Domino is a small, flat rectangular block used in a game of chance. Dominoes are often set up in careful sequence, and the thrill of a small nudge causing them all to fall is mesmerizing. Dominos can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes, but most are black with an ivory face. The word domino comes from the Latin for “flip.” During an activity called flipping, players place dominoes upside down on a table and then flip them over one by one until they all reach the bottom. Dominoes are also used to illustrate the concept of domino effect, in which a small change can have a large impact.
As a writer, we often use dominoes to describe how events are linked together. For example, in a story, a scene might be a domino that introduces a character or event. The following scenes may build on that information, leading to a conclusion or a twist in the plot. This is how the domino effect works in fiction, but it can be a powerful tool in nonfiction as well.
In fact, dominoes are more powerful than many people realize. Physicists have shown that a row of dominoes can knock over objects up to a thousand times larger than the largest domino piece. This is because dominoes have inertia, which means they resist movement until they get pushed on. Once they do, though, they can cause immense destruction.
The domino effect is also a metaphor for how learning challenges can impact students. Just as the little nudge that knocks over a domino chain can be devastating, so can compensating for a learning challenge over time. Eventually, the student is so overloaded that basic skills begin to suffer. The compensation skills become the dominant force, preventing the student from developing the needed skill.
As a result, they will often not learn as quickly or at all. This can be a major problem, especially for students who are at risk of dropping out of school.
Domino has had her share of dominoes in her life. A career mercenary, she dated fellow mutant Milo Thurman for some time until his death. Afterward, she joined Six Pack and later worked for the Hong Kong branch of X-Corporation. She became an ally of Cable and fought alongside the X-Men. Domino remained with the team after its dissolution, as she was recruited by G. W. Bridge to be a part of a new task force, the 198.
During Operation Zero Tolerance, Domino was captured by a Prime Sentinel named Ekaterina Gryaznova. In retaliation for her attacks on the robot, she implanted Domino with a neural blocker that interferes with her synaptic relays. This reduced her power and coordination, and she has since chosen to abandon X-Force.
However, Domino later returned to the team when she contacted her old friend Jesse Aaronson for help in finding his brother. After defeating Gryaznova, now calling herself “Gryphon,” and her accomplice, Blockade, Aaronson used his technology disrupting powers to deactivate Domino’s implant, allowing her to rejoin the team.