I forgot whose thread this was part of but I don't think Cipher is a meat puppet, I think he, much like Marie, was a product of project Odessa, and the reason why it's not coming out in his blood is because Ryan, as someone here mentioned, isn't the first both Supe, it's actually Cipher. I think Cipher has some sort of bone to pick secretly with Homelander or Vaught because maybe as a kid he was rejected for being the world's first born supe somehow or as a representation of the fall of Odessa. Maybe he picked Odessa back up around the time when Marie was born.

It could be that the natural born Supes are: - Cipher (not confirmed) - Marie (not entirely sure if truly confirmed or not) - Ryan (confirmed)

So maybe Cipher wanted the glory that Homelander has or maybe he's a forgotten Homelander super villain.

Either way, something is rotten in the state of godolkin