Okay, so the fact that the archmage is a pathetic opponent makes logical sense, as he's trying to fight his own mind control. The problem is, of course, that there's no tension, because, as stated above, he's a pathetic opponent.

I noticed that Dominic called Luna's illusion an "old-school" spell. This seems to be Mookie saying, "See guys? I'm returning back to what made the comic good! I can still write battles that aren't just beam spams!" Sorry, Mookie, but it still doesn't work. You missed the main point that you need to have threatening antagonists in order to make your comic interesting.