It's well established that Superman tries to be there for everyone he can during their hour of need, regardless of the circumstance. That can mean showing up as a savior, a hero, a friend… or, as he does for Catwoman, serving the same role as Sandman's Death of the Endless.
Death is with every soul as they pass on; far from an executioner, she is simply the one who takes the deceased to whatever comes next. It's not an easy job, yet it's one that Superman takes on as often as he can.
Catwoman (2018) #61 – by the creative team of Tini Howard, Steffano Raffaele, and Veronica Gandini – finds Superman arriving just after Catwoman uses up one of her nine lives to extract precious corium from a lethally irradiated facility. Although Catwoman has suffered lethal blows before, she's not prepared for a slow, agonizing death from radiation sickness and confesses that she is afraid of going through this pain alone.
Telling her that "it's okay" and "you can rest now," Superman keeps Catwoman company for the last moments of her latest life, helping her to pass on peacefully.
Superman Does The Work of An Endless
While there are many iterations and personifications of the concept of 'death' in the DC Universe, arguably none are as famous as Sandman's Death, the second oldest of the eternal Endless. As the anthropomorphized concept of death itself, her main role is that of psychopomp: the one who guides the transition of a soul from life into death. By virtue of her station, Death is with every soul as they pass on; far from an executioner, she is simply the one who takes the deceased to whatever comes next.
It's not an easy job, yet it's one that Superman takes on as often as he can: for example, in Action Comics #1061, Superman hears a woman dying in an ambulance and, despite knowing he cannot save her life and being en route to another crisis, still wishes to be there for her. In the ultimate act of compassion, Superman does his best to make sure that those dealing with the pain, fear, and ambiguity of death do not have to do so alone – much to Catwoman's relief.
Superman And Death Of The Endless Prove Dying Doesn't Have To Be Scary
In comics, death is often depicted as a monstrous adversary to be conquered (see figures like the Black Racer or Nekron). By contrast, both Death of the Endless and Superman acknowledge the inevitable presence of death at the end of life, and the fear and pain that so often accompany it. Being with a fearful soul during these moments is an act of heroism far greater than punching any supervillain or corrupt businessperson, and by being there for Catwoman in her darkest hour, Superman provides her with company and compassion rivaling that of Sandman's Death herself.
