Domino is a word used to describe any of the many games played with small rectangular blocks, each bearing anywhere from one to six dots. In the most basic game, two players compete to lay down the most dominoes on a line. Each piece is usually numbered on its face, and the player who has a matching set of tiles wins. Dominoes can also be stood up in long lines to form intricate patterns, and knocking down a single domino can cause the rest of them to fall over, which gave rise to the term the domino effect, describing how one action can prompt much larger-and sometimes disastrous-consequences.
Domino possesses an uncanny ability to predict the outcome of actions she is involved in. This talent is triggered in stressful situations, such as fights or escape attempts. It is impossible for her to consciously control, and instead manifests as a stream of luck emanating from her body, which can affect the chances of an event occurring. This is similar to the way dice and playing cards work.
The word is derived from the Latin domina, meaning “lord, master.” In English, the term acquired its more common usage around the mid-19th century, when it was used to refer to a cloak worn with a mask at masquerades. The word is related to the French word dominique, which referred to a loose cloak draped over a person’s head in winter.
There are several different types of domino games, but the most popular is the classic block-and-draw game for two players. A standard double-six set consists of 28 dominoes, with each end bearing an arrangement of spots from one to six. The other end is blank, and the tiles are shuffled to form a stack known as the stock (also called the boneyard). Each player draws seven dominoes from the stock, with the first player taking the lead by drawing the lowest-value piece.
Several years later, Domino joined the mutant mercenary group the Six Pack led by Cable, but after a mission in Rumekistan went wrong, the Pack dissolved and Domino went her own way. She later became a member of X-Force, and clashed with Donald Pierce and Lady Deathstrike over their attempt to upload Milo Thurman’s mind to a computer, which Domino stopped at great cost.
When Domino sees someone whose secret identity she knows, she can trigger an uncanny ability to predict the outcome. This is similar to the way dice and cards work, although Domino’s ability is more powerful because it can affect the chance of any event involving her. It is also more participatory, requiring her to engage in an activity whose chance she can influence in order to activate it. During a battle with the Red Hulk, Domino accidentally saw him transform, leading to her collapsing the building they were in, but she survived. This led to Code Red forming a team to hunt her down. They eventually tracked her to a bar in Hell’s Kitchen, where Domino exposed the team’s true identities.