Domino is a game in which players place dominoes in lines, and the first one to knock down all of them wins. This popular game also has many variations, and the dominoes can be used to form other shapes such as a circle or a grid. Dominoes can be used to create artwork and are often sold in sets.
The word domino comes from a Latin phrase meaning “I dominate.” The word can also refer to a person who has dominance over another. In fiction, the term can also refer to a chain reaction that causes something else to happen, like a domino effect.
A domino is a flat thumb-sized rectangular block with a face that is divided into two parts, each bearing from one to six dots or pips. Each domino has an identifying number or symbol on one side, and the other side is blank or identically patterned. A complete set of dominoes consists of 28 pieces. Dominoes are also called bones, cards, tiles, or spinners.
During her time with X-Force, Domino was involved in conflict with the mutants Donald Pierce and Lady Deathstrike over Kwannon’s body. Later, she helped to resurrect Jean Grey, and she encountered the mutant assassin Blockade, whom she wounded. She was also a victim of a mind wipe by the High Evolutionary, but she recovered her memories and rejoined X-Force.
After a run in with the Prime Sentinel Ekaterina Gryaznova, Domino was implanted with a neural blocker that interfered with her synaptic relays and shortened her power and coordination. She fought back against the implant, but was unable to stop it from shorting out, and she was captured by Gryaznova for her troubles. Jesse Aaronson, who has a similar ability to disrupt machinery, cured Domino by using his powers to disable the neural blocker. Domino and Aaronson subsequently joined X-Force again, but she was later possessed by the malevolent spirit Aentaros and compelled to kill her former teammate Randall Shire. Cable ultimately defeated Aentaros and the Undying, but Domino was rendered powerless by the process.
The Domino Effect
When a domino is set up in a certain way, it can trigger an almost-impossible chain reaction that can cause large objects to topple over. Scientists have even studied this phenomenon, and a 1983 study published in the journal Nature demonstrated that the domino effect is actually more powerful than people usually realize. The Domino Effect is a useful analogy to consider when writing fiction, whether you’re a pantser who doesn’t make a detailed outline ahead of time or a plotter who uses Scrivener to help you keep your scenes on track.
The idea is that you want each scene to impact the next one in a compelling way, just as each domino should knock over the ones on either side of it. Taking this into account can help you avoid scenes that don’t make sense or don’t have enough tension.