Doctor Strange is brooding about the recent departure of Clea when he is approached by
Over-Mind who, being the fusion of multiple telepathic minds known as the
Chorus, tells him that he understands. He shows Strange in the flames of the
Cauldron of the Cosmos the events that occurred a few days ago when the
Defenders returned from their last adventure….
First
Vision and Scarlet Witch decided to go home to New Jersey, having left the
Avengers, they are now seeking to renew their intimacy. Then Vera Cantor,
pointing out how she and Beast have not had any time together for a while,
drags him out of the house. Then Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, decides to
return to Atlantis and Valkyrie coyly asks him if he would like company on the
journey. When he assents, she calls Aragorn, her winged steed, and they fly off
together. Then Patsy Walker returns after her long absence and she and Daimon
Hellstrom, Son of Satan, are happy to see one another. Strange is puzzled as to
why Over-Mind is showing him happy scenes of people in love; Over-Mind then
reveals what happens next to cause pain in these relationships….
As
Beast and Vera walk down the street, she is upset how Hank never seems to be
serious and she finds it annoying. They are then accosted by some young women
who are his fans and when he greets them eagerly, Vera stalks off, angry. Beast
pursues her and explains that it’s a coping mechanism, a way he has always
dealt with the difficulties of being a mutant. In his early days with the X-Men
he adopted an intellectual persona but after he became the furry Beast, he
switched to the jolly figure he now affects. And now she understands….
As
they head for Atlantis, Namor leaps into the sea and Valkyrie follows him and
they find sheer delight in the waves and each other’s company. They kiss but
Namor recoils and flies off. Val follows him and he explains that the late Lady
Dorma will forever be his only love and he is now married to his nation and
sovereignty is a road he must walk alone….
Patsy
and Daimon walk the streets, she chattering about her father and her plan to
write a book and she drags him into a bakery to drool over the goods so he
transforms into his Son of Satan look and, having brought everything to a halt,
he drags Patsy outside—and up to a rooftop where she twists out of his hands
and lands on her feet. He is puzzled at her distance; she knew they were in
love but he departed for his father’s kingdom and she had some daddy issues to
sort out and then she notices he is crying. Daimon confesses that until she
came along, he did not know what love was and now he wants to share it with
her. But she doesn’t know if she can, so he pushes her away and flies off….
Dr.
Strange asks Over-Mind what the point of all that was; Over-Mind responds that
the path of love must be walked by each person in their own way. Strange
decides to give up on it altogether but Over-Mind has one more thing to show
him: Gargoyle and housekeeper Dolly Donahue chatting about Patsy and Daimon.
Dolly is uncertain about their relationship because he scares her. Isaac says,
“And I don’t?” Dolly assures him that she knows he is a good person despite his
appearance and he is grateful for having her as a friend. And the best couples
are friends before they are lovers because that sort of passion disappears with
age but the foundation lasts forever. Strange then flies with Over-Mind out to
the Defenders’ HQ where he enters with a lot of flashy effects, surprising the
non-teammates with a message of love….