Board Thread:Spoilers!/@comment-6175354-20141215234519/@comment-1916997-20141217061216

Fragile Daydreamer wrote: Anybody else think that Cruella is a shapeshifter? Hear me out.

1. Adam and Eddie have said that Cruella's power has to do with animals, and what she wears on her back.

2. Adam and Eddie also say that Cruella has a "dollop" of magic.

3. In Heroes and Villains, a dalmatian appears out of nowhere, draws Belle out, and disappears.

4. The dalmatian disappears and we see a person wearing gloves grab Belle. Note that the gloves seem to have diamonds/Swarovsky crystals on them. [Either that, or tiny metal rivets].

These may seem circumstancial at the moment, but we can infer that one, Cruella may have magic, but not as much as the other two Queens of Darkness. Which could mean that she has either a limited ability, or have less raw power. Second, with A&E saying that her power has to do with animals and the fur she wears (limited ability, for now), it would seem to point to Cruella being some sort of Skin-walker. That would explain her "penchant for furs".

In-universe, the circumstances of Belle's kidnapping allowed each of the Queens of Darkness to make their presence known to Rumple (and the audience)via something connected to their power/magic: Maleficent via her servant raven (Diablo?) and Ursula via the sand dollar. So where is Cruella's signature (for lack of a better word)? The dalmatian. Now, one may argue that the dalmatian may be Cruella's servant, but Cruella doesn't keep animals around, she keeps their pelts/fur. And it is curious that the dalmatian disappears a few seconds before Belle is nabbed--- by someone who seems to be wearing woman's gloves.

Granted, this is all speculation and we still need more in-universe evidence and confirmation, and A&E could throw us a curveball, but for now, Cruella being a skin-walker is a very likely possibility. You aren't the first person to suggest shapeshifting magic for her, but you do have the most well reasoned response. I also like how you found the skin-walker thing, it makes sense that she can only shapeshift into an animal if she has a pelt from one, and gives her a reason to be so fur obsessed. Good job.