In their 140 or so issue existence, the reality-hopping Exiles came up against some pretty formidable foes. In a bid to try and get a friend to read the original Exiles series, I decided to attempt to whet their appetite by teasing some of the awesome enemies the team fight with a "Top 5 Exiles Villains" list. Before I even start, it's worth noting I pretty quickly felt overwhelmed after I ticked off the first few obvious choices when I began to realise the Exiles actually had a fairly cool rogues gallery. I'll mention some of the ones I didn't include first: Tanaraq, Proteus, the All-New Exiles, Maestro, the Wolverines, Holocaust and Chris Claremont. Now, what follows is who I consider to be the most interesting, entertaining and deadliest bunch of bastards the Exiles ever came up against!

5. HYDRA

After having just riled on Chris Claremont for his devastating killing blow to the Exiles title, it seems hypocritical to start off the list with one of his contributions. But the matter of fact is, after all the annoying Psylocke fanwankery, one of Claremont's first stories did debut a pretty cool villain. The Exiles, or as they were practically then known "Psylocke and the Exiles", wound up going to a universe were HYDRA was super-prominent and run by Susan Storm; the Invisible Woman! Sue made an awesomely seductive and menacingly evil Madame Hydra with Wolverine as her lover/lapdog. She even succeeded in converting half of the Exiles to HYDRA's ranks. A real cool and sexy villainess and an interesting take on a classic character, Claremont even kept bringing her back again and again later on in his run but that was by the time that nobody cared about the Exiles anymore.

4. Avengers Forever

A short stand-alone two-parter somewhere around the middle of the Exiles book saw the Exiles go to a world where the Avengers were all vampires. This was before everyone was sick of vampires and it was still pretty darn cool to see an alternate world where the Avengers were villains. Also, Polaris was an Avenger which sure was an interesting tweak to the otherwise classic Avenger line-up presented. As well as being blood-thirsty monsters, they also wore hideous costumes poking fun at the 90s. What more could you want from an Avengers team? They were sufficiently scary and a decent "villain-of-the-week" threat to the Exiles.

3. Magik

Calling Magik a villain is pushing it a lot in my opinion, however she was my favorite Exiles character so I felt her inclusion was necessary if just for that. Magik joined the Exiles not long after the above vampire story and her attitude was radically different from her fellow team-mates. She was pretty quick to kill if it would accomplish the team's mission and locked horns with Mimic and the other Exiles regularly. Despite this, she was shown to have motivation and feelings driving these actions and the times she wasn't back-stabbing the team to accomplish a mission we got to see another softer side to her, particularly the moments she shared with Morph.

2. Weapon X

Part of me feels that they belong at the #1 spot, Weapon X were the "evil Exiles" in as few words as possible. They were a consistent enemy to the Exiles from the start of the series and had some really awesome moments - including about 10 issues that they actually headlined! The roster changed a few times but a few of the cooler characters stuck around for the long run. There was the Spider (a sadistic Carnage-bonded Spider-Man), eventual Exile Sabretooth, a creepy version of the Vision, every girl's fantasy in a Gambit, a half-robot Deadpool and an awesome slutty Ms. Marvel (who I almost wanted to give a whole separate spot to!). Not all the characters in Weapon X were "evil", the team were simply a more looser-on-the-morals version of the Exiles. Of course, the team only became more of a threat when they were joined by...

1. King Hyperion

A purely loathsome and evil character, King Hyperion started off a member of Weapon X and soon transcended the team and after various cases of him commiting mass murder he wound up an Exiles enemy in his own right. A ridiculously powerful foe, every time the Exiles fought him it seemed as if they simply couldn't beat him. Not only that, but the body count the character racked up across his time in the title is second to none. He killed the population of whole planets, not to mention several Exiles and even Weapon X members. Hyperion was a genuinely terrifying threat to the Exiles and the entire multi-verse. Marvel seem to have noticed that he was a pretty good villain and painstakingly tried to introduce him to the main universe recently and have, in my opinion, completely failed. Reading the Exiles, to think this guy would ever end up as a brief member of the Thunderbolts is insane.

5. Spider-Man got off pretty easy

I suppose this one is more of an observation than a "Loose end" (so an awful one to open up on, eh?) but Norman Osborn is a Spider-Man enemy first and foremost. Anyone who tells you otherwise is, to be polite, a gigantic idiot. So when the former Green Goblin gets elected to power surely one of his top priorities would be to make the wall-crawler's life a living hell? Seems to be that wasn't the case. After one story in Spider-Man's title, dealing with Osborn's relationship with his son more than anything else, that was it for Dark Reign and Spider-Man. Osborn had all these resources at his disposal and he spent them on hunting and making every other heroes life a living hell. The weirdest thing? While Marvel was publishing Dark Reign titles, Amazing Spider-Man (which published 3 issues a month at this time) entered a big ongoing storyline titled The Gauntlet where Spider-Man faced an onslaught of his enemies. Common sense in the writer's room must've took a field day, since Osborn had absolutely no hand in the orchestration of the seemingly random events and attacks on Spider-Man whatsoever.

4. Paladin has Odin's Spear stashed away somewhere

The Thunderbolts and the Mighty Avengers titles were sadly sidelined during Siege because they weren't written by Bendis. They offered a superfluous tale far more exciting than the main event with the Avengers squaring off with the Thunderbolts for Gungnir, the Spear of Odin - an item that not only could kill Thor but would've swayed Siege in Osborn's favor. So, we had all these epic and awesome moments going on in those titles as the Avengers fought with the Thunderbolts for possession of Gungnir and in the end Team Thunderbolt won! But thankfully, the possessors of the spear were Paladin and Ant-Man who were two of few decent folk amidst Osborn's reign. The story ended with Paladin going into hiding with Gungnir in tow and allegedly becoming the most hunted man on Earth. So imagine our surprise when he pretty sharply returned during Shadowland and went on to become a lead cast member in Heroes for Hire with absolutely no mention of Gungnir whatsoever. Particularly in the climate of Fear Itself and the Fearless where Asgardian relics and weaponry were such a hot topic, it seems baffling that Paladin apparently still has Gungnir hidden away and hasn't thought to do something with it. Even when Heroes for Hire had several tenuous Fear Itself tie-in issues!

3. Where the hell were the Dark X-Men?

Remember the Dark X-Men? They were like the Dark Avengers' unpopular ugly cousins. After a line-up change that shed Namor, Emma Frost, Cloak and Dagger and Daken (who apparently couldn't simultaneously be a member of two teams at the same time unlike his dad) - we were left with a four-piece who starred in the Dark X-Men miniseries. The series ended on a grim note with Mystique, Mimic and Omega regretting the bleak end to their first adventure (Dark Beast didn't really care) and that was the last we ever saw of the Dark X-Men. It was puzzling since when it came to Siege, Osborn made no use or mention of his Dark X-Men and as a team they were incredibly useful to Osborn's war. Mimic and Omega were powerhouses, Mystique was an incredibly useful agent and Dark Beast and his savagery would have been put to good use on the battlefield. We still have never truly found out the true fate of the team, and are left to assume they disbanded following their miniseries.

2. Also, where the hell was Noh-Varr?

Noh-Varr was the Dark Avenger who quit. He beat the Sentry. He's ridiculously powerful and useful to either side. When Noh-Varr quit the Dark Avengers, Steve Rogers and Bucky noted he was now technically on their side. So what did those two do about it? Nothing. What did Osborn do about losing own of his most powerful pawns? Nothing. What did Noh-Varr do about it? Nothing. Noh-Varr had absolutely no more involvement in the Dark Reign storyline. That's nuts, eh?

1. Norman Osborn has the second Black Widow locked up in a tube somewhere

Yelena Belova, the second Black Widow, was leading Osborn's black-ops Thunderbolts team... except it wasn't Yelena Belova at all it was the real Black Widow undercover for Nick Fury! As writer Andy Diggle's run drew to it's climax, the undercover Black Widow was exposed and left the team to side with Songbird in opposing Osborn's Thunderbolts. The issue ended on the twist that Norman Osborn actually had the real Yelena Belova in stasis all this time and was now deciding to release her and make her the new leader of the Thunderbolts. With the end of that issue, it was the end of Diggle's run and in a surprising twist the end of Yelena Belova's one-panel tenure as member of the Thunderbolts. The change-over of writers (going from Diggle to Rick Remender and then to Jeff Parker) as well as the interference of Siege meant this plot was never picked up and poor Yelena is still tucked away. Considering the prominence, and lack of context, it's by far the most bizarre and annoying instance listed here.

5. Crystal (Crystalia Amaquelin)

Crystal is an Inhuman who can control the four elements and was also a long-term substitute member of the Fantastic Four before she joined the Avengers. Although she only found her way into the team simply by holding hands with Quicksilver, she soon was inducted into the Avengers roster on her own merit when Pietro did one of his trademark abrupt exits from the team (I believe to go off and play with X-Factor?). Crystal stayed by the team for a surprisingly long tenure from 1992-1996. Despite four years of activity alongside the team and being present for such events as Operation Galactic Storm, the Infinity Gauntlet, Citizen Kang, Bloodties, The Crossing and Onslaught, her contribution to the team has been all but forgotten.

Crystal currently appears alongside the Inhumans and recently interacted with the Avengers during Realm of Kings.

4. Sersi

Sersi is an Eternal with a few tricks up her sleeve. Sersi kinda loitered around the team for a while after Inferno and was added to the active roster when the team line-up was reshuffled when the Avengers U.N. Charter was implemented. She stayed with the team until 1994 and most notably was the target of the Gatherers, a dimensional-hopping team who sought to kill every Sersi in existence. Sersi had a long tenure as a prominent figure within the team but her relevance and importance has been downplayed since.

Sersi regularly appears alongside the Eternals whenever they show up, most recently in Hulk #49.

3. Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)

Former Marvel Boy, Quasar wound up on the team under similar conditions to Sersi after having hung around them after the Inferno cut down their membership. Quasar was the "every-man" superhero and was just a really nice guy. It was hard not to like Quasar as a character but that was his downfall. Despite being utterly likeable, his contributions to the Avengers aren't entirely memorable and he tended to change costume quite frequently which didn't help. Although he played a prominent part in the team between 1990-1992 and was a key character in Operation Galactic Storm and Infinity Gauntlet, in the present day, as an Avenger he seems to have been relegated to the obscure corner alongside Crystal and Sersi.

Quasar has appeared frequently through-out the Marvel Cosmic events and currently is with the Annihilators who recently confronted the Avengers in Earthfall.

2. US Agent (John Walker)

When people think of "the Top 30 most Essential Avengers", they probably wouldn't think of US Agent which in my opinion is a big mistake. Unlike his friend and colleague War Machine (who hasn't stayed with the Avengers for more than five minutes really), US Agent has served with countless incarnations of the Avengers from the West Coast team, to the main Avengers and the "Avengers-in-spirit" Force Works - even leading an Avenger team on two seperate ocassions. Walker was initially forced onto the West Coast team (which led to Hawkeye quitting) and began leading the team, albeit not very well. He was soon welcomed onto the team properly and stayed with the core team until they gave up when Force Works dissolved. He rejoined with the Avengers on-and-off, mostly notably during Maximum Security and Dark Reign and has totaled a surprising 11 years as an Avenger! Despite his commitment to the team, he's not given the respect he deserves as an Avenger perhaps because he always be living in the shadow of Captain America.

John Walker currently appears mostly in Thunderbolts after having been crippled during Siege, he still maintains a working relationship with the Avengers, notably Luke Cage and Steve Rogers.

1. Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau)

On the surface it's very easy to hate Monica Rambeau. Her history reads like a classic case of a writer having a pet character and forcing her into major prominence in a book they're writing. Roger Stern created the new Captain Marvel (who actually had nothing to do with the original) in a Spider-Man Annual and she soon found herself on the Avengers which Stern was also writing. By the end of his run, Captain Marvel had risen the ranks and was leading the Avengers! Despite the quite obvious nepotism towards his own character, fans took to Captain Marvel because she was an actually likeable and strong character and Stern was a very capable writer. When Stern left the book, Captain Marvel vanished although made a brief return a couple of years later as a Reserve Avenger. She was an Avenger from 1983-1988 and a prominent reserve during the "Charter Days" most notably taking part in Galactic Storm. Captain Marvel is a long-serving member, as well as a former leader, and yet despite this appears now as nothing more than a footnote on Avengers history.

Monica Rambeau changed her superhero name to Photon and then later Pulsar and after joining NEXTWAVE effectively vanished.

5. Iron Man and Madame Masque

Before she was a villain, or should I say before she was exclusively a villain, Whitney Frost was an ally and lover of Tony Stark. Having had her face badly damaged prior, she found love in Tony's arms as he found her beautiful regardless of her disfigurement. The two shared an intense and loving relationship for a surprisingly long time before they split up when Whitney felt obligated to her father above all else. For a while, whenever they crossed paths there was still a spark and compassion between the two despite Masque pursuing criminal endeavors. In the modern age their chemistry has gone ignored and Masque has regressed to "just another villain" amongst Iron Mans rogues with little to no reference to the fact the two shared genuine love.

4. Machine Man and Jocasta

Robots loving robots seems like a logical idea. Machine Man met Jocasta at a pretty conveinent point for both of them: he was becoming disillusioned with humans, she was disillusioned with the Avengers (who on last check were mostly humans). They found friendship and love in each other's arms. Their romance was short-lived, ridiculously short-lived in fact, as Ultron soon destroyed Jocasta. Machine Man spent the next few years sulking about his fallen love and pondering while holding her head in a fashion that even Hamlet would find overkill. Jocasta has since returned and the duo had a brief reunion in Marvel Zombies 3 although it seems it wasn't meant to be as Jocasta wound up married to Ultron soon afterwards. Meanwhile, Machine Man got drunk with Howard the Duck.

3. Thor and the Enchantress

Does the Enchantress love Thor? Considering the amount of time and effort she's put into exclusively trying to seduce him, even if it is mostly for nefarious means, I think it's safe to say that she must like a bit more about him than just the power he weilds. When reading Thor, I usually find myself disappointed because every single time I am rooting for the Enchantress to win. The two have pursued a relationship from time to time that was welcomingly just as strong without the aid of the Enchantress' powers. Whether through sorcery or genuine feelings, these two always make for an interesting and passionate couple to read.

2. Ant-Man and Wasp

A couple marred by an unfortunate plot point that was admittedly a mistake since inception. Despite the fact the character's have resolved it several times, another writer will come along and just highlight and focus on the fact that Hank Pym once hit his wife Janet van Dyne. In the simplest way possible, Hank is a dork and Jan is a socialite. It boils down to a typical "opposites attract" mentality, and overlooking the Mark Millar's and Brian Bendis' who wish to remind us Hank Pym is "such a loser", as a couple Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne were surprisingly strong even after the incident. As perfect and natural as the couple have seemed, before and after "Swattergate", it seems this baggage will always stop the two from living happily ever after. Oh, and the fact the Wasp is dead. But I'm sure a writer will have Pym dig up her body to remind us Hank Pym is apparently just a crazy loser...

1. Rusty Collins and Skids

It's funny, the most believable and perfect romance is sometimes the one that isn't subjected to soap opera developments that headlining characters would have to endure. Rusty Collins and Skids were basically two New Mutants who shared a mutual "love at first sight" experience. From the moment they met until Rusty's untimely death at the hands of Holocaust, they were one of the healthiest and most adorable couples to read. They were shy, inexperienced and at the beginning uncomfortable around each other with their powers. They grew together, going from team to team and sharing hardships - the weirdest being brainwashed to be villains for half the 90s - but they always had each other. Rusty never had eyes for anyone else, Skids never fought with Rusty about leaving the toilet seat up. This was actual love. They stuck by each other's side from the moment they met to the moment Rusty died. As one of the few deaths Marvel haven't reversed, it's sad to see Skids continue to live in a world without Rusty by her side.