 In the essay " Flood Barriers " in the 2007 Panini Books reprint collection of Eighth Doctor comic strips from Doctor Who Magazine strip editor Clayton Hickman reveals that Russell T Davies had authorised the comic strip to depict the Eighth Doctor 's regeneration into the Ninth at the end of the story arc , The Flood . The regeneration would have been witnessed by the Eighth Doctor 's companion , Destrii , and Hickman writes that the intent was to continue with a Ninth Doctor : Year One story arc with the Ninth Doctor and Destrii . However , when this arc was vetoed by both Russell T Davies and series producer Julie Gardner the creative team felt unable to regenerate the Doctor without Destrii 's presence and the decision was made not to depict the regeneration in the comic strip . The reprint collection includes a specially @-@ drawn panel showing how the Ninth Doctor might have looked in the comic strip immediately after his regeneration , wearing the Eighth Doctor 's costume and being tended to by Destrii . 
