/1079/ #1079,]] Colorado is shaped like its Wikipedia article.
** The graph in [[http://xkcd.com/1230/ #1230]] is true if you interpret it either as a polar or a cartesian plot.

* AwesomeButImpractical: [[https://xkcd.com/2804/ Marshmallow]] features the reentry marshmallow toasting module. Attached to a reentry vehicle from a space shuttle or some other source, the reentry marshmallow toasting module extends a stick with a marshmallow attached to toast it from the heat of entering the atmosphere. Marshmallows toasted this way sound impossibly cool, but the method suffers from a couple problems, primarily that the extended arm would cause turbulence that makes steering harder and [[TooDumbToLive risks everyone for a fatal crash]], and the AltText points out that it would be way too easy for the marshmallow to fall off.

** [[https://xkcd.com/2186/ Dark matter isn't squirrels!]]

** According to the AltText, the man trying to get into porn in [[https://xkcd.com/884/ "Roger St."]] is none other than [[https://xkcd.com/327/ Robert'); DROP TABLE Students;--]].

* TerribleTicking:
** [[http://xkcd.com/740/ Unn-tss, unn-tss, unn-tss...]]
** [[http://xkcd.com/2344/ An alternative explanation for the 26-second pulse on seismometers.]]

* TerribleTicking: [[http://xkcd.com/740/ Unn-tss, unn-tss, unn-tss...]]

* SidetrackedByTheAnalogy: [[https://xkcd.com/2186/ Dark matter isn't squirrels!]]

%% Reminder: avoid WeblinksAreNotExamples when writing tropes.

* ChessWithDeath: Although Death didn't take into account having to play TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons.

** In [[https://xkcd.com/2779/ Exoplanet Hi-5]], Cueball does the classic "high five; down low; too slow" trick on aliens from Proxima Centauri b, sending the "too slow" message a month before the down-low is expected to come in, as one does in this situation. The aliens react to this by sending an intergalactic invasion fleet.

* NoodleImplements: Invoked [[http://xkcd.com/576/ here]], to the dismay of the characters.

** Whatever the rest of [[http://xkcd.com/254/ "Comic fragment"]] was.

** In [[http://xkcd.com/1665/ City Talk Pages]] the actual contents of the said Wikipedia article is this.

* ParodicTableOfTheElements: Noting that periodic tables become outdated as [[ScienceMarchesOn new elements are discovered]], Randall brings us one [[https://xkcd.com/2723 from half an hour after the Big Bang]], which features only the four elements that existed at the time.[[note]] No, not [[ElementsOfNature earth, air, fire and water]].[[/note]]

** In [[https://xkcd.com/2779/ Exoplanet Hi-5]], Cueball does the classic "high five; down low; too slow" trick on aliens from Proxima Centauri 5, sending the "too slow" message a month before the down-low is expected to come in, as one does in this situation. The aliens react to this by sending an intergalactic invasion fleet.

* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: Invoked in [[http://www.xkcd.com/41/ this]] AltText.
* LightbulbJoke: [[http://xkcd.com/841/ How many audiophiles...]]
* LIsForDyslexia: Double subverted in [[http://xkcd.com/745/ this strip.]] And then subverted a third time in the AltText.
* LiteralMinded: [[http://xkcd.com/1261/ Shake what your mama gave you!]]

** In [[https://xkcd.com/2332/ this strip]], Beret Guy believes he bought a [[CursedItem cursed desk chair]] from one of these, as the place was boarded up when he tried to return it. When Cueball points out that a lot of shops are currently boarded up due to [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic coronavirus]], Beret Guy becomes convinced that [[InsaneTrollLogic the curse must have caused the virus]], and he can end the pandemic by destroying the chair.

--->'''Beret Guy''': Die, plague-bringer!\\
'''Cursed Chair''': [[evil:HEE HEE I CAN NOT DIE]]

** [[https://xkcd.com/1283/ This strip]] reimagines twentieth-century headlines if they were written to get the most clicks in the internet era, resulting in suck classics as "[[BlackComedy Most Embarrassing Reactions To The Stock Market Crash [gifs]]]."

** Another AltText one: [[http://xkcd.com/1011/ "I've been trying for a couple of years now,]] but I haven't been able to come up with a name dumber than '[[Literature/{{Twilight}} Renesmee]]'."

--->''Can anyone tell me what's wrong with this picture?''\\
''The white balance, for one.''\\
''Focus is a bit too close.''\\
''The chromatic aberration suggests you bought your camera because it had "the most megapixels"''\\
'''THE CAR IS ON FIRE!'''\\
''Maybe you should use the insurance money to get a new camera.''

* DateMyAvatar: [[http://xkcd.com/903/ This]] strip demonstrates how the internet makes you appear smarter.

--->''Can anyone tell me what's wrong with this picture?]]''\\

-->''[[http://xkcd.com/1014/ Can anyone tell me what's wrong with this picture?]]''\\

%%partial context example, explain which puns and (ideally) which comic numbers * GlassesPull: Done by both Music/RickAstley and UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton for particularly dreadful puns.