Blackburn Rovers missed a penalty, had Brett Emerton sent off and fought back to level it up from 3-0 down, before a Marcus Bent hat-trick finally settled an action packed JJB thriller to give Wigan their first win since August.
The Latics looked to be sitting pretty after first-half goals from Denny Landzaat, Bent and Paul Scharner.Emile Heskey was stretchered off with an ankle injury, and it signalled a Rovers comeback as Roque Santa Cruz grabbed a hat-trick to make it three apiece.
But two more from Bent gave Latics a massive boost as they bid to climb out of the drop zone.
Wigan made a terrific start, rocking Rovers with two goals in three minutes in a devastating opening spell.
Both came from similar moves with the ball headed forwards by Titus Bramble to set up the first and Scharner providing a repeat as Wigan made it 2-0 inside the opening 12 minutes.
Bent's neat touch sent Landzaat racing into the box and the Holland international kept his cool slotting the ball past the oncoming Brad Friedel for number one.
For the second, Bent gave Stephen Warnock and Ryan Nelsen the slip before cracking the ball home.
Rovers blew a chance when ref Mark Clattenburg pointed to the spot for a foul on Christopher Samba by Heskey.
It looked a tough decision, Heskey got booked for his protest, but Benni McCarthy made a mess of the penalty. He struck it poorly and Chris Kirkland easily tipped it round his right post.
Wigan struck again after Samba gave away a free-kick on the left edge of the box. Ryan Taylor hammered it in and Scharner was brave enough to get his head to it three yards out and the keeper had no chance.
The Latics suffered a massive blow when Heskey was stretchered off and in stoppage time Rovers grabbed a lifeline, Santa Cruz producing a terrific finish after turning Bramble on the edge of the box.
Four minutes after the re-start Rovers were right back in it. Wigan were caught out by a quickly taken free-kick and Emerton fired in the cross from the right.
Scharner went down in a tangle with Steven Reid and although Kirkland kept out Bramble's header, Santa Cruz was on the spot to turn in the rebound to make it 3-2.
Rovers then found themselves down to ten men when Emerton was sent off after an off-the-ball clash with Taylor, a decision that left Mark Hughes fuming.
Sensationally Blackburn hit back again, Warnock providing the cross for Santa Cruz to complete his treble with a header.
That spurred Wigan into action and they were in front again when Bent headed in from Antonio Valencia's ball after a slip by Warnock on the on-loan Charlton striker wrapped it up with his third after good work by Valencia and Julius Aghahowa.