Anole (comics)

Anole
Anole Art by Skottie Young
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	New Mutants vol. 2 #2 (August 2003)
Created by	Nunzio DeFilippis Christina Weir Carlo Barberi
In-story information
Alter ego	Victor "Vic" Borkowski
Species	Human Mutant
Team affiliations	Alpha Squadron training squad New X-Men Xavier Institute X-Men-In-Training Young X-Men Jean Grey School Students X-Men
Abilities	Green scaly skin, Spiked head carapace, Prehensile sticky tongue, Superhuman agility, speed, reflexes/reactions, coordination, balance Wallcrawling, Regenerative Transformation, Camouflage

Anole (Victor Borkowski) is a fictional mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Christina Weir and Nunzio DeFilippis and first appeared in issue #2 of New Mutants vol. 2 (August 2003). A student at the Xavier Institute and junior member of the X-Men, Anole is one of the few openly gay characters in the Marvel Universe. His reptilian mutation grants him superhuman abilities including wallcrawling, a prehensile tongue, and adaptive camouflage.

Initially a supporting character in New Mutants vol. 2 and its relaunched title, New X-Men: Academy X, Weir and DeFilippis intended for the character to commit suicide early in the series after coming out as gay and finding himself rejected by his family and friends. According to the writers, the story was to serve as a message about intolerance. Marvel editors scrapped the story due to concerns about the controversy it might generate. The storyline was rewritten and the character survived. He since became a fan favorite and began to be featured regularly throughout the series and as a main character in subsequent X-Men-related titles, including New X-Men and the short-lived Young X-Men.

Victor Borkowski first appears in New Mutants vol. 2 #2 in August 2003. Christina Weir and Nunzio DeFilippis originally wrote a storyline for New Mutants that was to take place between issues 8 and 10. The plot involved Victor committing suicide after coming out as gay and being rejected by his parents and his friends, serving as "a powerful message about what intolerance can do to people." Due to the controversial subject matter, the storyline was dropped, with Victor coming from an accepting family and .

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