Max Verstappen 19

Max was born in a small town near Rouen, France, with a severe facial deformity. Rejected by his own mother and society, he ran away from home at a young age. For years, he traveled the world with freak shows and worked as an illusionist, architect, and artist in places like Persia and the Ottoman Empire. On these travels, he amassed a vast fortune and learned dark arts, torture techniques, and advanced architecture.

Looking for a place to hide from the world forever, Max returned to Paris. Thanks to his incredible creative talents, he was secretly hired as one of the contractors and architects to work on the foundations of the Opéra Garnier. While working on the building's excavations, Max took advantage of the Opera House's gigantic design to secretly construct his own refuge: He created hidden passageways, trapdoors, and double walls throughout the theater. He designed a luxuriously furnished underground house, located beyond the enormous underground artificial lake that was built beneath the stage.

Once construction was finished, Max simply moved in. Knowing every corner of the building better than anyone, he could move around unseen, fueling the myth that the theater was haunted. From that moment on, he began blackmailing the theater's directors, demanding a monthly salary of 20,000 francs and exclusive use of Box 5, thus ensuring his privacy and his life as the "Phantom of the Opera."

Name: Max Nickname: The Phantom of the Opera Age: between 30-40 Place of Birth: France Social class: Middle Family members: Unknown First year of appearance: 1910 First Musical: 1986

Little is known about the Phantom of the Opera, a being who lurks in the cellars of the Palais Garnier opera house. His face is never fully visible; he wears a mask that covers half of his face, specifically his right side. He always has his black hair neatly styled and wears striking, elegant attire.