The goal was enough for the League 2 Club to set up an FA Cup fourth round clash with heavyweights Manchester United on Sunday.
Mullin had hit the post in the 71st minute after coming on minutes earlier.
He then headed in the winner at the far post in the 104th minute as Prenton Park erupted with joy after the match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes.
Emmanuel Monthe had put the hosts, who are deep in relegation trouble in League One (third tier), ahead in the 36th minute for a well-deserved lead.
Tranmere Rovers had already fought back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 in the first match at Vicarage Road to force the replay.
Watford, who had played 48 hours earlier in the Premier League and made 11 changes for the game, worked their way back after the break.
Jose Holebas hit the woodwork just past the hour. Kaylen Hinds, making his Watford debut, got the equaliser with a scrappy goal in the 68th minute after several defenders failed to clear the ball.
But Tranmere Rovers fought back once more and grabbed the winner through Mullin, to book a glamour fourth round tie — their first in 16 years — with their big-name opponents.
The silver lining for Nigel Pearson's side is that they will not have to play what would have been a fourth game in nine days in the fourth round on Sunday, and will instead be able to focus all their efforts on avoiding relegation from the top flight.
Tranmere, though, get to do this all over again at the weekend, hosting Manchester United with an even greater shock in mind and on a pitch unlike any other the Red Devils will have played on this campaign.
An unenviable task for Man Utd
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side will not relish the prospect of facing Tranmere on this pitch.
The FA Cup represents one of United's main potential avenues to silverware this season and you would therefore expect Solskjaer to field a stronger XI than Watford did for this game.
But they will face the same, alien problems of inconsistent bounce and roll on a surface that is as much sand as grass.
Plus, they come into the tie at arguably the lowest moment of Solskjaer's time at the club, having meekly lost their last two games - at fierce rivals Liverpool and then at home against Burnley.
Clearly, Solskjaer has the superior players at his disposal but Tranmere will have the bit between their teeth and a leveller beneath their feet.
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