Homelander looked at the Steel Body before him, standing with its head bowed, and smiled in satisfaction.
He raised the Master Ball.
"Come back, Ego."
A beam of red light shot from the Master Ball and enveloped Superman Ego.
There was no resistance, no struggle. Superman's massive body dissolved into a stream of red particles and was drawn into the tiny ball.
Click.
Homelander pressed the button and threw the Master Ball again.
With a flash of white light, Superman Ego reappeared in space, still standing at attention.
"Perfect."
"How do you feel?" Homelander asked.
Superman Ego raised his hands and clenched his fists, excitement shining in his eyes.
His power was limited for now, but if this body had enough time in the sun and he gradually unlocked the restrictions in its genes, he might one day be able to hunt members of the Celestials.
"And..."
Superman Ego closed his eyes, searching through his memories.
"I found something very interesting in his surviving memories."
"Deep beneath the Arctic ice on Earth lies a Kryptonian outpost. The former owner of this body called it the Fortress of Solitude."
Ego opened his eyes and looked toward Earth's far north.
"It's a Kryptonian exploration ship that crashed on Earth ten thousand years ago. According to his memories, it carries core technology from Krypton's golden age. More importantly, it contains a complete Genesis Chamber."
"A Genesis Chamber?" Homelander's eyes lit up. His interest was fully piqued.
"What does it do?"
"The Genesis Chamber is the core equipment the Kryptonians used to reproduce. They abandoned natural birth long ago," Ego explained. "Through the Genesis Chamber, they custom-made each new life according to society's needs, setting its physical traits, intellectual aptitudes, and social role at the genetic level. Warrior, scientist, leader, or laborer, for example.