Short version of the story of the Champions:

Tony Isabella pitched the series as an Iceman and Angel buddy book,the two of them having graduated from the X-Men.

The Editor in Chief at the time told him that this was a team book, and that as a team book it required certain elements:

A female member. That became Black Widow.

A strong guy. Hercules.

And a character who was headlining in his own title, to give the series a better chance of catching on. That was Ghost Rider.

So it completely transformed from what it was initially intended to be during that development process.