The big defender crashed in a header in the dying seconds to salvage a point for Wigan Athletic which was all Steve Bruce's battling warriors deserved.
Wigan had led through an early Ryan Taylor strike only for United to look as if they had won with late goals themselves from substitute Michael Owen and a stunning Obafemi Martins goal.
It seemed as though it would be a third home win for Joe Kinnear, but Bramble had other ideas.
Wigan were rocked before the game when they lost Mario Melchiot, Jason Koumas and goalscoring sensation Amr Zaki while Newcastle's only change to the team beaten at Fulham was Sebastien Bassong coming in for Claudio Cacapa.
Both sides desperately needed the points to get away from the bottom of the table with Wigan looking woefully weak up front as they were also without England striker Emile Heskey.
Yet despite their problems a stunned silence fell around St James' Park after just three minutes when Wigan caught Newcastle flat-footed to go ahead.
There seemed little initial danger when Olivier Kapo played the ball in from the left but Taylor was allowed to lift a 20-yard right-footed shot over the stranded Shay Given.
Taylor and Wilson Palacios forced saves out of Given from outside the area as woeful Newcastle were overpowered.
And to make it worse for Kinnear's side, a lunging tackle from Lee Cattermole caught Joey Barton on the ankle forcing the former Manchester City midfielder out of the game after just 15 minutes.
Despite the loss of their key players you could hardly tell as Wigan ran the show.
Indeed, such was Wigan's superiority that Chris Kirkland had only one first-half shot to save, blocking a Martins effort in stoppage time.
Hardly surprisingly Newcastle were jeered from the pitch but not before Kapo had fizzed in a shot from the left that went narrowly wide.
Despite being outclassed, Kinnear still chose not to change it around at the start of the second half.
But their cause was helped after 54 minutes when Emmerson Boyce, booked in the first half, was shown a second yellow following a rash lunge at Shola Ameobi.
However, it was difficult to tell Wigan had a player short as was shown when Henri Camara ran away from Fabricio Coloccini and beat Given only to see his shot rebound into the keeper's arms off the upright.
Owen and Charles N'Zogbia were thrown on and Owen missed a sitter from six yards and then had a header turned over by Kirkland.
But Owen was not to be denied and, after 80 minutes, he forced the ball over the line for the equaliser after Kirkland was only able to parry Ameobi's 20 yarder.
When Martins thumped in a ferocious drive to make it three goals in successive home games - it looked over and out for Wigan.
Bruce was distraught, but that all changed when Bramble came to the rescue with his late, late show.