system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Lord of The Rings] What would have happened if Gandalf had taken the ring when Frodo offered it to him?

Or for that matter, what would have happened if the various "super powers" of middle-earth had taken the ring when they were given the opportunity?

Elrond
Galadriel
Elendil
The Balrog
Denethor
Boromir

Gandalf says that through him the ring would "wield a power greater than anything beyond imaging" Or something else like that.  What does he mean by this?
gpt
Tolkien actually answers this in *Letter #246*:
>"Of the others only Gandalf might be expected to master him - being an emissary of the Powers and a creature of the same order, an immortal spirit taking the visible physical form."

He then explains that *perhaps* Elrond or Galadriel could use the ring against Sauron, but only Gandalf would be able to confront Sauron alone.

>"One can imagine the scene in which Gandalf, say, was placed in such a position. It would be a delicate balance. On one side the true allegiance of the Ring to Sauron; on the other superior strength because Sauron was not actually in possession, and perhaps also because he was weakened by long corruption and expenditure of will in dominating inferiors. If Gandalf proved the victor, the result would have been for Sauron the same as the destruction of the Ring; for him it would have been destroyed, taken from him for ever."

So a possibility existed that Sauron could have been defeated through use of the Ring. The only problem was that Gandalf would essentially replace Sauron:
>"Gandalf as Ring-Lord would have been far worse than Sauron. He would have remained 'righteous', but self-righteous. He would have continued to rule and order things for 'good', and the benefit of his subjects according to his wisdom (which was and would have remained great)." [Written in the margin Tolkien wrote: 'Thus while Sauron multiplied [illegible word] evil, he left "good" clearly distinguishable from it. Gandalf would have made good detestable and seem evil.']