The Domino Effect
Domino is a game of skill and strategy. It is a popular family activity and has been enjoyed for over 500 years. Domino is also a term used to describe any chain reaction, or domino effect, where one event influences another. When we think of dominoes, we imagine a long line of them, each tipped ever-so-slightly, that finally tumble down in a satisfying cascade. In physics, the principle of the domino effect is that when one object collides with another at just the right moment, its potential energy carries over to the next item and gives it the extra push it needs to fall.
The most common domino sets are double-six, with 28 tiles. Each tile is divided, visually, by a line or ridge into two squares, with one of them bearing identifying markings and the other blank or identically patterned. This identifier is often called an end, but in some cases the terms pips, dots, and spots are used. The value of each end determines the rank, or weight, of a domino, with higher-ranking tiles having more pips.
In the context of fiction, we can use the notion of a domino to describe the way events in a story influence each other in a predictable way. For example, in a novel, scene dominoes can be thought of as the scenes that advance the information or arguments your characters want to make. When these scene dominoes are set up correctly, they will naturally lead to a conclusion that supports your characters’ point of view.
To set up a domino, you begin with the stock or boneyard, a collection of all the tiles in your set. Each player draws seven tiles from the stock and places them on their domino board. These pieces are arranged in rows of three, with the center piece on the left-hand side of the board. Each player then places his or her tiles in the desired position and begins placing pips. As each domino falls, it paves the way for subsequent ones to be placed, forming a logical, sequential, and repeatable sequence.
A dominanto’s ability to ply her luck is similar to the domino effect. While it is a subconscious talent, she can activate it by putting herself in a situation where her chance of being hurt could be affected. Unlike the domino effect, however, this is not a continuous phenomenon. It only takes place when Domino is actively involved in an action whose chance she can affect.
During her time with X-Force, Domino clashed with the mutants Donald Pierce and Lady Deathstrike when they captured Milo Thurman and attempted to download his mind into a computer. The incident ultimately cost Thurman his life. Later, Domino was contacted by mutant Jesse Aaronson, who sought her help in finding his brother Gryaznova. In exchange for her aid, Jesse offered to use his power to disrupt machinery to disable the implant that controlled Dom’s luck powers. She later joined forces with X-Force and helped train them for a mission in Rumekistan, but was nearly killed by the emotion-manipulating Blockade.