Magar the Mystic

Origin

 
Magar the Mystic was once a regular human being, born in Nantes France. His real name remains unknown. He was at some point trained in the use of magic. The extend of his original mystic skills is uncertain. By the late 19th century, he was active as the heroic "Great Magar", defending the interests of France and its colonial empire around the globe. In the 1890s, Magar visited Egypt (a British Protectorate) and disappeared without a trace. 
 
Magar had actually went into the "unexcavated deserts of Egypt" in search of the "ancient tombs of the Pharaohs". He somehow sealed himself into the tombs and spend years studying the magic secrets contained there. He emerged from the tombs in 1940, having gained the power to summon the ghosts of specific people. He could summon the great men and women of human history to assist him in his missions.   

Return to the modern world

Magar at first felt disoriented in a world much different than the one he had left. His mystic senses alerted him to "misery blanketing the world" and wars spreading out over its surface. He summoned the ghost of Solomon, King of Israel (reigned c. 971-931 BC) but directions on what to do. Solomon instructed him to concentrate his efforts in preventing the world from being destroyed. Magar soon teleported himself to various warfronts. But soon focused his attention on the Maginot Line, the line of concrete fortifications separating France from Germany. He found the French Forces attacked by the Luftwaffe (German air force).  
 
Magar summoned the ghost of Mata Hari (1876-1917) to learn what is going on. She immediately informed him that the Germans were preparing a Blitzkrieg (German: Lightning War), an assault of overwhelming force at high speeds to break through enemy lines. Magar dashed through no man's land at superspeed to reach the French lines and notify them of the approaching attacks. He proved invulnerable to artillery shells exploding all around him and managed to outrun those directly targeting him. Unfortunately for him, Magar was still disoriented and was actually running towards the German lines. 
 
A group of German soldiers managed to subdue Magar and chained him to a post. The soldiers were killed moments later by a French bomber. Unharmed but still trapped, Magar summoned the ghost of Harry Houdini (1874-1926) to free him. Finally, Magar was able to reach the French lines and alert them of the attack. The French commander recognized the name Magar but had trouble comprehending how the 19th century heroe had not aged in fifty years.  
 
When the attack did start, Magar figured that the French Forces could use better leadership. He summoned the ghosts of Napoleon I, Emperor of France (1769-1821, reigned 1804-1814, 1815) and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852) to lead the French Forces. But the old generals soon figured out that the problem wasn't in leadership. The French forces simply didn't have enough manpower to win. So Magar called a third hero forward, Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), the master inventor.  
 
Edison first interfered with enemy communications to the point of bringing down the entire German communication system. Then created another device to "destroy all bullets and explosives in midair". With the German forces disabled, Magar forced the enemy soldiers to surrender with no further bloodshed. He lectured them on the necessity of returning the land grabbed from "small, defenseless countries" and relinquishing their government and armies to "those who would preserve democracy on Earth". 
 
Magar then allowed the gosts of Solomon, Mata Hari, Houdini, Napoleon, Wellington, and Edison to return to the afterlife. This was his only recorded adventure.  

Abilities

 Magar probably had extensive mystical training, but his focus on Necromancy has prevented him from using other mystical powers. His main power is the ability to summon ghosts from the afterlife to assist him in missions. He can only summon specific people, not entire armies and relies on their special skills. The spirits can only remain in the world of the living for a relatively short amound of time. Presumably less than 24 hours.  
 
Magar is virtually invulnerable to physical harm. Artillery shells and aerial bombs failed to injure even when exterminating everyone around him. He can teleport with relative ease across continents. A teleportation trail from Egypt to China was among his first activities in 1940. He then teleported from China to France. He has also demonstrated super speed, estimated to be able to run at the speed of 100 miles per hour (160.93 kilometers per hour).  
 
Magar probably has superhuman strength. His Handbook entry estimates him able to lift at most 5 tons. However has proved unable to break through chains and has been subdued by sufficiently determined normal humans. He might have the capacity for physical combat but not sufficient training or experience in this field. 
 
A limitation special to Magar has to do with his background as a living relic. He is a 19th century man living in the mid-20th century. He is unfamiliar with technological, societal or political changes taking place between the 1890s and the 1940s. Even aircrafts seem a novelty in his eyes.  

Notes

 
The Maginot Line was constructed in the 1930s to serve as the main defense line of France against a new German attack. It was named after Andre Maginot (1877-1932), the politician who campaigned for its construction. The line was intended as a partial solution to the manpower shortages faced by France following World War I. The French casualties had resulted in much fewer males available for combat service in case of a new war. The line was supposed to stop enemy attacks even from superior and buy time for mobilization efforts.  
 
The line consisted of " an intricate system of strong points, fortifications, and military facilities such as border guard posts, communications centres, infantry shelters, barricades, artillery, machine gun, and anti-tank gun emplacements, supply depots, infrastructure facilities, observation posts, etc." The defensive lines had a depth of several kilometers, so even if the first line fell, the enemy forces would have to keep fighting.  
 
The original design of the Maginot Line only included the then-current French-German borders. The French-Belgian borders were ignored as the there present Forest of the Ardennes was considered able to stall enemy movements. An expansion of the Line to the French-Belgian border started in 1936 but was not completed and was of inferior quality to other areas of the Line. During World War II, the Nazi German forces opted to bypass the Maginot Line completely and invade through the Forest of the Ardennes. The German infantry indeed had trouble moving through the Forest but a force of 41,000 Germans tanks was directed to lead the attack. 
 
The German forces managed to successfully pass through the Forest, breaking through the ill-equipped Allied forces placed there. The Battle of France started on May 10, 1940. By June 14, 1940, Paris itself fell and the Germans were able to deploy troops behind the still heavily-defended Maginot Line. Within a week, the Line had been surrounded by German forces from all sides and some of its weaker spots had already fell. The new French government signed the Second Armistice of Compiegne (June 22, 1940), effectively acknowledging German victory. With no further hope of support the rest of the Maginot Line surrendered within days of the Armistice.