Doctor Who and the Free - Fall Warriors ( comic story ) Doctor Who and the Free - Fall Warriors — or The Free - Fall Warriors — was an important comic strip in the latter days of the Fourth Doctor ' s run in " Doctor Who Magazine " . Its titular characters were the first to be spun out of the " Magazine " into the larger Marvel UK universe . It was also the first Marvel " Doctor Who " strip to introduce a recurring character who wasn ' t a regular companion , Dr Ivan Asimoff . Summary . The Doctor has decided to vacation at the Festival of Five Planets . At the central " festival planet " , he enjoys playing some video game s and indulging his sweet tooth with tempting sundaes . There , he meets Dr Ivan Asimoff , a non - human who seems to share a number of features with his apparent human namesake . A writer of science fiction , Asimoff is intensely excited to meet a Time Lord like the Doctor . WIthin a few moments of the start of their conversation , the TARDIS comes under siege by a group of rowdy strangers , who have mistaken it for some kind of vending machine or video game . The Doctor protests when they repeatedly bang on its exterior , trying to get it to " work " . The four strangers calm down when the Doctor describes the blue box as a " vehicle " . They quickly protest the possibility . They introduce themselves as " the Freefall Warriors " , and suggest that the Doctor knows nothing about actual racing vehicles . The Festival of Five Planets , it turns out , sponsors a space race — and the Warriors challenge the Doctor to be a part of it . He accepts for Asimoff and himself . Soon the pair are bundled off in the spacecraft belonging to Machine Head , one of the Warriors . Machine Head takes an early lead . Unfortunately , his speed lands him into the path of an oncoming fleet of Space Raiders . These Raiders intend to disrupt the Festival , and are using one of the elements of the race to help them . The race , it turns out , was supposed have a " mock battle " as one of its features . Thus , Machine Head is caught unawares when he encounters their fleet . Only after his craft takes damage and plunges toward a nearby planet does he realise the attack is frightfully real . The Doctors are called upon to help repair the ship during the unexpected pit stop . Meanwhile , Machine Head contacts his fellow Freefallers and warn them of the impending attack . The others react quickly enough to begin picking off the Raider fleet . When the Doctors effect repair , Machine Head re - enters the fight . By this time , the main opposition left is the Raider Leader . Machine Head uses his craft ' s unique quality to dispense with his attacker . Since his craft can withstand the effects of a star , he plays a game of " chicken " with the Raider Leader , tempting the Leader to fly straight into the local sun . Back at the space station , the Warriors request reciprocation from the Doctor . Since they showed him their vessels , he should take them for a ride in his TARDIS . The Doctor surmises they likely won ' t find the flight stimulating , given the ride he ' s just endured . He begs off , preferring to find a nice , quiet part of the festival planet where he and Asimoff can indulge in good conversation and decadent sweets . Plot . " to be added " References . " to be added " Continuity . " to be added "