sci-fi versions, for sure.

The lich was inside a mirror, holding someone enthralled such that his ideas could never change. Moonicurn fought the lich to a standstill, freeing the persons mind.

The Dragon was black ice, effectively a hacking countermeasure. The Mogul was a hacker and had to get past the Dragon to get access to tasty, tasty data.

These came about not due to setup, but as a result of what we want after.