I was sitting here thinking of my disciple... my lover... Clea. Although I have conquered the despair that overwhelmed me when she left -- there remains a void in my life, Master of the mystic arts I may be... but I am still too much -- a man. 
Appearing in "Two by Two"
Featured Characters:
- Defenders (Main story and flashback)
- Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange)
- Overmind (Grom)
- Chorus (Behind the scenes) (Unnamed) (Possess the mind of Overmind)
- Mindy Williams (Behind the scenes)
- Theodore Kroeber (Behind the scenes)
- Georgia Orr (Behind the scenes)
- Al Gentle (Behind the scenes)
- Ursula Richards (Behind the scenes)
- Phillip le Guin (Behind the scenes)
- Chorus (Behind the scenes) (Unnamed) (Possess the mind of Overmind)
- Valkyrie (Brunnhilde) (Main story and flashback)
- Hellcat (Patsy Walker) (Main story and flashback)
- Beast (Hank McCoy) (Main story and flashback)
- Gargoyle (Isaac Christians) (Main story and flashback)
- Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie) (Only in flashback)
- Son of Satan (Daimon Hellstrom) (Only in flashback)
Supporting Characters:
- Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) (Only in flashback)
- Vision (Only in flashback)
- Vera Cantor (Only in flashback)
- Dolly Donahue (Main story and flashback)
- Aragorn (Only in flashback)
Other Characters:
- Clea (Mentioned)
- Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) (Mentioned)
- Hulk (Bruce Banner) (Mentioned)
- Avengers (Mentioned)
- Joshua Walker (Mentioned)
- Steve Martin (Mentioned) (Topical Reference)
- X-Men (Mentioned)
- Professor Charles Xavier (Mentioned)
- Lady Dorma (Only in flashback)
- Bea Walker (Mentioned)
- Satan (Mentioned)
- Satana Hellstrom (Mentioned)
- Victoria Hellstrom (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Humans (Main story and flashback)
- Asgardians (Only in flashback)
- Mutants (Only in flashback)
- Eternals
- Atlantean-Human Hybrids (Only in flashback)
- Human-Demon Hybrids (Only in flashback)
- Synthezoids (Only in flashback)
- Winged Horses (Only in flashback)
- Skrulls (Mentioned)
Locations:
- Earth-616
- Earth
- United States of America
- New York
- New York City
- Manhattan
- Greenwich Village
- Upper West Side (Main story and flashback)
- Chinatown (Mentioned)
- Manhattan
- Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Salem Center, Westchester County (Mentioned)
- New York City
- New Jersey (Mentioned)
- Christiansboro, Virginia (Mentioned)
- New York
- Atlantis (Mentioned)
- United States of America
- Hell (Mentioned)
- Earth
- Earth-S (Mentioned)
Items:
- Hellstorm's Trident (Only in flashback)
- Dragonfang (Main story and flashback)
- Cloak of Levitation
- Eye of Agamotto
Events:
- World War I (Mentioned)
Synopsis for "Two by Two"
Over-Mind senses that Dr. Strange is depressed since Clea has left him, so he shows Strange visions of the other Defenders and their relationships. First, they see the Vision and Scarlet Witch taking their leave of the Defenders after their adventure on Earth-S. Vera then drags the Beast away, pointing out that they haven’t spent any time alone together in weeks. Outside, the Beast is mobbed by female admirers, which makes Vera jealous. Beast explains that he has had to reinvent himself over the years—from the studious bookworm he was with the X-Men to the comedian he became since turning blue-and-furry. He says that he sometimes doesn’t know who he is, but Vera offers to help him find out. Valkyrie offers to escort Namor back to Atlantis on Aragorn, and they spend some time frolicking in the sea until she kisses him. Namor claims that his heart will always belong to his long-dead Lady Dorma and there can never be anyone else, so he departs. Hellcat returns and is reunited with Son of Satan, but when she says that she doesn’t know if she loves him, he leaves angrily. Finally, Strange and Over-Mind look in on Gargoyle and Hellcat’s housekeeper, Dolly Donahue, who take comfort in the fact that, at their age, they appreciate just being together. When the Defenders reunite later in the evening, Strange puts on a magical display of fireworks. When asked why, Strange merely replies, “Love.”