Nature is a powerful force and humans disrespect it at their peril - especially in the world of Gary Larson's The Far Side, where everything from the clouds to the flowers can hold a grudge. In Larson's world, there are leopards in the trees, tornadoes on the way, and a waterfall around every corner,

Here are Far Side's 10 funniest comics where humans fall afoul of nature - be sure to vote for your #1 in our end-of-article poll and see which comic others readers crowned the best of the best.

10 Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Far Side Indulges in the Classic Waterfall Gag

In a classic gag worthy of Looney Tunes, a troop of boy scouts go rowing with their scout leader, completely oblivious to the gigantic waterfall that's about to send them tumbling into the abyss. Larson lays it on thick that the scout leader's attention is anywhere but on the safety of the river, as he tries to organize some round singing when he should be ordering the kids to abandon canoe.

9 If a Tree Falls...

No-One Hates Mimes Like The Far Side

In this strip, The Far Side plays with the old philosophical question of whether a falling tree really makes a 'sound' if no-one is around to hear it. In Larson's version, someone is there, but they're a mime who is totally committed to staying silent. Of course, Far Side isn't that concerned with philosophy - this is just a chance to insult the mime, suggesting no-one will care if he's crushed.

Mimes don't appear a lot in The Far Side, but when they do, they never get out alive. While the world of Far Side isn't exactly safe for anyone, it's clear that Larson has it out for these wordless performers in particular.

8 The Nose of a Hurricane

Gary Larson Takes Every Opportunity for Wordplay

In a goofy piece of wordplay, Larson plays with the concept of 'the eye of a hurricane' - the calm area at the center of a cyclone. This Far Side strip takes the term literally, reasoning that if the storm has an 'eye,' it must have a nose too. This strip showcases one of Gary Larson's weirdest obsessions - finding humor in the depiction of giant bodyparts.

From noses and eyes to kneecaps and feet, there are few parts of the body that Gary Larson doesn't find it hilarious to expand to a gigantic size.

7 C'mon, Arlene

This Far Side Strip Will Keep You Awake at Night

In one of Far Side's most disturbing scenarios, an amateur spelunker tries to tempt his date into exploring a cave, assuring her that once inside, they'll be able to stand up almost immediately. What he doesn't know is that the cave's roof is home to dozens of bats, meaning that once the pair stand up, they'll be surrounded by a colony of panicking, biting beasties with nowhere to go. It's an image dark enough to make readers shudder, though Larson shows mercy by depicting the moments before his characters pay the price for their terrible mistake.

6 Painting a Tornado

Far Side's Weather Has No Respect for Humans

While Mother Nature can be cruel, anyone who sees a hurricane approaching and stops to paint it rather than getting out of the way has to shoulder some of the responsibility for what happens next. The human in this situation clearly had a lot of time to avoid his fate, having all but finished his painting by the time he was swept off his feet. Larson often treats humans as just another animal, and in this case the painter - despite his artistic talent - was only as foolish as the cow and chicken currently suffering alongside him.

5 Nature Abhors a Vacuum

A Candidate for Far Side's Best Wordplay

In another great pun, Larson takes Aristotle's assertion that nature doesn't create spaces devoid of matter and interprets it as the natural world despising cleaning products. This surreal concept is made even funnier by Alice's inexplicable decision to walk her vacuum through the forest, watched over by a single, surprisingly intimidating bird. Open the image gallery below for more Far Side comics that showcase great puns.

Far Side is famous for its goofy characters and hilarious art, but Gary Larson also has a love of wordplay. A lot of Far Side comics draw humor from identifying a popular phrase or saying and taking it either way too literally or in a different way than intended. In Larson's world, 'Mary had a little lamb' doesn't mean she owned a sheep, it means she ate one.

4 Where the Buffalo Roam

Far Side's Humans Should Be Careful What They Ask For

While the folk song Home on the Range may celebrate the American West, The Far Side reflects that it's romanticizing a life that was actually pretty harsh on the people living it. In this strip, a cowboy joyfully celebrates living "where the buffalo roam," not realizing that a stampede of those self-same animals is hurtling towards him. Far Side loves its dark irony, having this character celebrate the (very likely) cause of his own death right before he's crushed beneath a storm of hooves.

3 Shutterbug vs Leopard

Far Side's Food Chain Is a Little More... Flexible

Humans tend to believe they stand apart from the animal kingdom, but this Far Side comic is here to remind them that isn't necessarily the case. In this strip, a clueless tourist stops to snap pictures of a leopard, totally oblivious to the evidence of all the other wannabe photographers who met a grisly end. This joke would be fun enough by itself, but Larson makes sure to include the narrative detail of a loud "click!" alerting the predator to its next meal.

2 Flowers vs Humans

Far Side Turns Humans vs Nature Truly Ridiculous

While Far Side depicts plenty of real-world examples of nature's fury, this strip could only exist in a cartoon world, as two giant flowers turn the tables on humanity. It's typical of Larson to depict the moment before something grisly happens, while still managing to imply this guy is about to lose his arms and legs. Open the image gallery below for more comics where humans take on flowers.

1 Threatening Clouds

Some More Great Wordplay from The Far Side

In one of his best puns of all time, Larson takes the idea of "threatening" clouds (those that suggest a storm is on its way) literally, having the sky spell out a message of aggression to a local fisherman. This being The Far Side, poor Fritz doesn't understand the trouble he's in because he can't read English, suggesting this will be yet another comic where Mother Nature's wrath claims a human life.

Those are Far Side's best ever comics where humans learn to fear Mother Nature - to vote for your favorite in the poll below, and help decide the official ranking.