The (super)man and the Challenge

A while back I discussed some of the ways to pose a challenge to someone at the Superman level of power: Find someone equally strong, pose an ethical conundrum or present them with a baffling mystery that pure power can’t solve. Well, Commander Benson’s blog reminded me of another option: The emotional challenge.
In World’s Finest #149, Superman has Batman try to uncover his secret identity, just to see how safe it really is. After Batman and Robin succeed, Superman then tries to prove he can do the same to them … and becomes so caught up in it that he starts to neglect his usual duties. Finally the Dynamic Duo let him unmask them just so that he’ll get over it.
Or consider Superman Family #184 (this was a catchall book featuring Supergirl, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen when DC realized the Superman name would sell them better than their own reputation). In the cover story the Prankster, a minor-league Super-foe, defies Superman to stop him from committing a crime wave. The crimes turn out to involve still-on-the-books laws such as “You can’t catch pigeons in a cemetery” or “No putting pennies on your ears in downtown Honolulu”; when Superman tries to bust the Prankster for the letter, he’s subjected to so much mockery from bystanders (“We’re putting in pennies too—gonna arrest us as well?”) that he snaps and takes out a wall before recovering himself.
What strikes me about both stories is that emotional challenges are usually big: The dramatic moment where the hero has to choose between love or duty, or contemplate giving up his career or making some other major turning point. And just as power levels inflate over time, so does the level of melodrama, until it inflates beyond anything I can connect with.
These stories, on the other hand, are petty little things. Stupid, silly moments were Superman just does something dumb and human. It doesn’t change the character or his world, but it does make for interesting reading.
I thought I had another angle on this approach to mention, but it seems to have slipped my mind. If I remember what it was, I’ll let you know.