Domino’s psionic powers allow her to affect the laws of probability, shifting odds in her favor. She is also a weapons expert, capable of using her staff to fire projectiles; a superb athlete and martial artist; and an accomplished linguist. Born Neena Thurman, she was subjected to genetic experimentation under the U.S. government’s Project Armageddon. Her mutant powers were activated during the experiment, and she survived. Neena was rescued by a Chicago priest and remained under his care until her powers manifested at age 13. Neena joined the mercenary group Wild Pack (later renamed X-Force) when it was formed, and she became its co-leader. She quit when Pete Wisdom offered to turn the team into a proactive black ops unit and was later possessed by the Undying alien Aentaeros, who wanted to use her to kill its rival Semijan. After regaining control of her own body, she rejoined X-Force and helped Cable restructure the team. She and Cable soon began dating.
Domino was sent undercover to prevent S.H.I.E.L. agent Danielle Moonstar from being exposed by Operation Zero Tolerance. Posing as a camera crew, she and Sunspot infiltrated a research facility, unaware that the facility was actually engaged in anti-mutant experiments. During her mission, Domino disabled a combat droid codenamed Jericho with an electromagnetic pulse, unaware that the device was neurologically controlled by rogue CIA operative Ekatarina Gryaznova. The feedback from the device induced synaptical static, causing Domino’s reaction and reflex speeds to become unstable. Afterward, Domino left the team and returned to freelance work.
Like a domino, a story’s plot works best when the scenes are carefully spaced so that one scene naturally influences the next. The scenes must not be too long or too short—neither can they feel overly detailed and heavy on minutiae, nor do they need to be overly fast-paced, which would cause the reader to lose interest. Instead, they should be the perfect length to tell a single, clear, compelling scene that moves the hero closer to or farther from his goal.
Whether she builds 3-D sections or flat arrangements, Hevesh always begins with the largest dominoes and works her way down to the smaller ones. To make sure the pieces fit together perfectly, she often films her installations in slow motion before putting them on display. She also makes test versions of each section and then tries them out in her backyard to see how they play. When she’s satisfied with the result, she puts it on display. Ultimately, her art is all about the reaction—how she can take something so simple and turn it into an elegant piece that will leave people speechless. It’s a lesson that writers should keep in mind, too. What will your next scene be? The answer lies within. This article was originally published in the November/December issue of Novelist Magazine. For more articles and resources, visit the Novelist Magazine website. Subscribe to the magazine here!