Domino is a mutant with the ability to cause luck to shift around her. This talent is unconsciously controlled and triggered by a stressful situation. This ability is useful for her career as a freelance bounty hunter.
Domino was recruited by X-Corporation to monitor mutant rights violations. She later joined the X-Force.
Origin
The name Domino has strong authoritative undertones. It is used by many businesses and organizations to project a sense of dominance and expertise. Its origin is unclear, but it may be derived from the Latin word dominus or its vocative form, dominie. The term originally referred to a type of monastic hood, then to a hooded masquerade costume worn with a mask, and later to one of the pieces in a domino set.
The sole survivor of a government Super Soldier breeding program, Domino uses her probability-altering powers and combat training to fight for mutant rights and work as a mercenary. Her career has put her in the crosshairs of high profile opponents from Stryfe to Mister Sinister. Domino is also a member of Storm’s security task force, X-Force.
Rules
Some games use a set number of rounds, and the player who has the highest score wins. The winner of the game may also win by accumulating a certain amount of tile points.
Before each game, a player should shuffle the dominoes face down on a flat playing surface, thoroughly mixing them by moving them with his hands. The player to his right or the winner of the previous game usually shuffles for a new hand, but it can be decided by the players themselves.
During the play of the game, the player must match an end of a domino with one in the line of play. If he cannot do so, he draws from the boneyard until he can. This method is called the “set,” “down” or “lead.” A double that can be played on both sides is a spinner.
Materials
Dominoes are made of a wide variety of materials. They can be plastics, metals, wood, or stone. Some are even made out of foam!
Early dominoes were carved from animal bone, often sheep or cattle bone. Craftsmen used thinner pieces of bone affixed to thin pieces of ebony to make the dots, or pips.
The first manmade plastic was invented in 1855. It was called Bois Durci, or “ebony wood hardener.” This material was used to make dominoes as well as chessmen and dice.
In the late 19th century craftsmen switched to tinplate for the production of cheap dominoes. It was much easier to stamp or emboss than the previous material. It also burned easily, leading to cheap domino sets that were distributed for free or for a small fee by tobacco companies.
Variations
Dominoes, also known as bones, cards, or men, are rectangular tiles twice as long as they are wide. Each domino has a line down the middle, dividing it visually into two squares with values of either six spots or blank. These values, also called pips, vary from one tile to another, with a higher value domino being considered “heavier” than a lower-valued one.
The most common game is domino block, in which players alternately extend a line of dominos by adding one matching tile at one of its ends. The winner is the first player to reach a certain number of points, typically 61.
There are many other variations of the game. For instance, you can play domino euchre, which eliminates fixed partnerships and allows the bid winner to choose which suit they want to lead for the hand.
Scoring
Domino is a game of skill and timing. Each player takes turns adding a domino to the line, one side at a time, joining it to a matching domino on its opposite end, counting the dots or pips on each of its sides. A double may be played in more than one way, but a blank counts as zero points.
Players score when their opponents cannot play a domino in their hands and the number of dominoes they hold reaches a certain amount. If the game is blocked (no player has dominoes left in their hand) the winner is determined by a formula based on the number of dominoes held by the other players.
Domino reformed X-Force after an insane Scarlet Witch depowered mutants during “M-Day.” Later, she was hired by Cable to sabotage Rumekistan and Providence, which were being run by Flag-Smasher’s anti-national terrorist group ULTIMATUM.
