Superhero-origin stories traffic in the type of fantastical wish fulfillment that, by its very nature, stretches the bounds of believability. By that mythic measure, new superhero TV series The Cape adds a few fresh twists while largely adhering to the standard ingredients that go into the making of a larger-than-life crime-fighter: revenge, isolation and a thirst for justice leavened with a strong dose of bitterness.

In the show, which premieres Sunday on NBC, honest cop Vince Faraday (played by