this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2026
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xkcd #3288: Archery Feat

Title text:

Update: I would not have embarked on this powerscaling venture if I'd known how thoroughly Mark Twain was going to roast me.

Transcript:

Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com

Source: https://xkcd.com/3288/

explainxkcd for #3288

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[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 17 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Still not half the Archer Zeno was

[–] mossy_@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago

every time I get closer to his achievements, he's just a bit farther ahead

[–] Tango@piefed.ca 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

That'll be especially difficult because the apple blocks his view of the arrow he needs to split.

[–] tja@sh.itjust.works 8 points 5 days ago (2 children)

But he is just that good. He does not need to see it

[–] Iron_Lynx@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Plus, nonzero chance its a Patriot Arrow ™️

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

protagonist confidently aims completely off-mark (not even in the right direction) and shoots; arrow gets halfway and sprouts cartoon eyes as it realizes how hilariously bad the aim was; stops midair, bends like a straw as it changes direction and proceeds to slalom its way through all the targets and 5 extra things just for the hell of it.

After embedding itself in the bullseye target it produces a cartoon gloved hand to wipe the sweat off the arrowhead and goes "fhew".

[–] kalpol@lemmy.ca 6 points 5 days ago

There's a lot of argument about how Odysseus shot through axes. But the one that makes the most sense to me is that they were the long kind without the hafts stuck in the ground so the holes lined up.

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Sadly, I'm too uncultured to get the Mark Twain reference...

the explain link explains it.