Domino is a small, flat rectangular block used as a gaming object in many different ways. Also known as bones, men, cards, or pieces, dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide and feature a line down the middle that separates each end into two squares. Each of these squares has a number of spots on it—called pips—that determine the value of each domino. Most dominoes are marked with a combination of numbers from one to six. A piece with more pips is considered to be “heavier” than a piece with fewer. The number of pips on a domino can be compared to the rank or weight of a card or die in some games.
A domino effect is a chain reaction that occurs when one object knocks over another and causes the latter to knock over yet more objects, in turn, and so on. The resulting sequence is usually a long, linear pattern. This sort of chain reaction is often referred to as a domino game, and is a popular activity at parties and gatherings. The term is also commonly applied to any situation in which a series of events or actions lead logically to a predictable conclusion, such as the occurrence of a car accident or a terrorist attack.
The word domino originated in France after 1750, although its meaning is a bit obscure. It may refer to a type of hooded cloak worn over a priest’s surplice, or it may have been inspired by the ebony black domino pieces that contrasted with their ivory faces. In any case, it was not until the early 20th century that the word came to be associated with the playing piece.
Unlike dice or playing cards, dominoes are not universally understood, and different variants exist that allow for the creation of many different games. Some are simple, such as drawing a number and adding it to the total of each player; others require strategic planning. The most common game is called double six, in which each player draws a domino with a number between one and six, and then plays it by matching its value to that of any other domino on the table.
After the events of M-Day, Domino teamed with G. W. Bridge to form a mercenary group named Six Pack, which included such members as Anaconda and Hammer. The team was tasked with sabotaging Rumekistan and Cable’s island paradise Providence, but they barely escaped with their lives. Domino later joined X-Force, where she was possessed by the Undying alien Aentaeros and forced to kill her rival Semijan. The experience led to her leaving X-Force, but she rejoined when Pete Wisdom offered to reform the team as a proactive black ops unit.
Domino has the ability to subtly generate a psionic aura that alters probabilities. This can range from making an enemy’s equipment malfunction to causing improbable events to occur within her line of sight. This ability is based on her psychic link to the psionic energy of the planet Jupiter, and can only be activated when she is in danger.