Ah. I cede your point on The Daughters of The Dragon. They were indeed introduced separately. Don't remember where Misty came from, but Colleen was part of Iron Fist's original cast IIRC.
Rhodey, however, was created as a component of Tony's narrative arc in Iron Man. He was basically created as an updated version of Happy Hogan (who also wore the armor). He's grown beyond that, but those were his roots.