I am always alarmed at the number of villains who seem to have some connection to archaeology. Are there an equal number of archaeology related heroes in CO? I mean, it's bad enough that bumbling archaeologists in movies release horrors on the world (and the guys like Indy are not great archaeology role models, though they are certainly heroic)! We don't need to have these outmoded stereotypes in this game
Perseus, Captain Arcane, Tectonic Knight, Pankration, Siberiad, Sekhmet, Black Seraph, Clockwork
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The closest to an heroic archaeologist I can remember who's still active is Aric Roston Rhodes, a famous "explorer of the unknown," who's part adventurer, part self-promoter (he has his own very popular cable television show). He's not superhuman per se, but an exceptionally competent all-around explorer, investigator, monster hunter, and the like. I'd have to dig around to try to find more.
For full write-ups, the Slug's in Champions Villains Volume One: Master Villains, Bloodstone and Tartarus in Volume Two: Villain Teams, and the other villains mentioned are written up in Volume Three: Solo Villains. Aric Roston Rhodes (he always uses all three names) is detailed in Champions Universe.
I did think of one relatively benevolent person from the setting who kind-of fits, but it's not simply that he studies or practices archaeology, but more that he IS archaeology.
Dr. Ibrahim Khalseran: When the Nazis unearthed this Egyptian priest-magician’s tomb, they awoke the mummified priest, who expressed his dislike of graverobbers quite forcefully. He eventually created the identity of Dr. Khalseran and found work in the Egyptian National Museum. Khalseran doesn’t look for trouble, but he protects the museum — and the legacy from his era — with a terrifying array of curses. Mystics who need to learn about ancient Egypt’s magic... can find no better teacher than Dr. Khalseran. (Preceding paragraph quoted from The Mystic World p. 60.)
There are many still undiscovered tombs in Egypt. I wonder if he patrols the countryside at all?
Repatriation of artifacts is, of course, a hot topic these days. I wonder how Dr. Khalseran feels about legally excavated (though under colonial regimes) and plundered artifacts in foreign (e.g. European and American) museums? Is he proactive about getting artifacts back to Egypt? I could see that someone from the pharaonic world might not feel bound by modern property laws and treaties.
The part of the paragraph about Dr. Khalseran that I excised mentions Dr. Ka as one of the mystics who might be motivated to consult him about the legacy of Egyptian magic, since that's the source of Ka's own power. Other than that, though, there's no more information about Khalseran than what I transcribed. He's suggested as a potential NPC contact for PCs, not as a fully developed character. He's to be used as a Game Master sees fit. As for getting along with Dr. Ka, I expect that would be affected by how devout Dr. Khalseran is toward his gods -- he was a priest, after all. Dr. Ka hates the gods generally for their overall callousness toward mortals, and particularly the gods of Egypt for manipulating his family for generations.
Although Ibrahim Khalseran "doesn't look for trouble," the activities you suggest could fall within the parameters of, "protects... the legacy from his era." I understand your point about him maybe not respecting modern laws in that area, but if so he's sure to be discreet about it. He's had over seventy years of experience with how we do things.
Maybe the curator of the MC Museum will turn out to be a closet super as well
MacDonald had twin sons, but his marriage was strained by meddling by the Egyptian gods in how they were raised, and conflicts between the gods and Earthly mystics over the boys' future. One of the boys was secretly touched with malevolence by Set. That and other developments led the MacDonalds to divorce in 1952, and Robert disappeared two years later.
The boys were trained in magic by the gods, but the one tainted with evil became leader of Set's cultists on Earth, calling himself Serpentine. (Ironically, Osiris' intervention may have created the very menace he feared.) His brother became an heroic super mage, Dr. Scarab. Dr. Scarab ultimately killed Serpentine, but the evil sorcerer had fathered a son, the future Dr. Ka, whom Scarab rescued from the cultists and gave up for adoption. He was given the name Khalid Harris.
When Khalid was a teenager Osiris revealed to him his true history and destiny. Khalid reluctantly agreed to magical training, but resented his family being used this way. His resentment boiled over when he learned Dr. Scarab had died fighting Takofanes when the Archlich first arose, and the gods did nothing to help him. Khalid renounced all involvement with Osiris and all gods, moved to Vibora Bay, and took the identity of Dr. Ka.
(The above summarized from Dr. Ka's back story in Vibora Bay, where he's written up. Dr. Twilight also gets a full write-up in Golden Age Champions.)
Ma'at is fully written in Champions Worldwide, the primary book dealing with super activities outside the United States. Considering their activities overall, the Egyptian gods have been among the most active in the modern world of all the mythic pantheons.