Few Marvel superheroes have friends in high places quite like the X-Men. Despite being hated and feared by humanity, Marvel's mutants have some truly powerful friends. From some of Marvel's most iconic heroes to several former enemies, the X-Men know exactly who to call when they're in trouble. The X-Men's biggest superhero allies are those who can not only them on an emotional level, but have sufficient power to them in battle.

For this list, we're looking at the characters and groups who repeatedly back up the X-Men in the comics, rather than just regular superhero s like Doctor Strange or the Incredible Hulk. Likewise, we won't be including X-Men spin-off teams like the New Mutants or X-Force, since Marvel tends to consider those groups as part of the X-Men, even if some incarnations are closer to the main group than others.

12 The X-Men Have an Uneasy Alliance with the Morlocks

First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #169 by Chris Claremont, Paul Smith, Bob Wiacek, Bob Sharen, and Tom Orzechowski

Once nicknamed the Drain Dwellers, the Morlocks consist of disenfranchised and outcast mutants forced underground, largely due to being visibly mutated such that they can't as human. When discovered by the X-Men, the mutant super-team did all in their power to try and help the Morlocks' living situation, even offering a place on the surface to live. When no one else would accept the Morlocks or so much as look in their direction, the X-Men were there for them.

While the X-Men have clashed with the Morlocks in the past, in modern comics they've become valuable allies, with Morlock warrior Marrow even ing the X-Men. During the Krakoan Era, the X-Men finally became one with the Morlocks, using their tunnels when mutantkind came under attack by Orchis. After the fall of the mutant nation, the Morlocks have been offering safe haven to mutants in need over in NYX.

11 The Starjammers Are Literally Family to the X-Men

First Appearance: X-Men #107 by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum, Dan Green, Andy Yanchus and Joe Rosen

It's hard for the X-Men not to have some sort of connection with the Starjammers when they're led by the father of the X-Men's leader, Cyclops. Before the Starjammers' captain was Corsair, he was Christopher Summers, fathering both Cyclops and Havok. The Starjammers are smugglers and freedom fighters who have often helped out the X-Men when Marvel's mutants find themselves in space.

Major of the Starjammers include supertrong Ch'od, cyborg Raza, and cat-like alien Hepzibah, who has served on both the X-Men and X-Force. X-Men including Polaris and Corsair's son Havok have ed the Starjammers in return, helping to fight against Cyclops and Havok's long-lost evil brother Vulcan.

10 Ka-Zar

First Appearance: X-Men #10 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Chic Stone and Sam Rosen

Effectively the superpowered Tarzan of Marvel, Ka-Zar has made a name for himself as a solo hero, but he's also one of the X-Men's earliest allies. An unexpected trip to the Savage Land had the mutant squadron running into a mysterious jungle man, who helped rescue the kidnapped Jean Grey. The mission created an unbreakable friendship with the X-Men. Since then, Ka-Zar has helped out the X-Men when they find themselves in the Savage Land, including allying with Rogue during her time trapped in the dinosaur-infested jungle.

The X-Men and Ka-Zar share enemies in Savage Land-based threats including Sauron and the High Evolutionary, leading to many team-ups and consultations. While Ka-Zar was once just an athletic human, today he can tap into the properties of the Savage Land's flora and fauna, lending him dinosaur-tier strength and other wild abilities.

9 Captain America Is a True Ally to the X-Men and Mutantkind

First Appearance: Captain America Comics #1 by Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, Al Liederman and Howard Ferguson

During the events of Avengers vs X-Men, Cyclops accused Captain America of ignoring the plight of mutantkind, with Steve Rogers arguing that he'd been trying to the X-Men's autonomy. However, in the years since, it's become clear that Cyclops' words cut deep. Shortly after AvX, Cap launched the Avengers Unity Squad - an Avengers spin-off team dedicated to improving relations between humans and mutants.

Steve has recruited many different mutants to the Avengers, and he personally fought for mutantkind when Orchis framed the X-Men for a series of terrorist attacks, even calling a press conference to announce his for the X-Men when they were at their most hated and feared. Captain America wasn't always the X-Men's biggest er, but in the last decade, he's shown that he's dedicated to mutant rights.

8 Deadpool Is Basically the X-Men's Biggest Fan

First Appearance: New Mutants #98 by Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza, Steve Buccellato and Joe Rosen

Despite not being a mutant, Deadpool is obsessed with the X-Men, and takes every opportunity to up with them. Deadpool has worked with X-Force, the Weapon X-Men, the Uncanny Avengers, and even took a job as Dazzler's bodyguard, all while maintaining major friendships with Wolverine, Cable and Domino. He's also made a habit of creating X-Men-adjacent costumes to throw on whenever Marvel's mutants let him hang out with them, even though he's only ever risen as high as probationary hip. Even if Wade Wilson did not have a healing factor of his own, Deadpool would take a bullet for any X-Men if necessary.

7 Spider-Man Is Basically an Honorary X-Men Member

First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy #15 by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Stan Goldberg and Artie Simek

Spider-Man has a long history with the X-Men, and was even offered a place on the roster by Professor X the first time he met the team. Perhaps because he tends to be met with hostility by the general public, Spider-Man has always had a soft spot for the mutant team, fighting alongside them against a host of villains (most recently in their shared crossover Dark Web.) Spider-Man finally became officially d with the team after he was asked to teach young mutants at the Jean Grey School, where Wolverine was heaster.

Charles Xavier pops the big question to Spider-Man in 1966's X-Men #27 by Roy Thomas, Werner Roth, Dick Ayers and Sam Rosen.

More recently, Spider-Man helped Nightcrawler hide out by lending him an old costume to patrol New York as the Uncanny Spider-Man, and has cultivated a unique friendship with Wolverine, with the two having a standing arrangement for Logan to spend his birthday with Peter Parker every year.

6 Gateway Is Always There at the X-Men's Lowest Moments

First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #229 by Chris Claremont, Marc Silvestri, Dan Green, Glynis Oliver and Tom Orzechowski

Once upon a time ago, Gateway was unlawfully held captive by the Reavers, who abused his teleportation powers to fuel their power-hungry plans. When hope for his freedom seemed lost, it was the X-Men who came to his aid. To repay their kindness, Gateway began volunteering his services to the X-Men, using his teleportation powers to send them around the world, across space, and even into other dimensions. The powerful teleporter has become a vital resource to the X-Men, and Gateway has found himself helping out the Marauders, X-Force, and the X-Treme X-Men in the same manner.

5 S.W.O.R.D. Became the X-Men's Space Team

First Appearance: Astonishing X-Men #3 by Joss Whedon, John Cassaday, Laura Martin and Chris Eliopoulos

Standing for the Sentient World Observation and Response Department, S.W.O.R.D. was originally introduced as a subdivision within S.H.I.E.L.D., but later gained independence. Led by the callous Abigail Brand, S.W.O.R.D. started out as an enemy of the X-Men, ing the villainous Ord of the Breakworld in developing a 'Cure' for mutant powers. However, Brand later became an ally to the team, even employing X-Men's Beast, with who she began a romantic relationship.

When Brand felt that Earth's superheroes weren't ing S.W.O.R.D., she turned the agency over to the X-Men and the mutant nation of Krakoa, helping to turn them into galactic operators. Brand also aided the X-Men in accessing the impossible metal known as Mysterium, which stabilized the galactic economy and enabled them to fight back against Orchis. While Brand later betrayed Marvel's mutants, S.W.O.R.D. as a whole went from ing mutantkind's enemies to being a mutant-owned operation. Major of S.W.O.R.D. include:

• Frenzy - A superstrong mutant employed as the ambassador extraordinary for Earth.
• Wiz Kid - A genius engineer who can psionically control machinery.
• Manifold - A god-tier teleporter trained by Gateway.
• Khora of the Burning Heart - A covert assassin who can boost the powers of others.

4 Excalibur Kept the X-Men's Legacy Intact

First Appearance: Excalibur Special Edition #1 by Chris Claremont, Alan Davis, Paul Neary, Mark Farmer, Glynis Oliver and Tom Orzechowski

Today, Excalibur is essentially considered an X-Men spin-off team, so close have the two groups become over the years. However, Excalibur first formed when the X-Men were believed dead, with surviving Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde looking for a new home and sense of purpose. They found it in the UK, working with Captain Britain to keep Xavier's dream alive. Eventually, the X-Men returned, but by that time, Excalibur had become one of Marvel's closest (and most dysfunctional) teams.

The "Mutant Massacre" arc forced Excalibur to step up in the X-Men's absence, and their success earned the original team's enduring respect. Major Excalibur heroes include:

• Brian Braddock's Captain Britain - A hero empowered by Merlin as a member of the multiversal Captain Britain Corps.
• Gloriana - A shapeshifting mutant who can adapt to any situation.
• Widget - A teleporting robot containing the consciousness of an alt-reality Kate Pryde.
• Betsy Braddock's Captain Britain - A mutant hero who opposed the UK government's aggression towards Krakoa.

3 Alpha Flight Love the X-Men, Even If Their Bosses Don't

First Appearance: X-Men #120 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Terry Austin, Glynis Wein and Tom Orzechowski

Alpha Flight exist as a super-team of heroes gathered by the Canadian government, specifically Department H. While Department H itself often has dark plans for mutantkind - in fact, Wolverine himself has met the full fury of Department H on more than one occasion - the of Alpha Flight are true heroes who will risk their lives or face imprisonment to help the X-Men. While the two groups fought the first time they met, they quickly built an alliance, and they've been intertwined ever since.

Most recently, Alpha Flight faked taking an anti-mutant stance in order to save mutants who were targeted by Orchis, ending up imprisoned as a result. Several Alpha Flight such as Puck, Northstar and Aurora have ed X-Men off-shoot teams. Key of Alpha Flight include:

• Guardian - Canada's national hero, who gains superstrength and flight from a cybernetic suit.
• Sasquatch - A towering powerhouse who combines Hulk's gamma energy with a mystical curse.
• Snowbird - A goddess who can take the form of any animal native to Canada.