/nitpick
The others COULD see him. Fortunately, I have my copy of LotR here with me. Here is an example from the book.
Or were you refering to the movie?
BTW Gandalf would win for sure.
About Dumbledore not having a sword, haven’t you read the books? He has Godric Gryffindor’s sword.
And who’s to say a wizard from the world of HP is less powerful than a demi-god from the world of LotR? It’s not easy for me to answer that, although I must admit that Gandalf seems like he might have more potential power.
My vote goes to Doctor Strange carrying Batman on his shoulders.
Gandalf.
From the Far East–i.e. the world of Anime-- Lina Inverse, of Slayers fame.
Gandalf
Well, if Dumbledore had a prepared Batman fly the Enterprise-D into Gandalf’s Super Star Destroyer, the resulting annihilation caused by the collision would create a pocket universe so convoluted that not even Lara Croft in her skimpiest bikini teamed with Indiana Jones, Sherlock Holmes, and every lawyer ever to appear in a John Grishom novel would ever be able to unearth who owned the marketing rights.
Dumbledore wouldnt have a hope! Even If he had McGonagell to help because Gandalf could call on Aragorn for help and we all know the only thing that will kill him is time because the man cannot be killed!
So anyway…
Gandalf
Sounds to me like an imagined fight between the batty Uncle vs. the Empress Jadis in The Magician’s Nephew.
No comparison–Gandalf.
Gandalf.
i think it’s telling that no one even thinks it’s necessary to add ‘if he is prepared’.
Rincewind is the King!!!
Relevant link to this thread topic.
http://www.grudge-match.com/History/gandalf-dumbledore.shtml
Sorry Ilsa, but Dumbledore doesn’t have a prayer. Gandalf is angelic in nature, is thousands of years old, and has tons of combat experience. Dumby will be most decisively spanked.
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You’re fuckin’ joking, right?
Another vote for Gandalf here. Dumbledore may be powerful in the HP world, but he doesn’t stand a chance.
Gandalf all the way!!! I don’t think there is any way Albus Dumbledore could beat Gandalf. Firstly, Gandalf could simply take away Dumbledore’s wand and then chop him to tiny bits with Glamdring. Or he could knock Dumbly’s glasses off and then cop him with Glamdring. Or he could launch a series of powerful spells that would turn Mr. Dumbly into a pile of mush. I mean, if Dumbly and Gandalf switched places there is no way that Dumbly could survive half the crap Gandalf goes through. Example: Balrog.
Gandalf, absolutely.
Dumbledore would win. Gandalf is basically a powerful elemental of sorts, but Dumbledore is both wise and canny, and highly intelligent people are smarter than elementals and elves no matter how old they are because they have to be.
She definatly has the most powerful direct attack spells; a single dragon slave from a distance could win the fight. Of course, this depends on the fight not occuring during “that time of the month”. 
Technically, though, Gandalf doesn’t survive this. He goes back to Valinor, and the Valar are like, what the hell are you doing here?, and sent him back.
Ummmm, no, not the way Tolkien wrote them. The elves and especially Gandalf are extremely intelligent beings. See the above quotation about Gandalf knowing every spell in the tongues of Elves and Men. The only thing Gandalf screwed up was that he was so old he startedto forget some of the things he had learned in his early years. In fact, that’s the only chink in Gandalf’s armor. Think about it. Even if I was four million years old, I think I would remember that a Ring of Power ain’t a good thing and that the One Ring had the firescript effect. But, no, it takes Gandalf years to figure it out. Years! But unless Dumbledore could pull some ancient strategy out of his wazzoo that Gandalf had forgotten about, Gandalf wouldn’t even face a challenge.