Symbolic Journey Timeline
Birth & Death
The Child Who Never Grew Up
Julian’s short life becomes a frozen moment in Luthor history — a wound that
never heals and a story that is never told honestly.
Lex’s Childhood Memory
“I Killed My Brother”
Lex grows up believing he smothered Julian — carrying unbearable guilt and
self‑hatred that shape his identity.
Revealed Truth
Lillian’s Act, Lionel’s Silence
The truth emerges: Lillian killed Julian in a moment of psychological collapse,
and Lionel let Lex believe he was responsible.
Julian as Symbol
Innocence, Burden & “What If”
Julian becomes less a person and more a symbol — of innocence, of what might
have been, and of the damage secrets can do.
Alternate Julian
The Brother Lex Could Have Had
In alternate‑universe stories, a living Julian reflects the life Lex was
denied — deepening his grief and resentment.
Scene Focus
Phase: Frozen in Time
“He never got to grow up… but somehow, he’s the one who defined all of us.”
Julian’s life ends before he can form memories, choices, or a story of his own.
Instead, his absence becomes the center of everyone else’s story — a silent
gravitational pull around which guilt, grief, and denial orbit.
Family wound
Reflection & Viewer Lens
Julian’s “journey” is really the story of how a family handles unbearable loss.
Instead of being mourned openly, his death is buried under lies — and that secrecy
becomes a psychological poison for everyone left behind.
- Notice how often Julian is talked about, but never truly known.
- Track how Lex’s self‑image is shaped by the belief he killed his brother.
- Consider what might have changed if the truth had been told sooner.