Bristol City slumped to their heaviest home defeat in nearly three years as Wolves ran riot in this one-sided npower Championship contest.
Not since Cardiff City inflicted a 6-0 humiliation upon the Robins in January 2010 had Ashton Gate regulars witnessed anything quite on this scale.
It was a case of one step forward and two back for a City side that thought it had turned the corner when winning at Middlesbrough a week earlier.
But their abject first-half surrender to opponents who were low on confidence after going nine games without a win could not be excused.
City began tentatively and Wolves deservedly took the lead on 21 minutes through Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.
Kevin Doyle took advantage of poor defending to score in the 25th and 41st minutes and the rout was complete when Norwegian raider Bjorn Sigurdarson netted a fourth shortly before the interval.
City improved after the interval and Neil Danns restored some semblance of pride when rifling in a shot from 30 yards out to register his first goal since arriving on loan from Leicester.
The result leaves City rooted firmly in the relegation zone and heaps further pressure on manager Derek McInnes, whose team was booed off at half-time and again at the final whistle.
Although City improved with the introduction of substitutes Sam Baldock and Stephen Davies in the second half, Wolves remained the better side and would have won by a much wider margin had it not been for poor finishing.
Denied a home win since Cardiff were put to the sword at the end of August, City fans had seen their team beaten by Blackburn, Leeds, Hull and Charlton and held to draws by Millwall and Blackpool in the intervening three months.
In his determination to give long-suffering season ticket holders something to cheer, McInnes opted to maintain the 4-5-1 system that yielded a remarkable 3-1 success at Middlesbrough last Saturday, recalling Ryan Taylor to replace Davies as the lone striker.
Unhappy with his team's form and without a win in nine games, Wolves boss Stale Solbakken made three changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Millwall in midweek. And it was the visitors who made the more purposeful start.
Restored to the starting line-up, Ebanks-Blake should have put Wolves ahead after just two minutes. French winger Bakary Sako beat Robins right-back Richard Foster for pace and delivered a low cross towards the edge of the six-yard box, only for Ebanks-Blake to somehow steer his shot wide of a gaping target.
Wolves continued to call the shots, forcing City back and looking dangerous whenever Sako or Sigurdarson sent over crosses from the flanks.
It came as no surprise when the visitors took the lead on 21 minutes. Sako's corner was only half cleared by City's defence and Stephen Ward drove the ball through a crowded penalty area for Ebanks-Blake to apply a decisive touch from six yards out.
Robins keeper Tom Heaton got a hand to the ball, but only to help it into the roof of the net.
Wolves doubled their lead four minutes later. Ebanks-Blake turned Matthew Bates and fed Sigurdarson, whose task was made easier by Heaton's decision to rush from his line and close him down.
The Norwegian merely had to square the ball to Doyle, who could not miss from point-blank range.
And Wolves added a third before half time as City's defence disintegrated. When a City attack broke down on the edge of the penalty area, the visitors launched a swift counter-attack.
Doyle collected the ball just inside his own half, turned and embarked upon a surging run that took him past three red-shirted defenders without a single challenge coming in.
The Republic of Ireland striker had time to set himself and pick his spot, his low shot beating Heaton and nestling in the corner of the net.
Doyle then turned provider on the stroke of half-time, threading a neat pass into the path of Sigurdarson, whose clinical finish gave Heaton no chance and sparked chants of "what a load of rubbish" from angry Robins fans.
McInnes made a change at the start of the second half, withdrawing Neil Kilkenny, sending on Sam Baldock and switching to a 4-4-2 formation to match-up with Wolves.
It made little difference and Wolves almost increased their lead with their first meaningful attack after the break, Doyle surging past Fontaine, only to see his low shot hacked off the line by Bates.
Heaton then had to stand his ground to deny Doyle as Wolves threatened to heap further embarrassment on the home side.
At least City summoned a response on this occasion, Marvin Elliott sending a shot over from the edge of the penalty area and Neil Danns testing Cark Ikeme for the first time in the match with a speculative drive.
But Wolves looked far more likely to add to their tally and Heaton made a fine save to keep out Sako's rising shot, while Roger Johnson sent a header crashing against the cross bar.
City were again fortunate to escape when Sako sent over another telling cross and Ebanks-Blake missed with an air shot when it appeared easier to score.
The home side did restore some pride five minutes from time, Danns beating Ikeme with a fierce drive from 30 yards out. But it was too little too late for Robins fans, who were streaming out if the stadium long before the end.
City (4-5-1): Heaton; Foster, Bates, Fontaine, Bryan; Adomah, Elliott, Kilkenny (Baldock 46), Danns, Pearson; Taylor (Davies 58).
Wolves (4-4-2): Ikeme; Foley, Johnson, Berra, Ward; Sigurdarson (Nouble 85), Edwards (Davis 60), Henry, Sako; Ebanks-Blake, Doyle (Forde 72).
Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire)
Attendance: 13,892
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