Domino is a generic gaming piece that can be used to play a variety of games. Like playing cards and dice, domino has a long history of use in different cultures. The name of the game itself derives from the Latin dominium, meaning “table of the dice.” The markings on a domino, which are called pips, originally represented the results of throwing two six-sided die.
Dominoes, cousins to playing cards, originated in China in the 1300s and are among the oldest tools for game play. From professional domino game competition to simply setting them up and knocking them over, they offer a wealth of entertainment possibilities as well as tests of patience and skill.
The most common way to play domino is in a two-player game that involves a double-six set. The 28 tiles are shuffled to form a stock or boneyard, and each player draws seven from the stock. The players then place their tiles on-edge so they can see their own values, but their opponents cannot see what is in their hands. The value of a tile is determined by its total pip count.
Players continue to draw and play tiles until one player has no more to play, then the winner is declared. There are many variations of the game, and some can be very complex. There are even games with multiple decks of dominoes.
In modern times, domino has been incorporated into several popular board and table games, including solitaire. It has also been used in a variety of educational activities to teach math, strategy, and problem-solving. Domino has also become an integral part of several forms of improvisational theatre, such as improv comedy and sketch shows.
Domino has been a member of numerous hero groups over the years, from the mercenary team Six Pack to X-Force and X-Men. Her mercenary lifestyle often puts her in the crosshairs of high profile opponents from Stryfe to Mister Sinister. She helped to restructure X-Force on the eve of Earth being overlapped with Reality-295 and assisted Cable in opposing John Sublime’s Third Species mutant organ harvesting movement. Later, she was possessed by the Undying alien Aentaeros, but Cable intervened to remove the alien technology and restore her consciousness.
After a chaotic M-Day, Domino teamed with Shatterstar to liberate sequestered mutants in Rumekistan. She was later recruited by Bridge to join a S.H.I.E.L.D. incarnation of the Six Pack to investigate the messianic Cable after he began affecting change on a global scale. After he lobotomized himself to control his powers, Domino assassinated Flag-Smasher to allow Cable to take over the country, but feared he could return to his previous messianic behavior again. She reunited with him to sabotage his island paradise Providence, and they eventually tracked him to a Swiss safehouse. Domino was forced to kill him as he acted on his alleged prophetic powers. Afterward, she joined forces with Sunspot and Siryn to prevent the cyborg Reavers from exposing the mutant MLF’s medical research facility as part of Operation Zero Tolerance.