It's been said that fortune favors the bold. The heroine that's getting the focus here would definitely agree with that statement. Especially since she always seems to have good fortune with her. Of course, I'm talking about Neena Thurman, aka Domino.
Co-created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, Domino first appeared as a cameo in X-Force #8 (March 1992), and then fully appeared in X-Force #11 (June 1992). She supposedly first appeared in New Mutants #98 (February 1991), but that was another character called Copycat impersonating her. The result of a government breeding program in an attempt to create supersoldiers, Domino has enhanced agility and reflexes, but her main power is her 'luck'.
In actuality, her 'luck' is a form of telekinesis. Basically, she subconsciously causes random effects that result in things working out for her. She is also a skilled markswoman, acrobat, and martial artist. Domino has been a mainstay in various incarnations of X-Force over the years. She also has gotten some solo adventures over the years, mainly a couple of miniseries, and a short-lived ongoing in 2018. The comic we're going to look at here is the first issue of her first solo miniseries from 1997.
Fun fact, Neena Thurman was not the first character in the Marvel Universe to go by the name "Domino". Back in various comics in the 80s, several minor supervillains were killed off by a mysterious character known as the Scourge of the Underworld. A man named Dominic Dunsinane [first appearing in Rampaging Hulk #4 (August 1977)] worked as an informant for the Scourge. The two Dominoes are not connected in any way. So, with all of that out of the way, let's look at Domino #1!
The cover is a David Perrin piece. It's pretty good, if a bit basic. It basically shows Domino leaping out at the reader, gun ready to fire. It is a bit fanservicey with the way the uniform clings to her...tracts of land. Like she was vacuum-sealed.
"Rise and Fall"
Writer: Ben Raab
Penciler: David Perrin
Inker: Harry Candelario
Colorist: Joe Rosas
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Comicraft
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras
The story begins with a man playing with dominoes.
He's standing them up, while citing the names of various world leaders throughout history. There is a lesson here this man is trying to show: That all empires fall...like dominoes. The man is Milo Thurman, and he's got a "hyper-developed brain" that allows him to predict events. He reports to a man named Henry Peter Gyrich.
Gyrich is a man who is not unknown to the superhero community. He has worked with the Avengers in the past. He's not interested in Thurman's lessons, just results. Next time that Thurman predicts a major chance in the balance of power, he has to report it to Gyrich. After their meeting concludes, Milo picks up a copy of his favorite book: Dante's Inferno. As he reads, he gets a visitor.
Wait, you say? Isn't this book titled Domino? So, where is our titular character. Well, Miss Neena Thurman's letting her hair down in Carnival.
It's been a long time since our heroine's just been able to relax and enjoy the day. And she's been able to do that here in Brazil. But even a mutant mercenary needs to take a powder. She tries to, but she ends up meeting a little person...with some big whips.
There's a joke in here somewhere... Domino tries to flee from him, but the little guy is actually quite quick. She also seems to know his voice from somewhere. He mentions Cable and the X-Men, and that only makes the super-lucky merc more suspicious. She's able to get his mask off, and it reveals his enhanced face.
...how'd he hide that wannabe Vader mask underneath his jester mask? Anyway, the man's name is Pico. He was shot by Cable in X-Force #14 (September 1992). Domino gives the diminutive cyborg a punch in the mouth and some shuriken for his trouble. She was keeping them in her boots, in case you were wondering. Pico is able to deflect them, and he leaps at Dom. Luck always being on her side, she finds a clothesline and uses it to restrain the cyborg. Pico pleads for Dom to not hurt him, but she doesn't care what he thinks. She wants to know one thing: Who sent him? Another guest makes their appearance, but we don't see who they are quite yet.
Back in the facility Milo is a "guest" at, Henry Peter Gyrich is doing some thinking while on his way to pay Milo another visit. He is pondering about how the world is in greater danger than ever thanks to the seeming deaths of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four (This is a reference to the Onslaught crossover. See my Thunderbolts #1 review to learn more about that). He goes to Milo's cell and has found the man has seemingly decided to go outside.
He demands the computer explain where Milo is. The computer basically tells him he's still in the cell, and Gyrich gave the authorization to release him.
Back to Brazil! Who's the mysterious new voice?
Say hello to Eugene Milton Judd, aka Puck of Alpha Flight! You may remember him from Alpha Flight #1 review. Neena his thrilled to see him, as evidently, the two are old friends. So, what's he doing here in one of South America's most famous countries? That's a secret. By the way, she's going by "Beatrice" these days. A nod to a man she once knew. The "one that got away", as it were. She realizes that Puck isn't here to play catch up. He's been rooting around Department H, and he shows her an image of Milo from earlier.
The sight of Milo cuts Domino deep. You see, Milo was Neena's "one who got away". Puck is understanding. If there's one thing he knows about our lucky merc, it's that she's actually got quite a big heart. That's why Puck's here, to give her a warning. Something's going on in Department H, and Milo's going to be a dead man as a result of it. Yeah, that's not something she's going to brook. Later, we join Domino in the desert as she prepares to infiltrate a government facility.
Yeah, more on her choice of infiltration gear. She makes her way into the base. While she's infiltrating, we get to look inside her mind a bit. It's pretty clear that she still has feelings for Milo, and she's trying to keep her focus. She notices that the base may been compromised based on the entry codes being changed.
Yeah, you'd think that a top-secret military base would regularly change its codes. It's a simple security measure. It's not the only surprise Neena gets here.
These big yellow mechs are called Mandroids (these ones are based on the Mark II design), and they're actually power armors. They've primarily been associated with SHIELD, but considering that this is the Marvel Universe, it could be anyone using these suits. Neena feigns putting down her guns, but then blasts them. The energy blasts from her guns ricochet around the room, but Dom's luck powers protect her from being hit by keeping her moving out of the way. After dispensing the Mandroids, she continues on.
Later, she finds bodies. Lots of bodies. Someone turned this place into a slaughterhouse. The sight of dead bodies is nothing new to Domino (after all, she is a mercenary), but even after her experiences, the stench of death still bothers her. She finds more downed Mandroids...with claw marks on them. The Mandroids' armor is made of titanium, and not much could slice them up. Wolverine could with his claws, but the slash marks are in groups of four, not three.
Domino makes her way to the chamber where Milo was held, and only finds some dominoes...and the copy of Dante's Inferno he had. It's odd that this book is here, as it's his prize possession. He used to read the book to her. It's then that our heroine discovers that she's not alone here, and she's not here to make friends.
Meet Yuriko Oyama, aka Lady Deathstrike. You may be familiar with her if you ever watched the film X2 (played by Kelly Hu) or saw X-Men: The Animated Series (voiced by Jane Luk). And she wants to make our favorite lucky lady into some lucky ribbons.
I enjoyed this comic, to be honest with you. It was neat seeing a look into some of Domino's past. I also liked how she was portrayed in the story, how she does have some cocky swagger. It makes sense. If someone had her skills and powers, that person would feel cocky and invincible, too. The story does show that Domino does have a heart, which I thought was nice. It's easy to portray her as cold and only caring about the money, but this helps show that she's a bit more complex than that. I also did like the slight nod to the events of Onslaught, as it helps show that the universe is interconnected.
The art is pretty good, very clean. I do think it was a bit fan-servicey at times, though. It wasn't much of a problem with the scenes in Brazil, as Domino was there to relax and enjoy Carnaval. Although I thought the suit she wore when infiltrating the base was...an odd choice. I mean, Neena is a professional. I get going to the beach in it, but infiltrating a military base? Yeah. It's not surprising, it was the 90s.
If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback X-Men: Domino. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, and wear a mask! Join me next time when we take another look at the early days of a Nuclear Man...
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