Asamoah Gyan found the net on his first start for Sunderland but he could not prevent the Black Cats crashing out of the Carling Cup at the hands of West Ham in a 1-2 defeat at the Stadium of Light.
The Hammers fashioned their first win of the season to progress to the fourth round thanks to a goal in each half from Frederic Piquionne and the impressive Victor Obinna.
Obinna threaded a dangerous ball behind the Sunderland back line for Piquionne, who kept his cool to round Mignolet and slide the ball home from an acute angle.
It could have been two just moments later. Parker instigated a flowing move through the middle of midfield and almost finished off his own work, denied only by a fine fingertip save from Mignolet low to his left.
Bruce was forced into a change four minutes before the break as Anton Ferdinand limped off and was replaced by Paraguay international Paulo Da Silva.
But the Sunderland boss was celebrating just moments later as his side fashioned an equaliser.
Henderson was the architect, delivering a pinpoint corner which was gleefully headed home by Gyan at the front post - cue the signature dance to mark the striker's first goal at the Stadium of Light.
Level at the break, Sunderland survived a hairy moment early in the second half when Pablo Barrera's snapshot struck Da Silva on the back and dribbled just wide of the post with a wrong-footed Mignolet going the other way.
Then the jitters were at the other end - Phil Bardsley pulling the ball back from the by-line for Gyan to blast a shot over the bar.
Just as Sunderland looked to grab the momentum, though, the Hammers struck back with a well-fashioned second goal.
Some good wing play saw the ball worked to Obinna 12 yards out and he turned to curl a low shot into the far corner of the net.
Bruce responded to the blow by replacing Gyan with Steed Malbranque and Henderson fired high at Stech before being replaced with Bolo Zenden.