Despite his satisfaction, Malrick still felt a trace of regret.
Clark had just transformed into the legendary Golden Superman to help him ascend further, yet because Malrick had already stepped out of his idealized burst state, the gain was minimal.
What a waste. A huge waste.
Golden Superman — that was the very peak of Superman's evolution.
In general terms, the title referred to the supreme version of Clark Kent who appeared in DC One Million. That Superman had traveled across galaxies, fought cosmic beings, and endured countless wars. When he finally entered the Sun and remained there for fifteen thousand years, he emerged reborn as the Golden Superman, radiating power beyond comprehension.
There were, of course, other versions — the one from Superman/Fantastic Four and the Future State Superman. Both carried the golden glow, but compared to the original, their strength was far weaker. The Superman from DC One Million possessed near-omnipotent power: omniscience, omnipotence, and even reality alteration were all within his reach.
To Malrick, that form represented a transcendent state of being.
When Wolf Superman entered his idealistic burst beneath the radiance of a hundred thousand stars, he must have briefly reached that same golden state. The moment he opened his eyes, he seemed to know everything — his mind, expanded to cosmic scale, had become something far beyond human comprehension.
Malrick hadn't needed to explain his purpose for coming to this universe; Superman had understood immediately. Perhaps that was because, in that form, Superman's super brain had reached unimaginable levels of amplification. His body could interpret and decode every trace of information it encountered, giving him the illusion of omniscience.
In that moment, Superman could have glanced at Malrick once and perfectly deduced the entirety of his genetic evolution — even beyond its current limits.
After all, even the fading golden afterglow from that transformation had allowed Malrick's genetic level to soar a thousandfold. His mind now carried within it the full comprehension of how that evolution worked.
In that instant, he had experienced billions of genetic simulations. Hundreds of billions of Kryptonian genetic templates flashed through his mind, merging with his own DNA — eliminating impurities, keeping only the essence. That was how his body had achieved this thousandfold advancement.
All of it had happened in the blink of an eye.
Even now, his thoughts still pulsed with the echoes of those complex deductions. If he had attempted that process on his own, it might have taken him decades, even a century. Yet here it was — complete, instantaneous, perfect.
His mission in the DC Universe had been fulfilled.
Soon, after having dinner at Superman's house, he and Tony could finally return home to the Marvel Universe.
Malrick almost wanted to leave immediately, eager to begin creating the Clone Project he had envisioned. But then he hesitated.
Since he was already here, he might as well find the Life Codex before departing.
There wasn't one in this Superman and Lois reality, but perhaps the DCEU version of Superman possessed it. That was the next place he needed to visit.
Malrick's thoughts were interrupted when Tony tapped John's armor.
"Buddy, Clark said your armor's power rivals his strength, and your speed matches his. That true?"
John's hearty laugh echoed over the comms. "He didn't lie."
Tony smirked. "Nice. Your armor looks good. Nano-material?"
"Yeah, mostly," John replied.
Tony raised an eyebrow. "This one's nano-material too. But I've got others — biological armor, magic-augmented armor — you name it."
He knew his Mark armor couldn't truly challenge Superman without Kryptonite. In terms of brute force, John's suit definitely surpassed his own. Still, Tony took pride in his diversity. His armor collection wasn't just powerful; it was adaptive, creative — an extension of his genius.
Clark smiled warmly. "Tony's a super genius from another universe."
John nodded. "Then I look forward to exchanging armor tech with him."
Tony's eyes lit up. "Now that's a deal I can get behind. Maybe you'll pick up a few things from my nanotech too."
Clark hovered slightly off the ground, glancing back at them with a grin. "Dinner's on me tonight. Once the two universes separate, the portal will close fast. Let's head back to Earth."
They returned through the shimmering space portal.
Malrick and Tony followed John to Kent Farm, while Clark took to the skies, appearing across major nations and at the United Nations — reassuring the world that the crisis was over.
Later, in the cozy Kent living room, Malrick and Tony sat on the couch, sipping coffee brewed by Lois Lane. John's daughter and Clark's sons, Jordan and Jonathan, sat nearby, watching a live broadcast of Clark's interview on TV.
"Clark truly carries a heavy burden," Malrick murmured, gazing at the screen.
Tony leaned back lazily. "Look at this world's Superman, Malrick. He's out there giving hope to everyone. You could try that once in a while, you know — brighten someone's day instead of brooding in your lab."
Malrick lifted his cup with a half-smile. "Oh, please. You just want me working for your Avengers again. Why don't you call Pepper? She's tougher than half your team."
Lois chuckled and took a seat beside them. She had the sharp, confident presence of a seasoned reporter. Her beauty wasn't in her features but in the quiet strength she carried.
"Clark struggles with balance too," she said gently. "We moved back to Smallville to slow things down, spend more time with the boys. The world will always need Superman — but they need their father more."
Her gaze shifted curiously to Tony. "I'm sorry, I just have to ask. You mentioned the Avengers earlier… are you really Tony Stark from the Marvel Universe?"
Jordan and Jonathan leaned forward, their eyes wide with excitement. Their room upstairs was filled with Marvel comics.
Tony grinned. "The one and only. Though… what's this 'Marvel' you keep talking about?"
He stretched out with that familiar Stark arrogance, as if he might buy the concept just to understand it. "Clark mentioned the word a few times. Sounds like some sort of circus. And apparently, I'm one of the star attractions — like the lion that makes the crowd roar."
Malrick smirked. "Come on, Tony. Lion's Thor. Tiger's Banner. You? You're more like a bear doing tricks on a ball."
Tony froze, staring at the Kent brothers. "You're seriously telling the kids who idolize me that their hero's a dancing bear?"
The room filled with laughter. Even Lois couldn't help but smile. For that brief moment, two universes — Marvel and DC — shared something simple and human: warmth.
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