Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-6302057-20171216220411/@comment-25926288-20171216235925

They established by the breaking of blood magic that the coven witches are pretty powerful. Gothel even broke the Dark Curse effects on Regina by growing a plant. Not that extraordinary, but still no minor feat.

The Dark Curse is the same Dark Curse. The Dark Curse created Storybrooke. However, it was established that the Dark Curse served a number of functions. You can use it to travel, freeze time, etc. Sort of like a wish.

There weren't any "retcons" in a bad sense. There are different effects for different folk.

Black Fairy used dark fairy dust (which is a jack of all trades kind of magic), but prior Fiona had to use ingredients. Regina didn't have that, so she had to use certain ingredients and tailor made some aspects. Pan copied Regina. Then, Regina copied what she did before. Hook's curse it the more questionable one.

The Coven followed Fiona's route by using a lot of Dark Magic, plus Regina as the key ingredient/ focal point of their combined magic.