The Sheffield side finally found the target after a goal drought lasting more than ten hours and James O'Connor grabbed the equaliser after hot-shots Kevin Nolan and Shola Ameobi had given the Championship pacesetters the lead.
Wednesday swept ahead in the 14th minute. Darren Potter was given too much space on the right flank and picked out James O'Connor. His measured pass found Luke Varney who finished with a firm header from close range.
The lead lasted just six minutes before Newcastle hit back in emphatic manner. Danny Guthrie cleverly by-passed Tommy Spurr and his looping cross found the unmarked Nolan who beat the helpless Lee Grant with a clinical header, his 11th goal of the season.
The shaky Wednesday defence capitulated again just three minutes later. Jonas Gutierrez was given time to thread the ball to Shola Ameobi who turned quickly to drill the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from 15 yards with the Wednesday keeper left flat-footed on his line.
Grant was better placed minutes later to snatch Gutierrez's deceptive free-kick from under the bar after Varney had pulled back Jose Enrique before Jermaine Johnson lashed his low shot wide of the near post as Wednesday looked for an equaliser.
It almost came in the 49th minute after Newcastle had needlessly conceded a corner. The impressive Potter found centre-back Mark Beevers who casually pulled his header wide of the target from six yards.
Johnson pulled the ball wide before Wednesday were back on level terms in the 59th minute. Spurr's lofted ball into the goalmouth was met by Varney and, as he challenged the keeper, the ball came back off the bar and O'Connor half-volleyed his shot home.
Harper pulled off a spectacular stop six minutes later as the Sheffield side stepped up the pace. Tom Soares' cross from the right was met by Marcus Tudgay whose diving header was saved by the keeper who produced a one-handed stop as he dived to his left.