Dominoes

Domino is a family of games in which players place dominoes on end, in long lines. When one domino is tipped over, it causes the others to tip over in a chain reaction. These chains can create very complex shapes, and some people even use them to make artistic arrangements. Dominoes are also used to teach children the principle of cause and effect. This principle states that an action has a larger impact than the original act because it sets in motion a sequence of events with further consequences. Dominoes have been a popular toy for generations, and they have also inspired many creative ideas in literature, music, and film.

Dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide. Each domino features a line in the middle that divides it visually into two squares. The top square is marked with an arrangement of dots, or pips, like those on a die; the bottom square is blank or identically patterned. Each domino’s pips correspond to its rank. For example, a domino with six pips is higher in ranking than a domino with five pips.

The game of domino evolved from a tabletop version of a Chinese strategy game called mahjong. The dominoes were originally made to represent each of the 21 results of throwing two six-sided dice (2d6), so they had no blank faces. The dominoes were arranged with the highest values on the left and the lowest on the right, and each of the four suits had six dominoes. Over time, other sets of dominoes were developed that were designed to fit different gaming needs and preferences.

In the United States, the first commercial dominoes were produced in the mid-1890s. Since then, dominoes have been produced in a variety of materials. Plastic, wood, and polymer are common, but dominoes have also been made from marble, granite, soapstone, other types of stone, metals (e.g. brass or pewter), and ceramic clay. Some traditional European-style dominoes are still manufactured from natural materials. These sets feature the top half thickness of silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother-of-pearl or MOP) or ivory, and a darker lower half of ebony; they are typically more expensive than those made from polymer.

Lily Hevesh began collecting dominoes when she was 9 years old and enjoyed arranging them into straight or curved lines, then flicking the first one to start the chain reaction. Her passion for creating domino art grew into a profession, and she now designs domino layouts for movies, TV shows, and events—including an album launch for pop star Katy Perry. She’s also a YouTube personality with more than 2 million subscribers, and her channel showcases her spectacular domino setups.

Mercenary mutant Domino has been a member of X-Force and worked for the Hong Kong branch of X-Corporation. She’s also fought alongside the time-traveling mutant Cable, and for a while her ally Copycat impersonated her for his father’s new mercenary squadron.

After an insane Scarlet Witch depowered most mutants during the “M-Day” event, Domino recruited X-Force team members Shatterstar and Caliban to liberate mutants sequestered by the Office of National Emergency. Later, she joined Cable’s Six Pack to sabotage Rumekistan and the island paradise Providence.