The Specials had to form their own record label and put out their first single on their own, because nobody in London would give an unsigned band from Coventry the time of day. Within months they had a distribution deal with Chrysalis. The 2 Tone label released hit after hit and launched the careers of groups like the Beat and the Selecter as well as UB40.
The Specials managed to combine popular music success with political commitment in a way almost no group has done before or since.
The Special AKA single Free Nelson Mandela and the formation of Artists Against Apartheid both contributed to the international movement against apartheid in South Africa.
The Movie
First of all, The Specials are the world's 7th best superhero team! That is pretty incredible for a world with so many superheroes. Ok, so you're not the best versions of the Avengers/Fantastic Four/X-Men/Defenders, but you are still well into the top ten!
An honorable mention has to go to the Strobe's reaction to the terrible run of toys Kosgrove made for the Specials. Sure he's mostly just reacting to seeing his wife having an affair, but think about it. Kosgrove made a whole production run of terrible toys, all tied to the Specials as a team. So he immediately disbands the team, making Kosgrove's production worthless, and saving the individual members of the team from the ridicule of being tied to the terrible line of toys. In fact, Kosgrove immediately scraps the production line.
The very end of the film. After the Strobe declared the splitting up of the Specials the rest of the Specials have been arguing with him to get him to change his mind but he's adamant. Then they turn on the news and see a press release from the Crusaders mocking the Specials newest recruit, Night Bird and her bird powers: laying eggs. Also, the press release is an interview with Weevil, who was thinking about leaving the Specials to join the Crusaders even before the Specials disbanded. Just seeing that makes the Strobe, without even thinking about it, immediately defend Night Bird's abilities and get the Specials to bond over how cool her egg-laying-power is. They get interrupted when Ms. Indestructible gets a call about an army of giant ants invading the pentagon. She points out that the Annihilators are in Europe, and the Trio are on Saturn. The Specials are the only ones left! The Strobe immediately jumps back into leading the team to save the day, only a night after they broke up. Why can't the Crusaders handle it? They're too busy doing a press tour to actually save the day.
The impromptu dance performance at the club with Alien Orphan, Power Chick, Amok, and Mr. Smart. Their leadership may be in shambles, their toy deal in the garbage (admittedly, it was a rotten deal), and all of them are trying to trying to forget the night's events with copious amount of booze. But then, Alien Orphan starts dancing, and the others get on up there with him, and the crowd is thrilled. It's the first real sign that the team is not dead. And since this is James Gunn, he picks the obscure but awesome "Life is a Rock" to play for it.
at the club with Alien Orphan, Power Chick, Amok, and Mr. Smart. Their leadership may be in shambles, their toy deal in the garbage (admittedly, it was a rotten deal), and all of them are trying to trying to forget the night's events with copious amount of booze. But then, Alien Orphan starts dancing, and the others get on up there with him, and the crowd is thrilled. It's the first real sign that the team is not dead. And since this is James Gunn, he picks the obscure but awesome "Life is a Rock"