Domino is a term used to describe a small piece of wood or other rigid material that can be positioned so that when it falls, it triggers an ongoing chain reaction that can grow and spread to an immense size. While dominoes are often associated with the board game that involves stacking a line of them in long, parallel rows until one of them gets tipped, they can also be used to create more complex shapes and designs that aren’t limited to a single straight line. This type of design is referred to as a domino sculpture or installation. The process of creating these artistic structures requires a great deal of skill and knowledge about the way the pieces interact with each other. The most important element is understanding how to apply the principle of domino.
The first domino in a sequence is known as the starting domino or the apex. This is the domino that must fall to initiate the whole process and the one that must touch every other domino in the row in order for them all to topple over. Once the apex is set, then the rest of the dominoes can be placed according to their specific placement rules in the row. Some of these are based on the value of the pieces (such as a double-six set). The most common domino is made out of wood or plastic, but others are made from materials such as glass, metals, and even ceramic clay.
Hevesh’s largest domino installations can take several nail-biting minutes to fall, and she has even been featured in the Guinness World Records book for creating a circular arrangement of 300,000 dominoes. Despite being so intricate, her most effective trick is actually one of the simplest: gravity. “Gravity is the main thing that makes my projects possible,” she says. “A domino that hits the ground is going to be pulled toward Earth, and that pull causes the next one in the row to come crashing down.”
After an insane Scarlet Witch depowered the majority of mutants during “M-Day,” Domino reformed X-Force with Shatterstar and Caliban in a bid to liberate mutants sequestered by Malcolm Colcord’s clandestine Weapon X program. Later, she joined up with Cable to track down the traitorous Weapon X agent Brent Jackson and assist him in opposing the ancient mutant-devouring Skornn entity. She later helped investigate the mercenary organization of Grizzly and Hammer before joining forces with her former Six Pack partners in investigating Cable when his powers began to spiral out of control.
While there are many ways to create a domino effect, it is crucial to consider the impact of every action. The same is true of our actions in the real world. It is up to each and every one of us to be the dominoes that bring attention to the issues that affect marginalized groups, but it’s important not to do this alone. We must be joined by others who desire and work for change in order for those dominoes to fall.